GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi all

I am the new proud owner of a P.V 2006 (Base, automatic)

I need some advice on the air condition, but it was a hard one to search on, being a two word search (hence the writing it in one word for future assistance for others)

a) The air con. smelled like an old vacuum cleaner when it was on, so I changed the cabin filter wish clearly was way overdue.
It helped, but there is still a bit of that unpleasent smell/scent instead of nice crisp, clean air. Is it because I need to have the who system vacuumed professionally somehow or...? Any suggestions+

b) The air con does not blow cold air, so my guess is that it is low on freon. I have never refilled an air con myself. Is it an easy process and does it require buying several extra tools? (thinking it is something that I would have to do so rarely that its not worth spending a whole lot of extra $ on)
If I have it done by the mechanic, do any of you then have estimates on how much they will/should charge?

c) Whenever I shut off the bottom "Climate control System" button an alarming, fast-paced, knocking sounds starts. It sounds like it coming from somewhere inside the panel (on the passenger side) What could it be?

I appreciate the collective effort, time and support that has created and is sustaining this forum. I look forward to contributing in any way I can
Thank you all


P.S. Speaking on of air con. I purchased a Kenu Airframe so that I can use my iphone as a GPS, it works great - until you turn the air con on :-/
The warm or cold air will either ice or overheat your phone. A minor detail the designer did not consider (A unfortunately neither did I)
Don't make the same mistake!

Welcome, and congrats on the new Vibe!

If you really want to learn AC repair, you can rent the tools for free from Autozone or Advance Auto to work on it. I've replaced the complete AC on my Mustang, recharged a couple of other vehicles, and just used the Autozone tools to do it. You pay for the parts as a deposit, and you get it back when you return them.

Most likely the AC is low in refrigerant. Does it cool at all? Does the compressor clutch engage when you turn on the AC? If it does not engage, then it is really low in refrigerant, or the low pressure/ cycling switch is not working. The switch can be bypassed to test it and jump start the compressor to charge it up or check the pressures. You can use the AC gauges to check the refrigerant pressure when on and off to see how the charge is. Adding some refrigerant is not hard either, just don't over change it.

AC work is not that hard, it just takes some time at times. A friend and I spent weeks chasing down a leak on my Mustang, and it ended up being a missing o ring. It would be good to read up on AC repair and how it works.

Good luck!

If you want to do the AC work yourself, one thing you shouldn't do is buy a can of refrigerant and a $10 fill adapter and just re-fill it blindly. Even if all the other parts of the AC system work and you get cool air after filling it, it was out of refrigerant for a reason and will almost assuredly leak again. Here's a good resource for learning how to do it yourself if you decide to go that way:
http://ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-au ... c-problems" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As far as the smell, the cabin filter was probably the source and you've just got residual odors. Now that you've changed that, you can try any of a number of home remedies to get rid of bad smells. Baking soda, anti-odor sprays, etc. Run the blower on high with the heat off for awhile along with whatever remedy you try. Some people also like putting a dryer sheet up against the cabin filter for odor control.

The clicking sound is the Hvac door actuator. See here for more information:

viewtopic.php?t=23692" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing you might do is spray the inside where you put the cabin filter with some deodorizer. Also might want to vacuum out your blower motor. There might be some leaves in there.

VibeInLA wrote:Hi all
c) Whenever I shut off the bottom "Climate control System" button an alarming, fast-paced, knocking sounds starts. It sounds like it coming from somewhere inside the panel (on the passenger side) What could it be?

Your recirculate door motor is has likely failed. There are many threads on this subject, this one is a good point to start.