GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

2003
GT 6-speed

I'm looking for the fuel filter and it is hiding..... where is it? I looked in the factory manual set and found no mention of it.

Further, Rock Auto shows them with and without a third vent tube. Which will I need?

It's inside the fuel tank, attached to the fuel pump, which you can access through the port hole under the rear seat.

Its not in the maintenance schedule because its is not considered something that would normally need to be replaced over the lifetime of the car.

Are you having symptoms that lead you to suspect the fuel filter, or are you looking at it as general routine maintenance?

I have no idea which variant is appropriate. Looking at step 16 of the attached fuel pump procedure from the 03 matrix manual, I'm not sure you're looking at the right part, if its a choice between two and three tube versions. Maybe the whole fuel pump assembly, but the filter looks like a little bag in this doc

ZZvroom wrote: ↑Tue Sep 08, 2020 10:37 amI looked in the factory manual set and found no mention of it.

If you have the big two volume factory service manual from Helm, the procedure begins on page 6-655. Looks like it has the same pics as the attached matrix doc

I looked in the index of the 2-volume Fine Manual and found nothing in the index, so thanks.

I was looking at replacing it because at 135,000 miles, I thought it might be time.

I notice that when I get on it HARD, say climbing a 8% grade at 65+ in 5th, it's into it, then slacks off very slightly.
Not a miss, more nuanced than that. I suspected fuel shortage.

The Rock Auto images look like in-line filters, not in-tank.

There is no in-line filter on the Vibe. It is a little sock on the bottom of the fuel pump/fuel sender assembly as Joatmon mentioned. I would leave well enough alone unless you are having issues with it and/or the pump.