Pontiac Vibe Misfire and Transmission Problems

2006 Pontiac Vibe 4 cylinder.
I just inherited a 2006 Pontiac Vibe from a family member. It has 140K miles on it and I don't think the transmission has ever been serviced. I'm not having any issues with it shifting or anythig like that, but I would like to be proactive with the maintenance on the vehicle. So my question is, is it wise to service the transmission fluid and filter now or just wait till it finally craters and stops shifting all together?

Answer:
Usually with those kind of high miles, if the transmission has never been serviced, sometimes maintenance just causes trouble for it. If it's otherwise been maintained well, and not abused or over driven, I would recommend checking the fluid condition first before deciding to do any service or maintenance or not at all.

If the transmission fluid is still somewhat red in color and does not smell burned you might be OK doing a transmission fluid flush / service to your Pontiac. If the fluid is dark, black, or smells burnt, I would NOT recommend changing it as you'll probably end up having to replace it shortly after that because it stops shifting. It's basically a judgement call with the amount of miles it has, it could go either way. You may just want to drive it as is and get as much use out of the trans as you can.


 

Have a 2003 Pontiac Vibe. It has a 1.8L 4 cyl. Engine with multi port fuel injection. The 8th digit on the VIN is an 8 (Ive been told there are different models?). The problem i'm having is that the car is experiencing a multiple cylinder misfire and related troubl codes. It wont idle and it tends to stumble at highway speeds. I was also experiencing an issue with the dash instrument cluster which was resolved by replacing the cluster. I have tried replacing the throttle position sensor (TPS), which seemed to make no difference at all. Any suggestions as to what may be causing all these headaches? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!. Feel free to either email or call Doug at XXXXXX.

Answer:
There could be many reasons for your problems on your Pontiac. Misfire codes and stumble at high speed when trying to accelerate is almost always related to the ignition system. The code number determines what cylinders have a problem. Example: P0302 is cylinder #2. That said, you could have gotten bad gas. You would need to have a sample taken and looked at. If there is settling of a fuel sample then it is contaminated. You could have worn or corroded spark plugs. This can be caused by high mileage or burning coolant. Possibly a bad ignion coil. There might be a problem with the engine timing. Engine could also have carbon buildup on the valve, etc.

As you can see, there are many things that can contribute to your condition. Basic diagnosis would need to be done to narrow down what part of the engine is having a problem- fuel, spark or engine mechanical. Again, the code numbers refer to which cylinder is misfiring.

Are you sure it is not a transmission problem with the stumble at higher speeds? That would not give a misfire but can give the feeling your Pontiac has. It is possible you have more than one problem.


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