GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hello! New to the forum, but long time beneficiary of posts here. Thanks for all the help in the past, and thanks for help in advance.


I am tackling the blend door actuator replacement on the passenger side. Got the actuator in…. But accidentally dropped a socket while doing so. I cannot find it anywhere or reach for it. Car operates, which is great. But, I hear something rolling around while turning in the front of the car. Any advice or suggestions on getting it back and not damaging the car!

For what it’s worth, the actuator no longer clicks, but the fan is much more growly than before. It is a 2008.

Thanks!

Dropping a socket is a rite of passage, so don’t sweat it. A magnetic pickup tool might save the day here—just poke around where you think it could’ve fallen and see if you can snag it. If it’s rolling around near the blower motor or inside the dash, try peeking through vents or access panels, like near the cabin air filter or glovebox.

The growly fan noise makes me wonder if the socket found its way into the blower housing. Might be worth checking there just to be sure it’s not causing issues. Worst case, you might have to loosen up part of the dash to grab it, but fingers crossed it doesn’t come to that.

I did the same thing since and like Karl said, I used a magnetic pick up tool and poked around to snag it. But I didn't drive it so it was basically in the same area that I dropped it. The fan noise seems like a good starting location. Good luck!

Hey, welcome! I’ve had that happen before—dropping a tool and hearing it roll around. If it’s not obvious where it went, try using a flashlight and maybe a long, flexible grabber tool (like the magnetic pick-up ones). If you can’t get it that way, you might have to remove some panels around the blower motor or dash to get a better view. I’ve had to do that before on my own car and it wasn’t too hard, just takes a little patience.

Hah. I dropped a 12mm socket into the front subframe a few months ago, and it has vanished. Since then I've looked and probed into every possible hole, even when I replaced the rear engine mount, and it's gone. At least it's quiet.

I've done this job three times now. Don't sweat it, we all have to sacrifice one or twelve to the Vibe socket monster that lurks in these cars. Also beware that it enjoys a light snack in the form of HVAC control bulbs as you replace them.

First time, I lost the socket and after a thorough search, I gave up on finding it. Years later, it finally fell out when I was doing the second replacement. Then I lost that socket! It eventually fell out from under the dash. Third time's a charm, completed the job without any losses.

If you want a high tech solution, digital endoscopes are getting pretty cheap. I use mine for tracking down lost fasteners more than anything else. My first use of one was finding one of the Vibe's radio bolts that fell into the dash and made its way under the carpet.

Try using a long, flexible magnet to retrieve the socket. If that doesn't work, and it's really rolling around freely, you might have to remove some underbody panels to get to it. The growling fan is probably unrelated, but keep an eye on it.