Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient?

Discuss any problems, warranty, repair, or replacement issues you are having with your Vibe & Matrix
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ColonelPanic
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Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient?

Post by ColonelPanic »

Yet another miserable summer of Vibedom... This could probably be more of a rant than a "problem" post, I suppose... Back in December, I got a new A/C compressor which obviously included new refrigerant added to the proper specifications.... I was hoping that would maybe help the car's weak A/C perfomance, but nope.The A/C on this car has been horrible since the beginning... I'm the type who enjoys freezing his (removed) off, so maybe I'm asking too much. It does cool, but it doesn't cool enough. Today for instance, I had the A/C on, recirc mode, and fan on high for the entire drive to work. It started to get comfortable about 3/4 of the way there. If I have to keep the A/C cranking in such a manner, I think there's a serious problem... The tint helps quite a bit, can't imagine how bad it would be without it.I've tried every thing I can think of to help get the car to cool down quicker - usually crack the windows once I get in the car and the interior is roasting, run the thing in recirculate mode, etc... Sometimes that stuff helps, sometimes not. Like I said, it does cool eventually, but it's nowhere near as good as it should be.Considering how this problem has always been present, and how even after new A/C components, I'm lead to believe this is more of a "design" thing than something else broken on this clunker of a Vibe... And yes, I keep an eye on that stupid cable thingy for the temperature control, it's fine. It does require yearly adjusting though.Just curious to see if anyone else finds their Vibe's A/C performance to be less than desired... I'm wondering if the genius engineers at Toyota probably said "hey, let's just take the guts of the Corolla's A/C system and slap it in these cars which have a hell of a lot more interior volume and a much larger area of glass, they'll never know the difference. Besides, redesigning that crap to perform better in the larger car would cost an extra $1.75 a car extra, that's unacceptable!" I once read that's exactly what happened with the Scion xB, where Toyota decided it would be a good idea to use the Echo's A/C setup and whaddya know, the xB's were roasting inside... Not sure if they ever fixed that, haven't cared to look. Any thoughts?
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by redlava »

Actually I find it to be quite good. I usually don't even have to turn it on past medium to get the full effects in the heat of the summer. I think it is just as good if not better than the AC in my old Dakota, and that froze the hell out of me.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (redlava)

Post by ColonelPanic »

That's it, I think I need a small regular cab pickup.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by iinan »

My ac works great ! When the temperature SOARS into to 70's and people are all flocking to starbucks for their iced lattes, I can stay nice and cool... But really for the little bit of HOT weather we get around here my vibe does very well, I suppose the tinted windows do help some and keeping the sunroof closed..
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by kharman »

mine feels deficient...only because the summers here average 97 degrees with high humidy...
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (kharman)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Maybe there is something up with my car, as it's never been able to cope with even 80-something degrees with high humidity. Nothing really would surprise me at this point. Or maybe I'm just asking for more than this thing is capable of delivering, even if it is in perfect, working order.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by Raven »

The A/C is the worst piece of junk I have ever seen or heard of. It was about 80° F today and I ran it at full recirc, full fan for about 30 minutes before it got cool enough to take off recirc. Even then it was not cold. If I did this in my extendacab GMC, I would have icicles hanging from my nose. It's been worked on twice including replacing the shrader valve and refilling and it is still pathetic.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by GMJAP »

Mine seems fine.A common mistake: putting it in "recirc" mode when you get into the car and it's roasting. The air in your car is warmer than the air outside when you get in, so putting it on recirc right away just makes it take longer. Once it starts to get cool, hit recirc.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (GMJAP)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Dang, I've been doing it backwards. Recirc at first, then switch to fresh air later.... I'll try that and see...Sunny, I totally agree with your comments.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by mikey00 »

The a/c in my 05 is ok, but it is weaker than every other car I have owned and I've been around.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (GMJAP)

Post by Raven »

Quote, originally posted by GMJAP »Mine seems fine.A common mistake: putting it in "recirc" mode when you get into the car and it's roasting. The air in your car is warmer than the air outside when you get in, so putting it on recirc right away just makes it take longer. Once it starts to get cool, hit recirc. I've tried it both ways and it don't do #%&@.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by joatmon »

