Pontiac Vibe shaking and then temporary death

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spookymehoy
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:51 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Pontiac Vibe shaking and then temporary death

Post by spookymehoy »

Hello all! I am new to this forum! (Please be nice, I'm not an idiot.)

I've had my 2006 Pontiac Vibe for a little over a year now. Recently, when I would drive long distances my oil light would flicker on and off. Soon, when I would go up hills it had very little power and really struggled up steep hills. My dad does most of my work on my car, and we took it for a test drive. We have replaced the fuel filter and the PVC Valve. Eventually, going across a bridge my dad told me to floor it, and I did The transmission started to slip, eventually, my battery went and it just started shaking and died. Right now the engine will turn over, but it won't start.

Has anyone ever had a problem similar to this? I have videos of the sound it's making and how the engine just shakes if that would be helpful. We asked a mechanic and he thinks it might be the timing chain. I'd hate to get rid of the car because I've only had it for a year and it has life still in it. Any serious advice is appreciated! Thanks :)
andrewclaus
Posts: 482
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:38 pm
Location: Golden, CO

Re: Pontiac Vibe shaking and then temporary death

Post by andrewclaus »

The oil light coming on, even flickering, is a very bad sign. It means there's not enough oil pressure to lubricate the engine and that's an emergency.

My next test would be engine compression or a bleed-down test.

Have you ever checked the ATF? The engine has to be running to check the level, but you can check it for burnt color or smell.
tpollauf
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Re: Pontiac Vibe shaking and then temporary death

Post by tpollauf »

andrewclaus wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 11:59 am The oil light coming on, even flickering, is a very bad sign. It means there's not enough oil pressure to lubricate the engine and that's an emergency.
What action did you take after noticing the light coming on? Assuming you added oil, how much did it take? What was the timeframe & mileage since the last oil change (assuming your dad did this for you)? You should have parked the car immediately when noticing this to prevent further engine damage. It's possible you have lots of internal damage due to lack of lubrication. Additionally had you used a synthetic brand of oil which you may have) you'd have a bit of insurance protection BUT it's no guarantee. More specifics and we can better help you .... mileage on car, how many different owners, geographical location ???
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zbyers
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Location: Sheffield, Pennsylvania

Re: Pontiac Vibe shaking and then temporary death

Post by zbyers »

First and foremost, welcome to the best forum on the internet!

With the oil light flickering-- what is your oil level/condition like? Is it low, old, leaking? etc.

With it dying while running, is it possible that the alternator is dead, causing the lights to flicker, and the vehicle to just die on you?

If it is running as poorly as it sounds, is the check engine light on? What are the codes it is throwing? Upload the video to YouTube, and link it to here for reference so we can hear/see it running.

Unless something else happened, it's pretty rare a timing CHAIN goes on a modern vehicle. Belts do often, but not chains.

Last, but not least, I see you are also in PA. Where are you at in PA? We have quite a few members in this state, and maybe someone is close that can help you diagnose!
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