I'd rather do it now preventatively than have to do it later and spend more on the coolant again. I'm also going to do the reverse flush with compressed air on the heater core while I'm in there. The car is my wife's primary vehicle and the peace of mind it will add far exceeds the cost of the part...
The oil pump issues with the GT or XRS cars normally only occurs due to over-revving due to miss shift. The oil issues due to ring wear was never witnessed by myself, and my ex-wife was absolutely awful to that poor base vibe. It really was a champ, and never lost any appreciable amount of oil. I ha...
The 6 speed is really best suited to the 2zzge engine. The 1zzfe has all the low end torque a 5 speed needs, which the 2zzge lacks. It really is a torque-less wonder, but a banshee at high rpm. You will be perfectly fine though, since you can just skip gears with the better torque the base 1.8L has....
2003 Vibe/Matrix were what I owned. 2003 Base Vibe w/Automatic 2003 Matrix XRS w/6-speed 2003 Vibe GT w/6-speed Many of the items I mentioned are the same through 2003-2008 I would think, though I am not positive since you can see the model years I have owned. I stuck with 2003 because they were alw...
Simply put, you can use a base or gt axle on the on the driver's side. Only a GT axle will work on the passenger side on a real GT. I am unsure if this is needed on your car since it is technically a base vibe. The XRS/GT cars have a carrier bearing on the passenger axle. A tip: If the axle is stuck...
Denso and koyo both make great radiators for these cars. There is a performance difference in aftermarket radiators, though I used a duralast for a few years without a problem. Also, if the thermostat needs replacing, only use a toyota branded part. The autozone/advanced auto/large chains carry infe...
Thanks folks for you kind replies. There are a few issues with the car but minor. The drivers door window run needs to be replaced. There was a recall for bad rivets on the drivers side door. It caused the window to tilt and jam, which did sometimes damage the guides. To be blunt, go to a gm dealer...
This was one of my first threads from when I first joined in 2002. The anti-fatigue mat was one of the best investments I made, and I still have the mat I made from back then. Some lowes do still have this mat in stock, but usually only small rolls of it so I'm bummed. Glad you were able to find som...
Excellent, Flip-Side! The thing that makes me the happiest about these cars is how freaking easy they are to work on. Like, every day I have to work on something with a difficult design, I feel completely smitten by my car again. :) Thanks all, good to be back! You are very right Lannvouire. It is ...
I know the thread is old, but just to update I bought another 03 vibe GT again about 6 months ago. This will be my third 2003 Vibe/Matrix car. Just have too many spare parts laying around now I guess. The usual issues were present in this 2zge powered beast: The sparkplugs were bosch platinums which...
Gear damage possibly, but can be many things including a clutch that needs to be bled. Toss in some Redline MT-90 gear oil if you don't plan to fix it. I had bad reverse grinding in my xrs, and the new fluid did help a bit. If you have never changed the fluid before, then I would highly suggest you ...
Thanks for the advice bud. I'm just worried about the added work converting a base to a GT. I'm not positive if the wiring or other details are exactly the same from 03-05 manual trans cars and finding the exact model year is a long shot. I am capable, so it is always an option. Is there much of a d...
So, I've been a long-time vibe and matrix owner. Joined this forum over 10 years ago. Had a base vibe from 2002 to 2012. Traded for a Hyundai Tiburon, and dumped it in 5 months. Bought a 03 Matrix Xrs with broken trans and replaced it with a new factory trans in 2012. I had just finished the majorit...
I completed the clutch swap as depicted above on my 03 Matrix Xrs. The snap ring on the coil did not hold the coil in place properly due to corrosion in the groove and it came loose while driving. The coil was destroyed. I removed the clutch, pulley, and coil again. I cleaned the snap ring grooves, ...
My 03 vibe had the ac clutch go bad years ago and I had someone else replace it. Lasted another 30k before the compressor died and was replaced. Now I need to do the same thing on my 03 XRS I got last year. A/C is dead, and I have power going to the compressor clutch but no engagement, and Freon pre...
You were smart to use a toyota dealer thermastat. The 2z engine has issues with cheap ones like murray or duralast. They die faster than fast, and the oem one is the only one I would ever use on this car.
Go to a toyota dealer and ask that they meet the "trademotion" price of a gallon of coolant. Dealer "at cost" price is about $18 for a jug of new SLLC. Expect to pay about $20-22. They will do it if you ask. Dealer standard price near me was over $30 for a gallon. Ask them if the...
John O is spot on.
I agree that a flashlight is the only way to check the res properly. Just shine it on the side of the tank. Do not wait, as the 1z and 2z engines can be sensitive to air bubbles due to low coolant. This leads to larger issues.
First off, it sounds like your blower is toast which lends to the sound. Second, fill your coolant or at least make sure it is topped off. Low coolant will lend to little or no heat in the vibe/matrix. Third, have your water pump checked out if you are good on coolant and the problem persists. It is...
