GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Have a weird thumping noise coming from behind the dash. Though maybe it was something to do with the heater, but it does it with it turned off as well. I filmed a little bit of it on my phone the other morning. This is parked with heat turned off. Hopefully you guys can hear it in the video and determine what it is.

Without listening to it, it is probably the recirculate door actuator motor. Is the recirculate button pressed or not, and does that stop and start the noise?
See this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=3435&p=499986&hili ... te#p499986" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well crap, my video didn't link. Recirculate button is not pushed. Only thing on is the engine. Let me try to get the dang video to actually post.

Try turning it to recirculate and see if it stops

There is a motor that is always energized when the car is on, it pushes constantly on a flap, either to the recirculate position or to the fresh air position. Eventually, a couple of teeth will snap off a gear in the mechanism, it will catch and then slip, catch and then slip, endlessly. Mine broke while int he fresh air position.

This happens woefully very much a lot in these cars, which is why I'm with trb, without even hearing it, I'd say it is the cheap plastic gear turned by that always on motor lost a few teeth. Try switching to recirculate and see if it stops, that will tell you for sure

I figured it had to have something to do with that system; but do not know much about these cars yet. I'll have to check that out when I get back home (out of town for a few days and car is sitting at home in garage).

Finally remembered to mess with this. I pushed the recirculate button, but it won't stay on. I remember now that when taking the dash apart to install new headunit that the plastic tabs that hold the cable in for recirculate broke off. So can't even use that button. Since it's been so cold lately I've been noticing with the heat set on floor only, the heat is still blowing out dash vents. So guess it could be that door trying to move?

The video I tried posting is a short clip taken on my iphone that I uploaded to photobucket. I can open it and watch it just fine on photobucket but it's not working here. How does it need to be inserted so that it will work?

I always have a small amount of air coming through dash vents even when on floor only setting.

I can't tell any difference in the air coming out of dash vents when I switch from dash to floor. Mine must not be actually switching.

yeah thats not supposed to be!

Sonders wrote:Finally remembered to mess with this. I pushed the recirculate button, but it won't stay on. I remember now that when taking the dash apart to install new headunit that the plastic tabs that hold the cable in for recirculate broke off. So can't even use that button.

The recirculate/fresh selector is electrical. There is a mechanical cable that connects the air direction selector to the AC/Recirc switch assembly. When you switch air direction to full or half defrost, the cable is extended in the sleeve, and pushes on something inside the AC/recirc switch assembly and will kick it out of recirc. I usually leave that mechanical cable disconnected. It might be that on yours the cable is stuck extended, or perhaps one of the broken tabs is inside the switch causing it pop out of recirculate mode

Oh ok, thanks for that info joatman. I didn't remember exactly what that cable did. Part of the plastic tab must be in the way partially as a few times I was able to turn the recirculate switch on and off no problem. When it was turned on I did not hear the noise I originally started the thread about. Still wish I could figure out how to get the dang video to play.