GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I have a 2004 Pontiac Vibe that has recently been making a clanking sound only when the heater is on...more specifically it won't do it when it is on the first fan setting but it does it on all of the other faster settings. Also, the heat won't get hot unless you are driving down the road aka you can't start it up and let it warm up and defrost the windows :'( I know there are more but I can't think of them right now...

p.s. sorry for my inept search abilities...as I know this has probably been covered for the last 10 years...

First off, it sounds like your blower is toast which lends to the sound. Second, fill your coolant or at least make sure it is topped off. Low coolant will lend to little or no heat in the vibe/matrix. Third, have your water pump checked out if you are good on coolant and the problem persists. It is either starting to go or you have a clog/restriction somewhere else in the cooling system.

Just a few known things to check that I would focus on first.

Thank you for the quick response...Would it still indicate that I am low on fluid if the heat blows hot once i am driving down the road? I have attempted to check the antifreeze level but that reservoir is a pain in the ace to judge because it's this non see-through white color and I can't see the level at all...

The reason you can't see the level may be because the bottle is empty. Take the radiator cap off with the engine cold and check the level there. I find the best way to check the level in the bottle is to shine a flashlight on the bottle from different angles until I find one that makes the level visible. Also, bounce the car a little so the coolant moves in the tank. That makes it easier to pick out.

The hose to the heater goes uphill a little, so with the engine at idle and low coolant the pump can't get the coolant to the heater. Once above idle the pump can generate the pressure to get the coolant to the heater.

John O is spot on.
I agree that a flashlight is the only way to check the res properly. Just shine it on the side of the tank. Do not wait, as the 1z and 2z engines can be sensitive to air bubbles due to low coolant. This leads to larger issues.

Thanks for the replies guys! Also, what type of coolant do you guys use/prefer? I might just end up doing a full flush of the system and put in new antifreeze. I know that most GM vehicles factory fill is Dexcool (which I hate) But maybe just maybe since this is a Toyota drive train the green stuff is factory fill. I haven't really checked because this is my Wife's primary vehicle (2004 Pontiac vibe base model with 52,000 miles and it is supercharged) and I work a lot of hours at my job.

I've been researching the antifreeze issue myself lately. Three years ago I put it Prestone extended life, which if you look at the label is identical to Dexcool except for the dye. Now I've noticed that I'm starting to get sludge forming in the overflow bottle. Other vehicles that I've used this coolant in have done the same thing. I don't think Dexcool (or Prestone extended life) is intended to be used in cooling systems with overflow bottles that are open to the air.

The original coolant was Toyota pink. From what I've been able to find the best replacement option is Zerex Asian formula coolant which is available at Napa. It only comes as a 50/50 premix, though, which is a minus. In the spring I intend to flush my cooling system again and put in the Zerex.

What is the factory fill though? I'd really like to add some to the radiator but I can't even see any of it to know what color it is or what it is that is in there. The manual isn't any help either other than the fact that it's 50/50 mix...

Factory fill for a 2004 is Toyota red, Long Life Coolant (LLC). It comes full strength and needs to be mixed 50/50 with distilled water. I got that from the 2004 Matrix owner's manual online. The Vibe manuals say to use Dexcool but that is not what came in them from the factory, they always came with Toyota coolant.

Rayven01 wrote:Factory fill for a 2004 is Toyota red, Long Life Coolant (LLC). It comes full strength and needs to be mixed 50/50 with distilled water. I got that from the 2004 Matrix owner's manual online. The Vibe manuals say to use Dexcool but that is not what came in them from the factory, they always came with Toyota coolant.

sweet thanks! The idiot @ advanceautoparts was no help lol...

Go to a toyota dealer and ask that they meet the "trademotion" price of a gallon of coolant. Dealer "at cost" price is about $18 for a jug of new SLLC. Expect to pay about $20-22. They will do it if you ask. Dealer standard price near me was over $30 for a gallon. Ask them if they can do $20 and they will.