GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

VIBE 2004
1.8L
5seed manual
70,000 Miles
intermittent rattling sound heard when shifting gears especially from 2nd to 3rd at about 3500 - 5000RPM.
not the case when engine is idling in neutral and accelerator floored.
any ideas as to the cause???"

could be a motor mount, porbably a loose bracket, but it could be a loose heat shield

Mine vibe had a rattle also only between 2000-2500 rpm. Had it checked out during my oil change last week. Turned out to be my catalytic converter. Was quoted $470 for and oem converter and $165 to install it. Bought a Magnaflow converter on ebay for $65 shipped and found shop to install it for $80. $635=bad, $145=good.

BlueCrush wrote:Mine vibe had a rattle also only between 2000-2500 rpm. Had it checked out during my oil change last week. Turned out to be my catalytic converter. Was quoted $470 for and oem converter and $165 to install it. Bought a Magnaflow converter on ebay for $65 shipped and found shop to install it for $80. $635=bad, $145=good.

How did they/you know it was the catalytic converter? I seem to be having similar symptoms but figured it was just valve noise while under load (like you said between 2000 and 2500 rpms). Seems like the check engine light should illuminate if the catalytic converter is failing. Way to go on stretching your buck on the replacement.

biodieselrabbit wrote:

BlueCrush wrote:Mine vibe had a rattle also only between 2000-2500 rpm. Had it checked out during my oil change last week. Turned out to be my catalytic converter. Was quoted $470 for and oem converter and $165 to install it. Bought a Magnaflow converter on ebay for $65 shipped and found shop to install it for $80. $635=bad, $145=good.

How did they/you know it was the catalytic converter? I seem to be having similar symptoms but figured it was just valve noise while under load (like you said between 2000 and 2500 rpms). Seems like the check engine light should illuminate if the catalytic converter is failing. Way to go on stretching your buck on the replacement.

Just by hitting it with their hand and a rubber mallet it rattled, which meant the precious metal inside the converter had broken loose and was moving around.

BlueCrush wrote: Just by hitting it with their hand and a rubber mallet it rattled, which meant the precious metal inside the converter had broken loose and was moving around.

Thanks. Did they say what would happen if you did not replace it (other than poor emissions)? Damage to 02 sensors? Time to go get my rubber mallet out.

Gas mileage goes way down also. could cause O2 sensor damage in the long term. But it was just feaking annoying for me morethan anything else.

Has your 5 speed self destructed yet. It seems to be a given that they will eventually, hope this is not a prelude to that.

Charles