New Member, Hit 100K today on my 2010 Vibe GT.

[meanolgoat]

HeyBeen checking out the posts here since I bought my 2010 Vibe. I bought it after my place of employment moved 74 miles from my home, and I just figured that would Kill my 99 F250, especially at 17 MPG. At first I thought I would go with the base model, but after driving the base model and driving the 2.4 GT, I was sold on the GT. I really liked the more aggressive look of the front end and 18" wheels. I just wish it had the manual, but I'm getting 29 to 30 mpg cruising at 75. So 934 days after I bought my new daily driver, I have put 100,000 miles on her. I'm hoping you guys will be able to give me the advice and tips needed to maintain her for the next 100K to 200K. So far, I have just used the MX schedule in the owners Manual. I've been using Valvoline Synthetic Blend, High Mileage oil from the first oil change and been changing it every 5K. I only put 68K on the original tires, the front end alignment was off and the drivers side chewed up the inside shoulder, even with rotation. Hopefully, that has been fixed with the new Michelins I am running now. One thing I am interested in, is when the Timing Belt should be changed. (Does the 2.4 have a timing belt?) There is nothing in the owners manual. Thanks,

[csxt8058]

Welcome aboard and congrats on a big milestone. Good to know that all is well with it at 100,000 JR

[j42.snyder]

Wow - that's a fair commute you've got there! Glad I'm not driving that far with the gas prices around here! Cost me $56 to fill mine yesterday You don't have a timing belt on the 2.4. Both the 1.8 and 2.4 have chains that shouldn't require regular maintenance. Just keep an eye on the serpentine belt. They're very wide and likely quite durable on these - but will wear out eventually.I'm a bit curious as to why you chose to run high mileage oil right from the start. It's not likely to hurt anything - but most "high mileage" oils don't have the "starburst" symbol on the bottle (certified) - so technically they don't meet requirements for warranty. Not that it matters now anyway - I assume it finished at the 100k mark. Stick to the proper 5k mile interval and I'm sure you'll be just fine with whatever oil you choose to run - as long as the viscosity is correct.Did you drive a manual transmission car (specifically 2.4L Vibe) before getting yours? I think at highway speeds you'd appreciate the auto, as the gearing is dramatically different. 4th gear on the auto is still slightly steeper than 5th with the manual - so the manual car revs notably higher when cruising. At your cruising speed you'd be doing around 3k or maybe slightly higher with the manual. You'd probably lose a MPG or two as well. I never figured out the logic behind Toyota's choice of gearing for the manual - they mated the easiest to turn gears with the highest torque motor. It does make a great tow vehicle however...I'd probably drain and refill the transmission if it hasn't been touched yet. It only takes a bit over 3L to do so. Just make sure you use Toyota WS fluid - not Type IV like in the manual. You could verify this on your dipstick - but I'm sure that will be correct. I bought my fluid directly from the Toyota dealer. The price is no worse than what I'd pay for a "generic" fluid anywhere else - and I know it's the right stuff.I'm also a bit curious about which Michelin tires you bought. Being on the 18's, I'm assuming they're a performance tire, rather than touring. I bought Michelin Primacy MXV4's for my wife's Mazda 5 last year and they seem to be decent so far - but both of our cars only have 16" wheels. One day my Vibe will probably have a full set of those as well - but probably not for another 2-3 years at the rate I'm wearing my current RSA's. They don't see winter duty - so I can run them a bit lower than I would if they were on all the time.Anyway - Welcome again - but what kept you from saying "HI" for the past 934 days? John

[djkeev]

Quote, originally posted by j42.snyder »....................................Anyway - Welcome again - but what kept you from saying "HI" for the past 934 days? JohnToo busy driving!! You can't text and drive safely!!Congrats on your milestone! Look in your owners manual, there should be a recommended maintenance list for a given mileage in there.Here is a link to an online copy of it, go down to section 10.Keep in mind that the services build upon each other, you need to look back at the earlier ones as well if you haven't been following the recommended list.Personally I'd do more, changing transmission oils, new spark plugs, new belts, examine the hoses, flush the coolant, check the shocks, etc etc etc.http://www.genvibe.com/images/...s.pdfDave

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! Congratulations on reaching 100,000 miles already ! I feel alot better about approaching 30,000 miles on mine now . Post some pictures of your GT when you get a chance .

[meanolgoat]

Quote, originally posted by j42.snyder »....................................Anyway - Welcome again - but what kept you from saying "HI" for the past 934 days? JohnToo busy driving!! You can't text and drive safely!!LOL, I agree.Yes, I've been using the MX Schedule in the owners manual for everything I've done so far. I just didn't see anything about a timing belt, so it had me wondering.My Wife's Honda didn't have anything in the owners manual either about the timing belt change, but they do have it in the MX manual. I tend to drive my vehicles into the dirt, My 91 F150 had 230K on it when i traded it in on the Vibe, My F250 had 140K at the time, My wife's honda is at 130K, So I was already buying the High Mileage oil, plus the Valvoline is a semi-synthetic, without much of a higher price tag then conventional, but cheaper then a full synthetic. I knew I would be keeping the Vibe and driving it, So I just stuck with what I was already buying, I figured the extra additives wouldn't hurt....I'll have to look at which model tire I put on the car, I wanted a top-end tire for the mileage and wear, but that would still stick to the road when I wanted that too. A buddy of mine has an 07 Matrix with the 1.8 and 5-speed, so I had test drove it. He reports 36 mpg. Otherwise, it would have been more for the "driving experience" of a manual over an auto. But really, sitting in some of the rush hour back-up and slow crawls I've had to endure, I'm glad I'm not holding a clutch in the entire time.

