GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi im new to this site! i just bought a 2004 vibe gt 6 sooed manual and it makes this grinding noise when under 35mph. i replaced the rotors and pads and it still makes this noise Im lost it sorda sounds like the brake dust shield rubbing but they are all free. it makes no noise after 35mph and no vibrations! The wheels have no play so i dont think its a wheel bearing but idk do you guys have any ideas? thanks

Welcome to the Vibe site. We all like to see pictures of the "new" Vibes... no pressure, but we're a visual group here!

You can test to see if it's the bearings. Drive down and smooth straight road (best if no other cars are around) at the speed where the sound is loudest and then make a slight turn right and then left. Do it a few times. You will unweight one side of the car and then the other. If the sound goes away for an instant as one side is unweighted, it's probably the bearings.

I have an old '99 Saturn wagon that we use as a "Winter" car and it eats through front bearings every couple of years. Even as noisy as this car is, you can still tell when the bearings are starting to make grinding noises.

Let us know what you find.

vibolista wrote:I have an old '99 Saturn wagon

That you're just about to post a picture of? Sweet!

Wow this is a tough crowd here at Genvibe! Pictures, pictures! Had to dig for this one. About 3 years old, but still looks the same, except the kayaks are put away until later this Spring.

Our '99 Saturn is not much to look at. Certainly has been a great little Winter car... takes me skiing, and does the commutes when the weather goes sour and they salt the heck out of the roads. We bought it used at the end of 2000 with 38,000 miles on it. Has around 165,000 miles on it now... and still runs great. One thing for sure, the body isn't rusting out!

That looks great in my opinion, fairly attractive little wagon.

Speaking of attractive wagons, we're still waiting on that new member's Vibe...

How do you post a pic its saying file to large

Try resizing the picture in Paint about 50% and then save as JPG, then attach and post it.

well here you go figured out the whole picture thing

WOO! Peer pressure!

lannvouivre wrote:WOO! Peer pressure!

Gets 'em every time!!


Nice color combo, sail. Is it still grinding?

vibolista wrote:

lannvouivre wrote:WOO! Peer pressure!

Gets 'em every time!!

Nice color combo, sail. Is it still grinding?

yes it still is grinding i am having someone look at it to see what they think

im also having a hard time trying to put a picture by my name and also by my signature any help would be appreciated

sailorbryan13 wrote:im also having a hard time trying to put a picture by my name and also by my signature any help would be appreciated

To add the picture under your name: click on 'User Control Panel' (above on this page), click the 'Profile' tab, click 'Edit Avatar'.

To display a picture in your Signature. The picture must be hosted on the internet. Many people use photo hosting services like photobucket to do this.
Then use the img tags in your signature.

sailorbryan13 wrote:yes it still is grinding i am having someone look at it to see what they think

Do you know where the grinding is coming from? Front/Back Left/Right?
Maybe it's a stuck caliper?

I took my car to my friends house today who does alot of car work and he thinks its the bearing on the front right axle shaft. so we are trying to see where to get either that bearing or the whole axle shaft that has that bearing on it. i would rather get the whole axle shaft with the bearing on it give the high miles on the old parts. i will let you all know how it turns out i sure hope this fixes it.

It shouldn't be too hard to detect a noisy bearing...

Jack up the vehicle, and let the suspension hang. Put the car in neutral. Check the bearings by wiggling the tire/rim assembly and checking for play. If you feel something moving, have an assistant check under the car with a light to see where the play is comming from.

Second, spin the wheel as fast as you can by hand, and listen for any noises, or humming. Put your hand on the strut, and spin the wheel. The roatation should feel smooth. not rough. BTW, this is a good way to check for sticking calipers as well. The wheel should spin freely, and be smooth. 99 percent of the time, I can detect a wheel bearing issue before it gets bad before the customer can.

Also, You guys have NO idea how many times i've brought these vibes/matrix in the shop where the customer complains of a noisy exhaust, only to find a noisy wheel bearing. Its somehting that can throw you off. Usually when the customer tells me later, it gets louder when you go faster is when I start checking wheel bearings!

well i just got my car back today and it was the bearing on the right front axle shaft! Also the bracket that the bearing bolts to only had 1 of the 4 holding it to the block. Now the car drive with no noise issue and shifts smooth It is nice now thinking its ok to drive and not worrying about something breaking! thanks for all your help!

Glad to hear that it was just a bearing and nothing more serious. That's an easy fix and sure does quiet things down when you get it done!