I've heard that class d amps create reception problems. I haven't wired mine to mu 5 channel amp so I can't confirm. On long drives my amp gets so hot that I can smell it and I turn off the radio. I'm trying to solve that before I wire up the other channels. Class D used to not be very suitable for...

Sweet fit on the amp. I can't remember why I didn't mount mine there but I did use one of those tie down bolts as a ground after removing some paint. Thanks! Most amps will not fit in this location as it is a maximum of 5" wide. However, with the increased development in Class D technology man...

So you removed the donut? I'm actually considering doing the same thing because I'm long drives, my amp overheats in its present location. I didn't want to but I don't think I have a choice. No, I didn't remove the spare tire. I mounted the amp under the smaller floor panel just behind the back sea...

Hi Pakong, thanks for the kind words! Hoping to do the drivers door sometime soon. I got the amp mounted under the rear floor panel but didn't get any pics yet. I will try to take some this weekend. Still need to run power and ground to it from the battery and upgrade that third ground cable you poi...

Is the K-Member/Subframe on first gens the same as second gens? I have an 05 AWD and need the rear Subframe/K-Member that goes above the rear differential and find that there are more 09 and 11 parts in the salvage yards but no one is sure if they are different or not. Other then the fact that one ...

Not to be a budinsky: I just wanted to make sure the noise you hear isn't the infamous intermediate steering shaft that all of us second generation Vibe owners suffer from. Most of the time you will only hear the noise when going over a driveway apron, or driving slowly over rocks or brick pavement...

Hi All, time for an update! Had some time this weekend to work on the car a bit. Was hoping to get a bit more done but progress is progress! I was able to get the passenger side front door completely done (as in won't have to open it back up again for a looooong time.....I hope!)...... First step af...

For me, just replacing the OEM battery and its pathetic 330CCA with a new lead-acid battery of the same size but with 650CCA from WalMart was a breath of fresh air. There are only three manufacturers of car batteries in North America and dozens of different names slapped on them, so brand doesn't m...

Hey thanks for the info on the third ground! I will look at replacing that this weekend. I am not sure how long the ground is for the transmission as I didn't measure it. I can try though. It is shorter than the factory ground wire because I routed it more directly. I will definitely let you know ab...

Where are you posting your pictures now? What ground cables did you replace? I moved my pics over to DropShots. I am not a photographer so I literally only use the service to post pictures to forums. DropShots seemed to be the most "stripped down" site for photo sharing without all the ph...

Pictures fixed for now!

MacGyver wrote:Your photo hosting provider has decided to suspend your account. You can upload pictures here if they are 130kb in size maximum.

Unfortunate. Photobucket has apparently just decided to not allow linking or 3rd party hosting for free. Looks like its time to find another site......

So plans have changed a bit and I have some progress to share finally. I have decided to get rid of my 6.5" silver flutes that I was going to install in the rear doors for extra midbass. My plan now is to see what I can do to make a set of 8" Peerless SLS midbass fit :D Also, I think I hav...

Hi All,

Wondering who has upgraded their batter to an AGM style and also who has upgraded to a higher output alternator? What brand did you have good luck with and where did you find the best deal?

Thanks!
Thomas

Here is a pic of the speakers (minus the sub of course), the deck and misc. install accessories. Still waiting on the amps, hoping they get here by the weekend so I can make some progress mounting them and running power and ground. Will also look at doing the big three this weekend as well hopefully...

Looks good man! Thanks for the link to the alt. I think I may give the 160 a try otherwise I will have to spend big money for a 200a+ unit. I am also planning to do the big three with 0 ga. as that is what I will also be running to the back of the car for the two amps.

Thanks again!

Where do you plan to mount the amplifiers? A Mechman alternator should take care of your needs? Where is your 15" subwoofer box going to go? Amps will be mounted in the cargo tray under the smaller floor panel closer to the rear seats. The sub box is going in the back cargo area. I looked at M...

Looking good! How does it sound with the exhaust? Any noticeable gains in power or mpg? Glad to have another 09 base!

So, back from the dead! Had a bit of a break with any updates as we moved into a new house the first part of this year. Now that we are settled I can get back to working on the car. Now that the engine, transmission and brakes are serviced its time to look at some fun modifications. Here is what I h...

Sounds a fun project. Just subscribing. Thanks! Nothing too exciting, just trying to get her up to speed for daily driving duty. I think she is about there! Figured it couldn't hurt to document my progress as it may benefit someone in the future..... All the exciting stuff happens on my 2002 Silver...

Well I had some time this past weekend to do the spark plugs and brakes along with new inner fender liners. Decided to go with NGK laser iridium plugs (had the original Denso plugs in it). Went with Raybestos Hybrid brake pads and their Premium rotors along with their caliper pin kits all around. Th...

So finally had some time this past weekend to do Step 2 of my engine/transmission "flush". Here is what I did: - Engine oil change = AMSOil OE Synthetic 5w20 - Engine oil additive = BG MOA - Engine oil filter = NAPA Gold - Transmission fluid change = AMSOil ATF Synthetic specifically for T...

Recall 09199 - Loss of power brake assist in extreme cold weather Part required, one 19205281 https://repairpal.com/recall/09V392000 Also check the cabin air filter, it's hidden behind the glovebox and its probably been ignored on your Vibe given it's shape. Thanks for the part number Mac! I will c...

Just dropped Jo-Jo off at the dealership yesterday to take care of the current issued recalls. Apparently none of them had been taken care of prior to my purchasing her. The dealership took care of three recalls: 1) Drivers airbag clock spring 2) Drivers window switch 3) Drivers floor mat securing A...

First things first......the engine oil and transmission oil looked about the same, both a greyish color. To clean those up I have a two step plan....... The first step has been implemented and consisted of the following: - Change engine oil with Valvoline MaxLife 5w20 - Add Rislone engine treatment ...

Hi All! Figured I would go ahead and start a thread to document the work I do to my newly acquired 2009 base model (Jo-Jo). This is mainly for my benefit to "store" modifications and maintenance work but I hope to get input and feedback along the way from the community. Who knows, maybe I ...

Looks like a good start! Where are you located? May be interested in the GT wheels if your close to SE Michigan.

What kind of lift kit is made for our cars? I have heard of the TRD lowering springs but haven't heard of a lift kit......

Bearing failure leading to leaking. On mine the pump got extremely noisy. I park in an underground garage and the noise was horrible. I had it replaced before anything started to leak. Great, thanks for the info! Also, do you have any pics of the touchscreen in dash? Curious to see what it looks li...

With 136,000 miles, I would be shocked if you were still running on the original water pump. I have the service invoices for my car. Recall 09199 required part no. 19205281, and recall 14139 required part 19205599. Any GM dealer should be able to check in their system if your car had these recalls ...

Welcome to GenVibe! I have a base 2009 as well. This thing is ridiculously reliable, but here are the biggest points of trouble with this car: 1. Radio knobs break and just spin. I replaced my radio with a touchscreen. You can buy 3d printed knobs online if you want to keep the radio. 2. Water pump...

Thanks for all the comments guys! Here is a quick pic.....

Thanks for the welcome guys! Welcome to GenVibe Thomas. As a neighbor just an hour to the north of me also ;) We have two 2009's in our fleet and love them both. One is a manual and the other an automatic. They have the bigger 2.4l engine unlike yours. Radios have knobs that are very delicate and br...

Hi All! So just moved to Michigan from Texas and needless to say my 2wd Silverado was not cutting it even with a minimal amount of ice or snow on the ground. So started shopping for a cash car. Wanted to stay GM (so I could park in the parking garage here at work) but wanted better reliability than ...