GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

So, I may or may not have fixed the issue with replacing the starter, but yesterday my FWD automatic Vibe died when accelerating on the highway. I felt a "lurch" and lost power. It appeared my oil light came on and I pulled over to side of highway. Tried to start car again, would not turn over.

I checked the oil of course, and it had plenty of oil, I didn't want to do anything else next to 80 mph vehicles driving past me so I towed it home.

I check it at home, and the main 30A fuse in the engine bay fuse box is blown. I get another 30A fuse, push it in, and it immediately blows with key off, not in ignition. I replaced the starter relay 6 months ago because car wasn't starting and I thought that's what it was, and it did start after replacing it for 6 months. I removed the starter relay to inspect it, and also disconnected battery once. I then checked if turning key to start gave power to starter solenoid, and also that it would stop power after the key went back to run/on. It did, so I assume the new relay is still working right, and the control side is working normally.

I then found the 30A fuse when pushed back in at this point I heard a steady electrical buzz/whine coming from starter area, even with the starter relay out. At this point I figured starter is bad, and removed it from car. Then I tried bench testing on ground, and bendix or thingy that engages the flexplate would spin, but not push in or out. It only spinned. I took it to parts store, and they confirmed it was bad. Replace starter(again, did it once with rebuilt starter as well 2 years ago). Car now starts and seems fine again.

Just wondering why a bad starter would have led for a running Vibe to shut off/blow the main 30A fuse while driving?

TLDR; car died on highway, would not turn over, towed home, found 30A main fuse blown, eventually think starter was bad, replaced starter, runs drives, why 30A fuse blow?

The 30A MAIN fuse feeds directly to the starter solenoid via the ST relay. It also feeds the ignition switch, but via the 15A AM2 fuse, so that would blow first if there were a problem with the ignition switch.

Somehow a short developed in the starter solenoid on the starter motor.

Thanks for confirming. I looked at the wiring to starter and back to battery, starter relay area, and best i could tell it was all fine.

Hopefully last time I ever have to do a starter in this car.

Not sure how the bad starter got too much juice if the starter relay wasn't closed, which obviously wouldn't be normal. Maybe some bump in the road shocked the bad starter into engaging, and stalled the engine, the the fuse blew when you tried to start it again. Freakish coincidences. Glad you've got it fixed, and hope it stays that way

joatmon wrote: ↑Thu Mar 27, 2025 8:06 am Not sure how the bad starter got too much juice if the starter relay wasn't closed, which obviously wouldn't be normal. Maybe some bump in the road shocked the bad starter into engaging, and stalled the engine, the the fuse blew when you tried to start it again. Freakish coincidences. Glad you've got it fixed, and hope it stays that way

The solenoid circuit is separate from the power to the starter motor. The solenoid circuit is fused, the starter motor is not. It would be a rare fault, but perhaps the solenoid winding burned clear and contacted the case.

your right, I was just trying to guess at a scenario where while driving down the road the starter relay closed to connect the bad solenoid circuit to the 30A fuse

joatmon wrote: ↑Thu Mar 27, 2025 3:30 pm your right, I was just trying to guess at a scenario where while driving down the road the starter relay closed to connect the bad solenoid circuit to the 30A fuse

I reread your first post and see I misunderstood. I was wondering why it stalled and that makes sense. But still freakish.