GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Consensus advice is to change oil and add a bottle of GUNK Valvemedic. My thought was to use a heavier oil but from what I read ought to go to a 5w-30 instead of the usual 10w-30. Since it's cold now maybe even 5w-20. Any advice?

Hard to know what has happened but often the problem is the lifter has collapsed. Logic would be that thicker oil is the wrong way to go, thinner lubricant would be more likely to pump the lifter back up if anything would help.

Sounds like ether the lifter collapsed or is stuck or has crud stuck in it. Did you try adding a little bit of trans fluid(a half qt) to the engine and driving it about 200 or so miles and then chenge out the oil and add 5W into it? See if that works, trans fluid has detergents in it and should clean out the stuck lifter

Good luck

UPDATE - The engine quit a week ago - can't really see the logic in spending the money to put a junk yard engine in it as most you find have over 100,00 miles. Also - someone crashed into the passenger side a month ago and their ins. co. paid $1,900. Didn't get it fixed - only issue is cosmetic and window won't go down. Doors open and close o.k. Hard to find anything under $5,000 with less than 100,000 miles on the odometer these days. Buying one of those is a crapshoot.

Reminds me - I need to get a big ham for Thanksgiving.

Strange - I didn't make that prior post about a ham for Thanksgiving.

Was the motor a 3.0 Liter? If so it is common. The 3.8 doesn't have those issues. I had a very nice 02 T&C for $3900 with 145K and a southern car to boot. But I sold it yesterday

I think the engine was the Chrysler 3.3L. I believe the 3.0 was a Mazda engine - could be wrong. He got a 2001 (or maybe it was a 2000) Honda Odyssey with 87,000 miles for $6,000.

The 3.0 was a Mitsubishi engine. Known problems with the top end but used on the earlier versions Not sure about the 3.3. My 02 was a beast and hope the new owners get many miles out of it. They thought the engine ran strong (that's what I picked when they were speaking Spanish).

Mazda, Mitsubishi - I knew it started with an "M". My brain is getting soft - I had a 1993 Mitsubishi built Plymouth Colt Vista Wagon. Got a good deal as it was on the dealer lot for many moons. My memory is that it cost about $13,500 plus tax - about what I paid for my 2003 Vibe. I really liked the functionality of that Colt Wagon. It was discontinued in 1995. Looking for a 2nd one in 19996 I had to settle for a SWB 2.4L Plymouth Voyager - I think that one cost me $15,000 plus tax. In July 2007 I bought my vastly improved and more loaded 3.3L SWB Chrysler T&C for $15,500 plus tax - also on the lot for many moons. That was a steal as the msrp was over $23,000.