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic ». And yes, I keep an eye on that stupid cable thingy for the temperature control, it's fine. It does require yearly adjusting though.I've noticed that tooDid you ever try the pipe insulation on the AC pipes? Some people say that has helped.Some people had poor AC from an overcharged system, too much refrigerant.Only other mod I can think of to try would be installing a bypass valve in the heater hoses so that you could shut off flow through the heater core, keep all that hot enginie coolant frorm flowing through the HVAC box at all, but I don't kow if it would have any effect.I haven't messed with, the AC in my car works OK
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (joatmon)

Post by AzFusionGT »

The a/c in my car is great. Living in the desert I run it pretty much non-stop from late April/early May to October. When I first get in, I turn it on and open the windows to "help" the hot air out. Although I like getting the fresh air, recirc makes it downright cold, and I usually crank it down to potition 2 or 3.An aside: Today I pulled into traffic and hit the rev limiter at 8000 rpm's with the a/c on. It was GREAT!
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Post by Mase »

If you guys wanted a sub-zero, nose hair crinkling, Walt Disney preserving A/C then you got the wrong car. You're not gonna get that kinda air out of a system on a 4cyl 1.8l engine. Sure, they could've installed a larger compressor, coils, etc, but then you all would be complaining how your face would smack into the steering wheel whenever the compressor kicked in and robbed half your horsepower.In the meantime, try any/or a combination of the following:1. Get tinted2. Use windshield shades while parked3. Cycle your a/c blower in the proper steps4. Get a car with a bigger engine5. Get a lighter colored car6. Wear shorts and a tank top7. Drive with your pits in front of the vents8. Move to someplace coolerChill guys!
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Re: (Mase)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Quote »You're not gonna get that kinda air out of a system on a 4cyl 1.8l engine.I am inclined to disagree here - I can't see that engine size would necessarily mean lower A/C performance... I've driven or been in Hyundais and Kias with 1.5 and 1.6 litre engines, yet their air conditioners work just fine... Nice and cold, and a hell of a lot better than what this 1.8 litre Vibe is capable of putting out. If it were the engine size making the difference, then the effect would be exactly the opposite of what I have noticed... My car would be cooler than those...Yes, there is far less interior volume with those Accents and Rios... That's the key here, I think - I don't think it's the engine size that's causing the crappy A/C performance, but more or less the overall design is not capable of cooling off this much space. I'm sure these same exact parts will work fine in a Corolla. But not these cars. Just my honest opinion.I'm just thinking that they could have improved the design on the system which would improve cooling, yet not have a drastic impact on performance or fuel economy.Kinda hard to chill when I can't keep cool, man!
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Post by Pick »

I live in South Florida and the A/C takes forever to get cold, once it gets cold it is capable of keeping the cabin cold, it's just those first 15 mins that sucks.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (redlava)

Post by pwarren4 »

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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by Ponyota »

I just made the adjustment to the vent door to close all the way. It might have made one click difference on the cold air knob. It was 84 by the temperature gauge in the car and the air did seem a little colder. I guess the true test will come when it's more humid and around 90F. Last year I noticed that it wasn't as cold as I thought that it should have been, but I ignored it and blamed it on the new type freon. This year it wont be ignored and if it's not as cool as I think it should be, I'll have it checked out. Thanks pwarren4 for the link, that saved me some time.
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Post by dsegundo »

My biggest complaint is that it doesn't blow cold air if you don't have the AC button on...like it just throws the engine air at ya.
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Post by ragingfish »

No problems here. I agree with what was said above, I never need recirc because I get TOO cold! I had a similar problem in my Sunfire though...the air just never seemed cold enough...after numerous trips to the dealer, and nothing ever being cited as a problem, I finally gave in to the assumption it was shoddy design.That's just about the only Sunfire gripe you'll ever get outta me though...
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Post by mikey00 »

ragingfish,Back on 6/11/03 you posted:"Never mind -- realized mine doesn't need adjustment, which sucks, cause it's not cold enough for my tastes...Guess I'll have the dealer look at it next time I'm there..."What changed since then and how do I get mine to be too cold?
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Re: (silverawd26)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Sometimes things change... Hell, I know for sure there are plenty of threads around here where I actually liked my Vibe, didn't have problems with it, and even mentioned "quality" without "lack of" before it. Yes, oh my how things can change....
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Re: (ragingfish)