[Losthookah]

I wouldnt suggest a full flush and fill on the tranny. Especially if it hasnt been touched since you bought it. Just check the fluid level and add as needed. If you flush and fill any slippage that is prevented by debris will come into play with a flush and could actually damage said transmission

[Toofargone2009GT]

A couple of your comments got my attention and I have questions.I have a 2009 GT, automatic, with 32,000 miles, had it 4 years this Mar 29th, and if I cruise at 75 my mpg is about 25. I have to do 60 to 65 to get close to 30. Motor is stock, all oil changes done at dealship, 3000 miles. I have the 18" wheels and my tires will be worn out by 40,000 miles. I have rotated every 6000 miles and keep inflation at 32 to 34 psi.I would like to know the secerts to your sucess because we have pretty much to same car just built at different times. While I am at it, does anyone know what to buy for fixing a small denton the vinyl/plastic front end? I was told that regular body putty won't work.Thanks

[tpollauf]

Welcome another Ohioan Post pics real soon. Our family has a pair of the 09-10 GT's and love them both. One is an auto, the other a manual. Despite the gearing differences in the transmissions, I've tested both of them in almost identical situations (same driver & habits ...ME ) and the manual DOES get slightly better mpg's than the auto. But ever so slightly. The manual is so much more fun to drive also. Again ........................... Welcome

[star_deceiver]

Welcome to GenVibe!!!

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by Toofargone2009GT » couple of your comments got my attention and I have questions.I have a 2009 GT, automatic, with 32,000 miles, had it 4 years this Mar 29th, and if I cruise at 75 my mpg is about 25. I have to do 60 to 65 to get close to 30. Motor is stock, all oil changes done at dealship, 3000 miles. I have the 18" wheels and my tires will be worn out by 40,000 miles. I have rotated every 6000 miles and keep inflation at 32 to 34 psi.I would like to know the secerts to your sucess because we have pretty much to same car just built at different times. While I am at it, does anyone know what to buy for fixing a small denton the vinyl/plastic front end? I was told that regular body putty won't work.My mom and I both have 2009 automatic Vibe GTs. Both were purchased brand new almost 3 years ago and currently have just under 30,000 miles on them. I change the oil every 2500 miles with Penzoil 5W20 and Toyota oil filters. When I checked the oil at 2500 miles it seemed a little too dirty for my liking, so I decided to change it every 2500 miles instead of the 5000 miles the owner's manual recommends. Doing it this way still follows the suggested 5000 mile interval, it just adds an extra oil change in between times. I can't imagine new oil more often hurting anything. I have seen as high as 33.9 mpg with 100% highway driving 60-65 mph. Both Vibes average about 27-28 mpg with 50% city/50% highway. They both have K&N Typhoon cold air intakes, AEM Brute Force Dryflow air filters and AEM Dryflow air filter wraps installed. These are the only engine mods. The K&Ns have consistently added 1-2 mpg since installation. As far as the tires go, our factory Goodyears are holding up well and still have plenty of tread left. Both Vibes have a seperate set of wheels and tires for the winter months though, so the Goodyears haven't seen the full 30,000 miles, but more likely closer to 20,000 miles. I rotate them every 5000 miles (front to back/back to front) per the owner's manual and keep them at 32 PSI which is the recommended PSI on the door jamb information sticker. As far as fixing exterior plastic, I'm assuming you're referring to the front bumper cover? If so, as far as I know, there really is no proper way to fix it. The proper thing to do would be to replace it if it's cracked, dented, etc.

[09vGT]

Quote, originally posted by Toofargone2009GT »A couple of your comments got my attention and I have questions.I have a 2009 GT, automatic, with 32,000 miles, had it 4 years this Mar 29th, and if I cruise at 75 my mpg is about 25. I have to do 60 to 65 to get close to 30. Motor is stock, all oil changes done at dealship, 3000 miles. I have the 18" wheels and my tires will be worn out by 40,000 miles. I have rotated every 6000 miles and keep inflation at 32 to 34 psi.I would like to know the secerts to your sucess because we have pretty much to same car just built at different times. While I am at it, does anyone know what to buy for fixing a small denton the vinyl/plastic front end? I was told that regular body putty won't work.ThanksOn a 100% highway trip I got around 28MPG with 4 people and luggage. My average mixed driving, 50-50, is around 24-25. I also try to keep the car below 3000 RPM when accelerating, I've noticed it will drink the gas if you take off quickly. I have about 88,000 miles on my 09 GT now, and when I went on the trip it was probably in the 30,000-40,000 mile range on the odometer. I wouldn't know if you even could fix the plastic, like J_TO_ENVY said. I had to replace JUST the front bumper on my car because I rear ended a truck and it sent the trailer hitch through the bumper. It cost me about $800.00 so I recall; didn't meet my insurance deductible.

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »I also try to keep the car below 3000 RPM when accelerating, I've noticed it will drink the gas if you take off quickly.I actually try to keep my RPMs under 2500. It has become second nature. I can tell just by the sound of the engine about where the RPMs are. I hardly look at the gauge anymore .

[09vGT]

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »I actually try to keep my RPMs under 2500. It has become second nature. I can tell just by the sound of the engine about where the RPMs are. I hardly look at the gauge anymore .Same here. I would take it slower, but the people in this town would run me over. Have you ever been to Arkansas? Not great drivers!

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »Same here. I would take it slower, but the people in this town would run me over. Have you ever been to Arkansas? Not great drivers! .We have drivers like that around here too, but moreso the closer you get to Chicago. I drive how I drive and if people don't like it, they can pass me. I love driving 55 on I-88 heading toward Chicago. I get passed by tons of cars, semis, I even got passed by a state trooper once ! The people that drive like that are the ones who complain the most about gas prices, but yet they don't change their driving habits so they can kiss my a** !

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »I actually try to keep my RPMs under 2500. Slooooooooooooow..... Lol!