GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

My wife got stalled on Monday and at first I thought it was the battery because it came up to check battery on my charger, I did end up going to Costco and getting a new one but the old one was obviously still good. Car would not start with new battery in so I gave the solenoid a whack while wife had the ignition in start position and car was able to be driven home.

I had a check engine light on the following day and had two codes PO335 and PO340, so I cleared the codes. I pulled the starter and took it apart (bottom half) could not get the top part apart where brushes are. I cleaned up the bottom half and put it back together and was going to take the solenoid off but the two screws were like putty and stripped, wish they had a hex nut instead of the Phillips head. Today was gorgeous so I tested the starter out of the car and it functioned correctly so I put it back in and it starts as it should.

So far no cel light, I have my doubts that it will come back on but if the PO335 code comes back, I have a couple of questions.

From everything I have read, be it a Vibe or Matrix, it is basically like changing a light bulb. Is it just unplugging and taking out one bolt? I have seen where on other vehicles where you have to make sure the timing is at TDC and so forth.

I put in new Denso TT Iridium in, cylinder 3 and 2 were really hard to get the coil packs off on and 3 was hard to get plug out as well. I put as on all new plugs My guess is that I am going to refuse the starter I ordered since I do not need it.

Thanks and hello!

I had a flakey starter (something in the solenoid or Bendix) it would turn and engage/disengage the Bendix during startup and really bang on the engine. I lived with it for a couple of weeks but the hit was sometime so violent I was surprised it wasn't setting a code (I was expecting maybe a misfire code) finally it did set a cam sensor code, I was pretty sure it was due to the violent start-up sequence and I haven't seen the code since changing the starter.
This is a lesson in OBD2 codes. Some people think scanners are miracles and mechanics are all thieves because they charge us money when all the do is plug in a scanner-thingie. Both CEL's I've fixed on my Vibe so far, this cam sensor code, and a coolant temp, fixed with (knowledge gained here) an O2 sensor were pretty far-fetched from the code. Sometimes they are just clues and not answers.

Yes, the starter is really simple to install or remove. You just remove the two bolts, unplug the control wire, and unbolt the power terminal, preferably after disconnecting the battery. If the codes don't come back, it was just a fluke (feel free to congratulate yourself for fixing the codes anyway).