My girlfriend, Hannah, has a silver with silver painted cladding 2005 base 5-speed with 165,000 miles. I am tasked with replacing her failed 5-speed with a 6-speed from a matrix/corolla XRS. It will be delivered to the loading dock at my work later today or tomorrow. I was just as approved for the forum last night, and I am excited to pick the brains of some of you vibe experts! I will be making another thread in the Engine & Transmission section this morning as I have quite a few questions.
Ironically, my mother had a Silver 2005 base with a 5-speed but with unpainted grey plastic cladding. She sold the vibe when she retired 3 years ago and bought a new car as a retirement gift to herself (2015 Jeep Compass). She also had issues with the 5 speed, but only leaking fluid. I wish I knew more at the time because she was taken to the cleaners, I think the repair bill for the failed seal and new clutch was close to $2000. That was the one an only major repairs I remember. She loved that car and probably put on 120,000 miles while she owned it.
I would consider myself very mechanically inclined, I am carpenter/construction estimator, so I am used to looking at and interpreting technical drawings, but I have no formal automotive training past advanced autoshop in high school.
I have never owed a vibe myself, but I've owned/maintained a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ 4.0, since 2010. That keeps me very busy
I have done too many projects to list on the old ZJ, most recently did a complete overhaul on the NP242 "selec-trac" transfer case. I replaced all the bearings and seals along with replacing the drive chain. The 4.0 is pretty damn bulletproof so I haven't had to do a thing to it aside from changing the oil and an occasional water pump/thermostat. Suspension, I would say is my specialty, as I have also replaced every last suspension component and bushing on the solid axle suspension of the ZJ, including adding a 2.5" coil spring lift and swapping in a high pinion Dana 30 front axle from a 1995 Jeep Cherokee XJ. I do quite a bit of moderate off-road driving/dispersed camping/fishing in my spare time as well, when I'm not working on the ZJ. I also recently moved to Denver from Chicago, Illinois.