Post by 21Rouge »

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »No problems here. I agree with what was said above, I never need recirc because I get TOO cold! I wish. Ive only had the base '05 5 speed Vibe for 3 weeks but the cooling isnt good .
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by vibegtdriver »

I've had my A/C looked at a few times. First time, they said it was a bit shy on refrigerant. 2nd time, nothing wrong. 3rd time, the heater door/cable adjustment we've all read about, and they adjusted it. 4th time nothing wrong. I think the A/C is weak and in a wagon type design, a lot of space to cool down. Having dark colored seats and dash probably don't help either. I think the A/C is underpowered. It does cool, "OK", but not great. I hope that's all it is, and something else isn't wrong. I have had my GT 3 years but only 23,600 miles.
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Re: (ColonelPanic)

Post by jgvibe »

One thing I noticed about my AC is when I'm stuck in trafic it doesn't work as good as when I'm crusing. If I'm on a road where the speed limmit is only 40 Mph I'll turn off the overdrive to keep the Rpm's up. Oh and keep your air set to recirculate. The air inside your car may be warmer than outside but the AC takes some of the moisture out of the air. If you are sucking in the Hot humid air from outside it wil never cool down.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by JohnC »

Nope mine works great, even here it HOT AZ. You need to take some measurement to quantify your complaints. Get the outside air temp (look at your dash) and humidity (weather report for the day), then place a thermometer in the AC duct while maintaing speed down the roadway (air flow to condenser). My temp is 40 degrees F with the outside 109F/35% @ 55mph. With these numbers obtained you or your friendly AC tech will be able tell what your problem is.Here are the things I did to improve the AC performance... disconnected the heater duct cable and use a screw to ensure the damper door stays fully closed, got a good quality heat rejecting tint, insulated the underhood AC hoses and installed a couple 90 degree elbos on the underseat duct outlets that direct cool/hot air to the bottom of the front seats (takes 15 minutes to cool seat). Several passengers have commented on what a great AC sytem the Vibe has after riding with me. Collect some data and figure out what is wrong before it gets too hot outside. Here is an old post about the seat duct http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=10573
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Re: (ragingfish)

Post by baass »

I have compared my air conditioning to that of our '01 Bonneville and '94 GMC pickup. It is definately much worse on the '05 Vibe. But that's what I get for spending $20,000 less than the Bonne and about $10,000 less than the pickup. It's been over 30 degrees here lately. I'm not much for air generally, but when my son is in the car I turn it on. It has to be on full (forget hearing the radio) for a long time and it stays pretty constant. I'm okay with that.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (JohnC)

Post by Baltovibe »

Quote, originally posted by JohnC »installed a couple 90 degree elbos on the underseat duct outlets that direct cool/hot air to the bottom of the front seatsThe A/C in my Vibe sucks ... it has been in the upper 90's lately, and I end up having the fan vents turned on full blast blowing right on me with recirculate on, to get mediocre cool.I was wondering, if I totally blocked the underseat vent, would I get more of the A/C cool air directed where it is needed most ... on me? I might try sticking a sock in it, and see.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (Baltovibe)

Post by Kari »

I would think that would only work if the A/C was set to come out of both locations, and that it should block itself off if it's only supposed to be coming out of the dash...I wear flip flops a lot in the summer and I've never noticed A/C coming out of the floor vents when the dial is set on the dash-only setting.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (Baltovibe)

Post by millster »

Kari's correct. Those underseat vents only operate when the vent selector is in the 'split' position. If you just have it set to the dash, it only comes out the dash. Unless, of course, there is an issue with the dampers in your car.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (Baltovibe)

Post by JohnC »

To all Vibe owners that are displeased with your AC performance...have the dealer fix it while it is under warranty. If everything is working correctly the AC system is very capable of cooling the interior. Although there are some things you can do to make it even better as discussed previously.At 110 degrees, my Vibe stays nice and cool with the AC set to max, fan on 2nd to lowest setting, with or with out recirc on.Like I posted earlier...get the numbers and take it back to the dealership.The cheapest car I ever bought new (Dodge Neon, $9999.) had the best AC system I have ever come across.
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Post by Salsa Vibe »

