2004 Pontiac Vibe Heat

DCKY320

MEMBER
2004 PONTIAC VIBE
1.8L
4 CYL
AWD
AUTOMATIC

I recently got a 2004 vibe. When I got it the heat did not work. The blower worked but only blew cold air. Had it looked at and they replaced the thermostat and flushed the engine. I tried purging out the heater core thinking it might be air bound and had good flow. I have noticed that the radiator hoses are soft when first started but after about 20 minutes the get rock hard. I also noticed when I open the radiator when warm there is a white smoke and an odd smell.

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,917 POSTS

Given the combination of symptoms, the first thing would be to have a chemical test done at the reservoir to check for a leaking cylinder head gasket. That involves drawing air from the reservoir through a glass cylinder with two chambers partially-filled with a special dark blue liquid. If combustion gases are present, the liquid will turn bright yellow.

Combustion gases that sneak into the cooling system can pool under the thermostat and prevent it from opening. Thermostats have to be hit with hot liquid to open. The gases can also cause hot coolant to stop flowing through the heater core, and that would result in your cold air.