GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi guys, it's me again, sorry if this problem has been covered before
in the last 2 weeks my vibe have problems with the acceleration, is very poor and sluggish, no check engine light, but i cleaned the MAFS and the TB to little effect and still same problem, any help is welcome, thanks guys

Try some injector cleaner in the gas tank.

Is the transmission behaving okay, shifting normally? ATF look okay?

Is tire inflation okay, no stuck brake calipers?

Does the coolant in the radiator look normal? Same with crankcase oil? If there are signs of combustion gases in either, there could be low engine compression.

again, the answer to nearly all small Japanese engine issues is fresh Denso spark plugs and ignition coils. It is money that must be spent and worth trying if they are old in age or high in miles. If they haven't been done recently and once you give that a try, it is often easier to diagnose from there.

It could be hundreds of different things causing that. I'll through out plugged or restricted exhaust system, being we can only guess from the information that is given.

air filter clean
replace spark plugs in February
tire pressure is normal
coolant level also normal
made an oil change 2 weeks ago
use premium gas!!!
my vibe is a gt with 6 speed manual transmission, and looks like it splits some times, gonna see my mechanic tomorrow to check it out

Did the issue start after spark plug change? If yes, wire/connection damage? Correct plugs - not just what the 'parts book' shows, or what was already in there, but what is listed in owners manual? Does the owners manual "recommend" higher octane fuel, if yes use it, if not, you're wasting your money, the science has all been done for many years to prove that.

dougreed wrote: ↑Mon Jul 19, 2021 2:15 pm Did the issue start after spark plug change? If yes, wire/connection damage? Correct plugs - not just what the 'parts book' shows, or what was already in there, but what is listed in owners manual? Does the owners manual "recommend" higher octane fuel, if yes use it, if not, you're wasting your money, the science has all been done for many years to prove that.

no, the problem started 2 weeks ago, i replace the spark plugs in February , and yes this engine is premium gas only, i found out that after 4 years using regular gas when i joint this forum

again, replaced the spark plugs with ?????? Denso??? or another manufacturer that small Japanese engines throw up like brussel sprouts?

Just checking on any resolution.... as one member indicated, were they Denso plugs.... side note...about 2 months ago I ordered, "inexpensive" NGK plugs from Amazon....short story long.... I did not install them, I read about potential counterfeit plugs and sure enough, although they looked genuine, the more I found on google, the more it confirmed that they were counterfeit. I went to Rock Auto and bought genuine parts. I am not saying this is your problem, it would a while for them to show up as deteriorating because they were not genuine.

In this case, have you ruled out crappy gas? Also someone suggested igniters as a possibility. There is also....plugged fuel filter, etc etc....
Let us know how you resolved this. Good luck

sorry guys, but other issues showed up: wife car a/c broke, new rotor and brake pads and new tires

at home dyer quit working, i'm afraid we need a new one

and on my car need to replace clutch and flywheel ,buy new tires also, but i got me new sparkplugs but not a chance to put then in until mechanic fixes the clutch

some one mentioned crappy gas, as I know now the GT uses premium gas only, tested the coil packs , they are ok, told the mechanic to check the fuel filter ,waiting for his answer

Thanks for the update.
By poor gas, we mean, getting a bad batch of contaminated gasoline..... sometimes water gets in the gas at the gas stations and it gets pumped into the vehicle gas tank....
Is there a possibility that when you changed oil, something got disconnected or oil leaked on some connection ?
Someone else mentioned fuel cleaner like maybe Techron ....for potential fuel injectors cleaning.

Please describe what you mean by poor acceleration....
does that mean that when you get the rpms up in 3rd gear that the engine sputters?
Perhaps your clutch is slipping and this is what is happening , you did mention you need a clutch.... how many miles on the Vibe?
And, Yesssss... Life has a way of throwing a lot at us at times and we wonder why this happens....Good luck w a resolution

salamander162 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 06, 2021 7:04 pm some one mentioned crappy gas, as I know now the GT uses premium gas only,

"Premium" =/ quality, just higher octane. I found out about Top Tier gas years ago and have run nothing but in all my cars ever since. It's made a huge difference in engine performance over the past 10-12 years. If you're not buying Top Tier now try it, generally 3 tanks of the higher detergent gas is all it takes to start to clean things up. It doesn't really cost more, but it might be a few cents higher then the cheapest you can find.

https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

I only use gas from chevron

We can rule that out then, LOL (L M A O was removed)

Sorry, got nothing else.

Please detail what you mean by sluggish acceleration....
is the idle ok?
When in each gear and you wind it out, does it produce jerky acceleration, ?
Abnormal 0 to 60 times?
Better description of the change that occurred and was it all of a sudden or gradual starting the two weeks when you changed oil