First off, thanks for adding me to this online community. I've found it useful and only owned my Vibe for 2 days!
Browsing through this forum is what actually pushed me to find a Vibe after reading all the positive information.
March 2nd I pulled the trigger on a 2005 1.8 auto trans, moon&tune, 197,000 miles. Part of me feels I paid a little too much(even after getting the seller down $400) but of the 3 I've looked at this one seems to have been cared for very well, and not just cosmetically. Previously owned by an older couple, they are the original owners. The gentleman had retired from the auto parts industry and assured me that regular maintenance had been done and when something as little as a molded plastic piece cracked he replaced it. He even replaced the factory stereo with a new Pioneer unit with red and white illumination because the buttons on the factory unit were wore to where they couldnt be read... So I feel pretty good about what I have. I'm not necessarily thrilled about a four-speed auto trans but after finding out that manual transmissions had wear problems I guess maybe I have the better option?? I'm just partial to having more control over my vehicle so 4 out of the 5 vehicles I've owned have been manuals. Growing up on a farm will do that to a person.. Inside and out are in what i consider very good shape. Four dings on the body, few rock chips up front, and a broken retainer clip on the passenger door side molding. Paint look good, probably be great with some tlc. The alloy wheels have corrosion so I want to learn how to strip and paint them(or powder coat if that's better). Inside is very clean. No fabric tears or stains, no headliner issues, no dirty door panels. Normal scuffs on plastic moldings in rear from cargo. Speakers sound very good still, might replace with some 2-ways since there is a nice stereo in it. Mechanically sound from what I can tell. No leaking fluids that I can see other than very small amount of oil residue under the plastic on top of the intake manifold/valve cover area. Trans feels okay I think but I always think these auto trans compact cars feel weird. No hard shifting or slipping. Steering is tight, no play in tie-rod ends or bearings. S belt looks and feels good and can't hear any squeeling from any of the pully bearings. Alternator puts out 13.6-8v. Wire harness connections all look good, some of them still have grease inside. I don't know what else to check!
Moving on, what I did find was something that this group brought to my attention. A bent and cracked deflector under the oil-fill hole. It was pushed down far enough that the cam had worn a small amount off the edge. I made a small tool to get underneath and pull it back in position. No telling how long ago it was forced down but it aggravates me that a tech at a quick-lube place probably just slammed his filler neck down without looking first. Oh well, I'm fortunate to have found it and thankful for all the great information on this site!
I'm excited to keep learning about this little car and hope to do what I can to keep it tuned well so I can get at least 100,000 miles out of it. I've enjoyed reading about modifications for power and efficiency and hope to tinker with it soon.
Any advice is appreciated! Hope to have some pictures up as soon as I can figure out this profile setup..
KMGMO
Last edited by KMGMO on Sat Mar 04, 2017 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Welcome! Sounds like you've found a great car! Well maintained, clean Vibes are getting hard to find. Kudos to the first owner for taking such good care of the car. Keep up with the maintenance and that car has many more miles of good service to provide.
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
Neptune/dying clearcoat/primer grey.
Welcome to the forum. I own a 05 too. I agree the four speed makes the mpg low when cruising on the highway. Other than that, the car drives pretty well under 45 mph.
Welcome KMGMO!
It appears you've found a nice one!
The oil leak you are describing could come from the o-ring on the timing chain tensioner. It's a common issue.
Kudo's on finding the mystery clicking at the oil filler baffle.
I can understand that it will take you a while to get used to the automatic. It's reliable and problem free if the maintenance has been done as is the case here. Just don't expect anything beyond that.
If you like to improve the clarity of your sound system consider sound deadening, insulation and carpeting of the cargo area. With Moon&Tunes installed but the original HU replaced you have options. You will need to investigate how the after market HU has been integrated.
If the subwoofer is active sound deadening, insulating and carpeting is the first thing I would do. If that's not enough you can still replace speakers and enjoy the benefits of both mods.
If the subwoofer is not active you may be able to get an original HU inexpensively. After installing that do the sound deadening.
If you do not want to go back to the OEM HU you may want to study Derf's solution on these pages.
Can't wait to see some pictures.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe
"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"
I'll try to get some pics soon. Someday when I have a day off work I'll pull the plastic off the top end and check that little oil leak, but yes, happy I did find the oil-fill issue. The subwoofer is active so I guess the new HU has a signal out going to the amp. It doesn't sound like the 12" JL Audio W6 I had on 400RMS but it does add a little thump and rumble. My days of loud music are few and far between anymore so I just want clear, crisp sound at all frequencies and don't want to have to crank it up to hear it so sound deadening is probably a must. I don't necessarily think the car travels noisy but it does have some resonance.
Hoping to get it inspected today or tomorrow so I can get my plates.
My days of loud music are few and far between anymore so I just want clear, crisp sound at all frequencies and don't want to have to crank it up to hear it so sound deadening is probably a must.
That's exactly my take on sound systems. Click on the link in my signature. In the first paragraph is a link to Derf's thread. I am very happy with my results that I fashioned after his ideas.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe
"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"
I'm going to take some pictures today after I clean the dust off. Gravel roads out here and it rained hard yesterday.
Once I get the sound situation fixed up I want to address the few rock chips on the leading edge of the hood and two on the edge of the drivers door. There is a little surface rust so I'm not sure of the best way to prep such a small area before coating. After that I want to learn how to best protect the body. I've never really done more than washed. No wax or anything. Lots of learning to do so I can also protect my wife's 2016 Traverse. On that note, it's funny that my wife has a nice new vehicle with bells and whistles and all she wants to do now is drive the Vibe around lol. She likes that it is a stereo on wheels!