...If everything is working correctly the AC system is very capable of cooling the interior...Yeah, maybe in 18% humidity. We got lots of water in our air, lots of additional heat capacity = crummy AC performance.Basic problem: 1.AC system is too small by design to efficienctly cool the large box big glass windows of a Vibe interior compared to a Corolla sedan.2.Toyota sucks. THE most overrated car maker in the universe.3.If your state allows ,keep the heat out in the first place by getting tinted windows. Here in LA it is legal.4.Open windows and drive to get most of the 100+ Fahrenheit air out prior to closing up and cooling.5.Keep your interior air filter clean. Do NOT remove, you will get faster buildup of dust on evaporator = fertile ground for mold spores.The filter is a HEPA filter, need to pull out the glove box, then open a really chintzy plastic door behind the box to get out the old filter. Warning:Toyota[idiots] desing a cheap door that will break off if you are not careful, no hinges just a fold of PVC plastic and two cheap clips. Make sure the filter goes in correctly, there are arrows to guide you. Unlike your home furnace, the airflow is DOWNWARD through the filter not Up. If you are cheap, you can buy a HEPA furnace filter from Home Depot and cut it down [GM charges $34.74].Later, Mike
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Re: (Salsa Vibe)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Welcome aboard, and I have to say, I agree with everything you said...Especially point 3, but that's beside the point. And I just remembered I yanked the filter out weeks ago because it was just nasty and was going to replace it but never did. I don't know how it could get any worse though, even with the filter the air still smells like somone took a whiz down inside the dash. I swear that wasn't me.
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Post by jbrown »

my a/c works great even in high heat & humidity. you might try washing out your condensor dirt & bugs plugging it up will make it less efective.
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Post by northvibe »

Well im glad i stumbled upon this thread, i noticed mine wasnt that cold, yet all my fords were making my nipples hard . ill look at that clip/white thing tomorrow then if that doesnt fix it bring it to the dealership for some fun warrenty work. oh and i think honda is a little more over rated..cuz they cost WAY more than anyone should pay for a used car with over 200k, toyota is at least some what decently price.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (JohnC)

Post by 21Rouge »

Quote, originally posted by JohnC »You need to take some measurement to quantify your complaints. Get the outside air temp (look at your dash) and humidity (weather report for the day), then place a thermometer in the AC duct while maintaing speed down the roadway (air flow to condenser). My temp is 40 degrees F with the outside 109F/35% @ 55mph. With these numbers obtained you or your friendly AC tech will be able tell what your problem is. So John the temp differential should be at least 60 degrees between inside and outside while cruising on a hwy? I dont want to go to the dealership w/o some #s as they are bound to say it is in within specs. Btw, I would kill for 35% humidity...now that is a dry heat!
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (Boxgrover)

Post by JohnC »

Quote, originally posted by Boxgrover »So John the temp differential should be at least 60 degrees between inside and outside while cruising on a hwy? I dont want to go to the dealership w/o some #s as they are bound to say it is in within specs. Btw, I would kill for 35% humidity...now that is a dry heat!It is not so much the temperature differential as the air temp at the duct. The compressor will cycle off when the system obtains a set temp/press. It is the amount over that set temp/press that is going to tell you if the system is working or not.If the humidity is high the evaporator will need to remove the moisture from the air along with cooling it. The cooler the set point the more moisture removed. This is why knowing the RH is importantant. Here in AZ it has been over 100 with 50+ RH lately and the Vibe A/C has been handling it great. Last year in the peak of the monsoon season I had no problem at all cooling the interior.
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Re: (jgvibe)

Post by the_nite_owl »

This is true of my 05 AWD Vibe as well.When the car is idling it does not put out very cool air.Also I have noticed that engaging the AC does not seem to increase the RPM of the engine. Other cars I have owned have all boosted the engine speed to compensate for the extra drag of the compressor.Anyone know anything about this on the Vibe? Seems if the RPM were boosted just a little with the AC on we would not have the warm air at idle problem so much.Quote, originally posted by jgvibe »One thing I noticed about my AC is when I'm stuck in trafic it doesn't work as good as when I'm crusing. If I'm on a road where the speed limmit is only 40 Mph I'll turn off the overdrive to keep the Rpm's up. Oh and keep your air set to recirculate. The air inside your car may be warmer than outside but the AC takes some of the moisture out of the air. If you are sucking in the Hot humid air from outside it wil never cool down.
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Post by northvibe »

