Newbie questions

[vibedriver335]

Hello !

As of two days ago I am the happy new owner of a 2009 Vibe , base 1.8 liter engine, 5 speed manual transmission, manual windows, and manual door locks.

Any advice about maintaining the car and any insight into the car's "personality" --- quirks or unusual behavior --- which I have not noticed any at all yet would be appreciated.

Also , where to post each of these questions in the forums :

(1) RPMs
What is the proper RPM level on the tachometer for maximum life span of transmission and engine ?
Although driving in lowest RPMs possible for each gear would be optimal for fuel economy , what is the affect on transmission and engine even if able to operate seemingly smoothly at low RPMs ?

(2) Head rest
When driving the back of my my head stands a few inches in front of the head rest. What replacement head rest or head rest pillow is best for this car ? A pillow contacting higher on the back of head rather than back of neck would assumedly be more comfortable because of not radiating body heat during the warmer months.

(3) Anti-freeze
Which anti-freeze is bet to use ? I have heard Japanese manufacturers prefer red anti-freeze and American manufacturers prefer green anti-freeze , but the Vibe is branded as American Pontiac while being very Japanese Toyota.

(4) Ethanol gas
Is there any advantage to using pure gas (gas without ethanol) or adding "Lucas Ethanol Gas Treatment with Stabilizers" to normal gas in a Vibe ? Gas without ethanol is recommended for carburetor equipment --- motorcycles, classic cars, lawn equipment , etc ---- but would any parts of the Vibe benefit ?

(5) Roof rack
My Vibe does not have roof rails. If ever deciding to add a roof rack , which one is best and where to buy ?

(6) Bicycle rack
Which bicycle rack is best and where to buy ?
First thought is a rear mounted rack because of aerodynamics but what is best for Vibe ?

(7) Electrical outlet
I have not yet tried plugging any device into the electrical outlet but a forum post mentions using an electrical adapter because many plugs are not compatible with the socket. What adapter to buy ?

(8) Spare fuses
What array of fuses would be good to purchase as a set of spare fuses ?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks !
Kevin

[lannvouivre]

1) If you look up the 2ZR-FE engine, you may be able to find more people with experience in its issues. I think our community may be too small to help with this one as it's the second-gen engine.

2) Not sure, probably any Toyota/Lexus headrest would work. I'd go test this theory out at the salvage yard myself, but I'm on week 3 of being sick.

3) The engine/cooling/transmission are all Toyota manufactured. Go with Toyota red (diluted, of course).

4) I heard Toyota stated that they would not manufacture cars to handle more than 15% ethanol. Ethanol-free is viewed to be the best for these cars as well.

The last ones I can't really help you with at all.

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe Kevin! Post some pictures of your "new" Vibe when you get a chance !

1.) I don't know about what RPM range is best for transmission longevity, etc. but I do know that keeping the RPMs under 3000 when accelerating is a great way to increase your fuel milege.

3.) Toyota Super Long Life Coolant (SLLC). It can be purchased pre-diluted and ready to use at any Toyota dealer.

5.) I'm not sure about aftermarket roof racks, but as far as OEM ones go, the 2009-2010 Vibe ones are ugly. There are a couple owners here who have installed 2009+ Matrix OEM roof racks which look much better. They can be found on eBay.

7.) As far as I know, the 115v household outlet can be used without any sort of adapter to charge things like cell phones, iPods, etc. Using larger items i.e. a vaccuum cleaner, etc. is not recommended. I have only ever used the ones in our 2009 GTs to charge cell phones and there's never been a problem.

8.) Your best bet would probably be to get a container with multiple different size fuses. Be sure they are low profile fuses as this is what the 2009-2010 Vibes use.

[tpollauf]

Welcome to GenVibe My family has a pair of 2009 Vibe GT's with one being a manual & the other an auto. Your Vibe sounds like an absolute "bare bones" model which is very rare. I'll add some comments to some of your questions for what it's worth.

1. The lower the RPM's the longer will be the life of the tranny. More important though is to make smooth shifts at all times. Grinding your synchros will lead to a premature tranny death. I have the bigger 2.4l engine and it easily handles the load when shifting around the 2000 rpm range. I'm usually in 5th gear around 40 mph which is where I get maximum fuel efficiency.

5. If you end up needing a factory roof rack, definitely get one for the Toyota Matrix. There is a good post & write up here somewhere from a GenVibe member who installed it onto his 2009 Vibe.

Looking forward to pics of your Vibe

[vibrologist]

Headrests: Headrests are not there to rest your head. Their primary purpose is to prevent whiplash injuries to the neck should you get into a collision.

Bicycle rack: Putting the bikes behind the car rather than on top of it is better for aerodynamics and those who park in the garage. It is also way easier to put a bike on a rear mounted rack than to heave it up on the roof. I use a generic strap-on bike rack that can carry 2 bikes. I have been doing this ever since the mid eighties and I never had a rack or bike falling off. Most of the time I don't even tie the bike to the rack. My favorite places to buy them: Salvation Army and Goodwill Store. Disadvantage: mind your bike rack when you slam the hatch or the bike rack will mind you!

Ethanol fuel: the world's largest farm subsidy. Use it or don't as you like. I use it because it is nominally cheaper in our area. But that's like a cheater package: ethanol has a lower BTU content per volume than gasoline. You pay less for the fuel but it won't deliver the same mpg's. You got to love your farmers too. Additives don't really matter. Use brand name fuels and you have all the additives your car needs already in there.