There was a recall for exactly this problem for your model year. Eventually, the rivets they used will fail, your window will break, and then you will be as mad as I was back in 2004 before the recall was issued. I had to pay to fix it the first time. The last time was fixed by the recall.
Simply put, never use GM Dexcool in toyota powerplants, which are in all Vibes. Only use toyota SLLC. The moly additives in it keeps your water pump lubricated, and you wont get precipitate buildup like dexcool or standard prestone extended tend to create.
Not sure bud. I picked up a stock trans for under $2000. I wanted one with LSD but I will not be doing any trans work for a while as I will be moving soon...no more garage. I would make a post on matrixowners as well and see what people offer. Dont forget shipping, which will cost an arm and a leg.
Sounds like it is time for an E153 swap bud. The gears are huge by comparison. The toyota c60 is just plain too weak IMO. Final drive is too weak and third gear was problematic on my old trans as well.
Redline MT-90 GL4 is what I use, 2 bottles. DO NOT PUT A GL5 FLUID IN YOUR TRANSMISSION, IT WILL GRIND. Brake fluid: Unless you have a leak, flush the system when you change your brake pads. I'm using a gl-5 fluid (Mobile 75w-90 synthetic) in my 05 base... haven't noticed any grinding after changin...
thats interesting stuff about the vtech, and the lift and stuff. i never knew i had that. i just bought the only used Vibe on the lot and it happened to be a GT. that being said, now that I know the clutches aren't designed to handle the engine i still dont know if i'll pull that out of the bag too...
Dollars to donuts has me believing that you locked up the drive wheels without fully depressing the clutch and briefly stalled the motor which then refired when you let off the brake. I still agree with Star. You locked up the wheels without the use of the clutch, stalled during a roll, and jump st...
That code is almost exclusively o2 sensors or the cat. You will see a ridiculous number of posts on it because people are hesitant to drop several hundred dollars to replace the cat. Everyone wants a magic fix, and we try everything first, but what it usually comes down to is a blown out catalytic c...
Just stay around 3k rpms or less during break-in. Stop and go is your friend, freeways should be avoided when possible, and absolutely no lift engagement unless you want to replace it again.
I am wishing i had gone with a stage 1 clutch now, but the standard exedy is decent in my eyes.
The 1.8 is extremely sensitive to low oil conditions. Should someone tighten the oil filter improperly there would be leakage. Other than that...no clue. I only go as tight as my hands allow.
I completely disagree with the Vibe manual that says Dex-Cool is ok. I just changed a thermostat for my Mom's CR-V today as well. It had a mixture of Honda blue and Prestone Universal in the system, and the thermo was caked with a hardened green slime. Not sure it's the 2-hea, but given the history...
Other extended life antifreezes tend to be okay, but I lean heavily toward "Toyota SLLC". It is, after all, what our cars are suppose to use and is not prone to deposits. As i have found from the matrix forums, it has molybdenum added in which no other coolant I know of uses. It is also so...
The 6 speed toyota c60 is fairly solid at stock power levels. If gears begin to grind, or shifting is sluggish in cold weather i suggest changing the gear oil. I went with the very highly recommended Redline MT-90. Shifting did become smoother, and performance when cold is a night and day improvement.
At that mileage...definitely change it. At 160,000 or over I would say no. I was doing flush fills at the oil change place...i won't do that again. They never changed the filter, and at 190k the bands were worn and codes showed up for the trans. I think this is one of the few things I now only trust...
Hey! I see one of my old posts up there...when i was very drunk on Alize I believe. Ahhh, good times. After this post was made ages ago, a few people attempted removals and were disappointed to find that the act of removal was damaging to the roof. It was not a simple "unbolt" and then rem...
The stock bushings are rubber with metal inserts. Lubing them actually can hurt shift feel, i don't do it. Shift feel improves with solid brass/aluminum bushings, which i like a lot, but getting into reverse has little to do with this.
Don't slam! Push stick left evenly Feel butterfly gate contact Press past butterfly gate Push stick forward to set the gear New manual drivers also need to get use to the fact reverse is rarely synchronized. Basically, be gentle. Shift into first, then shift into reverse. If you dont like that and y...
Or you grab some needle nose pliers in a pinch. I actually find it easier than the "pandoras box". Stuff them in place and twist until you bottom the caliper out.
This time, however, I didn't hit the deer, it hit me. I was going 50 mph,and the thing hit the side of my Vibe, the leading edge of the rear passenger wheel well. Sucker had to have timed it just right. As far as I can tell, no damage to the Vibe. My wife just got t-boned by a deer in her brand new...
lol, if you don't like revving past 6000rpm, you bought the wrong car... Expecting low end torque out of a short stroke, high rev engine, is like saying you want to tow a boat with your crotch rocket. You really do have to get use to punching it to get to the powerband, and simply enjoy the great g...
I am glad it worked out for you! See, this is exactly why I do not touch the flywheel unless it is turned by a machinest or I replace it completely. If you can tell the old one is that uneven, just by feel, it is definately wrong. Just remember to go easy on it for a 500 mile break in period. Stop a...