I looked at that little white moving plastic thing that connects to the temp knob on the dash and is located by the passenger floor. After i redid that its been better, not uber cold but cold, i notice its cold when its on the highway and city driving is pretty weak for it.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (ColonelPanic)

Post by tobermoryvibe »

We just picked up our vibe the other day, but the AC seems awesome. It was almost 30 degree C, and the AC kept it super cold. It was almost as good as my 99 Passat, the AC in that car was cold enough to freeze a side of beef.
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Re: (ColonelPanic)

Post by NacolAnt94 »

'I can't see that engine size would necessarily mean lower A/C performance"I could not agree more, my 2004 Kia Optima's AC is fantastic. The Vibe is not that great.
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient? (redlava)

Post by GGROVES »

My vibe has never been as cold as any of the other cars we own. If you turn the fan on a low speed it will get down to only 50 degrees on high around 53 and when it is 90 degrees and humid in the delaware valley it is not to pleasant.
Edgar
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Re: (Salsa Vibe)

Post by Edgar »

Salsa, about Toyota being "overrated," you should know that in every single quality survey or scientific study, Toyota and Honda are always at the top. Both companies make cars that are far superior in quality to anything made by GM or Ford, and that's a FACT. That is why Honda resale values are so freakin' high. All these so-called cheap and chintzy parts you mention, they are as cheap or cheaper on the regular GM designs. I should know, my family all work at GM or Ford and they all drive GM or Ford cars, and they are all always in the repair shop with them. Typical problems: Completely shot automatic transaxle at 20,000 miles, engine overhaul at 40,000 miles due to connecting rod failure, numerous nickel and dime problems that keep the cars in the shop for at least a day. My father just got a brand-new Suburban, we took it on a family trip with 5,000 miles on it, and the automatic climate control was already [edit]. I've owned 3 Fords, a Probe, a Taurus, and an Escort, all with Ford engine; every single car SERIOUSLY leaked oil by 50,000 miles. On and on and on the problems go. American auto makers sell JUNK and their major accomplishment over the years has been to brainwash Americans into thinking it is anything but JUNK. Then there's my friends, who mostly drive Hondas and Toyotas. Typical milage? 100,000 - 200,000 miles, 7-12 years old. Most severe repair? Water pump. They spend less on gas, less on repairs, and less on their vehicles new. This is all fact, based on overwhelming evidence from myriad car reliability studies performed by independent groups. GM improved their quality in the 90s, but it is still inferior to that of Toyota and Honda.If you believe otherwise, it is because of nationalistic prejudice. That's cool, because my whole family has it! If I bought a Japanese car I would be disowned by my family, but I was able to sneak the Toyota Vibe under the radar because it has "Pontiac" tags, and because it's built in California. I like to ask them, what's more American, a Toyota built in CA, or a Chevy built in Mexico - that REALLY pisses them off, especially the hard-core rednecks. In response they flubber something about "American know-how" and continue to happily wallow in ignorance.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." - Thomas Jefferson
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ColonelPanic
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Re: (Edgar)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Quote, originally posted by Edgar »Salsa, about Toyota being "overrated," you should know that in every single quality survey or scientific study, Toyota and Honda are always at the top. Both companies make cars that are far superior in quality to anything made by GM or Ford, and that's a FACT. That is why Honda resale values are so freakin' high. All these so-called cheap and chintzy parts you mention, they are as cheap or cheaper on the regular GM designs. I should know, my family all work at GM or Ford and they all drive GM or Ford cars, and they are all always in the repair shop with them. Typical problems: Completely shot automatic transaxle at 20,000 miles, engine overhaul at 40,000 miles due to connecting rod failure, numerous nickel and dime problems that keep the cars in the shop for at least a day. My father just got a brand-new Suburban, we took it on a family trip with 5,000 miles on it, and the automatic climate control was already [edit]. I've owned 3 Fords, a Probe, a Taurus, and an Escort, all with Ford engine; every single car SERIOUSLY leaked oil by 50,000 miles. On and on and on the problems go. American auto makers sell JUNK and their major accomplishment over the years has been to brainwash Americans into thinking it is anything but JUNK. Then there's my friends, who mostly drive Hondas and Toyotas. Typical milage? 100,000 - 200,000 miles, 7-12 years old. Most severe repair? Water pump. They spend less on gas, less on repairs, and less on their vehicles new. This is all fact, based on overwhelming evidence from myriad car reliability studies performed by independent groups. GM improved their quality in the 90s, but it is still inferior to that of Toyota and Honda.If you believe otherwise, it is because of nationalistic prejudice. That's cool, because my whole family has it! If I bought a Japanese car I would be disowned by my family, but I was able to sneak the Toyota Vibe under the radar because it has "Pontiac" tags, and because it's built in California. I like to ask them, what's more American, a Toyota built in CA, or a Chevy built in Mexico - that REALLY pisses them off, especially the hard-core rednecks. In response they flubber something about "American know-how" and continue to happily wallow in ignorance. That's all fine and dandy, but what does any of the above have to do with the fact that my Vibe and many others are simply not capable of keeping the cabin at an acceptable temperature in the summer?
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
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northvibe
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Post by northvibe »

you get what you pay for with any product, when you get a vibe they are low priced hence cheaper parts. so if you want a super car go pay more for a nice sedan/wagon like 30k and up.
harryyiii
Posts: 160
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2005 8:49 am

Re: Undersized A/C

Post by harryyiii »

I noticed that the Vibe struggles in the worst summer conditions to keep up. It makes sense. The vibe basically has Corolla parts, including the A/C. The Vibe has much more glass area, much more sheet metal, and much more volume due to the wagon and the high roofline. If you took a house with an adequately sized a/c and added 50% more floorspace, and kept the same a/c, you would have an undersized a/c system. That part of the design is in Toyota's court, not GM.
BOZACK
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Re: Undersized A/C (harryyiii)

Post by BOZACK »

I have to lower my a/c after thirty minute. It is very cold. I also have to shut the heat after fifteen minutes or I'll cook.
Monotone Neptune, pow pac, 17" stock rims, K&N air filter, bumper guard, custom pedels, brake light cover, billet oil cap
LongRyder
Posts: 3
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient?

Post by LongRyder »

I found this "Poor A/C performance" post while looking for instructions on the control cable adjustment, but all the links to instructions were dead, and it took some ninja googling to find a live one. I normally wouldn't resurrect an old thread, but I wanted to add a working link in case someone else has this same problem.

viewtopic.php?t=1004
Caretaker

Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient?

Post by Caretaker »

yup, another crappy Toyota design; just like the brakes. Both Vibe generations had deficient A/C, no matter how many adjustments you made to the thermostat cable behind the center console. Fan speed 1 is like not having the fan on at all. The 2019 Rav 4 caught my attention for a second or two only in that it will be a 8 speed transmission and have larger windows to look out of. But alas, unless owners of the 2019 Forester come in with negative reviews other than the "lack of a turbo" and "no manual tranny," I already know what my next car will be.
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joatmon
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Re: Do you feel your Vibe's A/C is deficient?

Post by joatmon »

Caretaker wrote:yup, another crappy Toyota design;
To be fair, at least for the 03-08's, Vibes got GM air conditioners. Other than the obvious sheet metal, the AC is one of the few things that are different between Vibes and Matrixes (or is it Matrices?)
Caretaker wrote: Fan speed 1 is like not having the fan on at all.
I have a partial failure in my blower resistor, and Fan speed 1 doesn't work, so in my car, its exactly like not having the fan on at all ;)
Caretaker wrote:unless owners of the 2019 Forester come in with negative reviews other than the "lack of a turbo" and "no manual tranny," I already know what my next car will be.
Foresters seem to be immensely popular with milenials in Colorado. I rented a '15 in AK a couple years ago, and it was pretty nice. Unfortunately, my threshold for a new car is when this one is no longer economical to repair, so I'll probably be Vibing for some time. When you do get a new vehicle, let us know how you like it because we'ill all need a new ride sooner or later
Last edited by joatmon on Thu May 31, 2018 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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