What did you do to your Vibe today?

Discuss any maintenance you've done to your Vibe & Matrix and ask how to perform maintenance on your vehicle
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vibenvy
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Re: (lannvouivre)

Post by vibenvy »

I ordered 2 sets of Toyota chrome wheel locks (#00276-00901) on eBay ($24.95 a set with free shipping ). I want to have them in hand and ready to install when I put our 18s back on within the next couple weeks.
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by KITT222 »

I got some blindspot mirrors from Mall Wart. I look forward to using them. I can really see my back tire too, so I can tell how close I am to things, which is something nice for me to have.
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Re: (KITT222)

Post by tpollauf »

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »I got some blindspot mirrors from Mall Wart.Post pics of them when they're mounted. I too want to get a set on my Vibe. My work Van has them and I swear by them as they allow me to see EVERYTHING in those blind areas. I've been looking at the small ones that have a radiused corner so they fit the mirror perfect without losing any normal viewing capacity
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Re: (tpollauf)

Post by KITT222 »

This is where I put mine:They're at a slight slant, and can rotate. This gives me the view of my rear wheel which I've been wanted. The Corolla can give a decent hint to how they'll work.
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Re: (tpollauf)

Post by chadhgraves »

I put some of those blindspot mirrors on a couple weeks ago. They really do help with checking blind spots. I also bought a rear view camera that I hooked up to my head unit. It definitely helps when backing up at night due to the tinted windows.I got the 3"x3" blindspot mirrors, but they have 2" ones. They take up over a quarter of the mirror. I put them in the top left of the mirror. Here's a link to the ones I bought. http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...tails
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Re: (chadhgraves)

Post by vibenvy »

Our blind spot mirrors are the 2" ones. They're in the lower outer corners of the mirrors and I can see our rear wheels. As a matter of fact, I've recently noticed I can see the rear driver's side wheel cover spinning in the blind spot mirror as I'm driving down the road .Yesterday my 10 pack of Toyota oil filters arrived. I had one left from the last pack, so I ordered a 10 pack and an extra one so I have an even 12 oil filters. Our 30,000 mile oil changes are quickly approaching.My mom and I took her Vibe to pick up my aunt and her boyfriend yesterday so we could bring them out to the Ford dealer in Sandwich to pick up her new 2012 Steel Blue Fusion. My aunt commented on how roomy the Vibe was (she was sitting in the passenger seat) and her boyfriend Nick is well over 6' tall and didn't seem too uncomfortable in the back seat. The Fusion is a lighter version of the Steel Blue Metallic on my mom's Vibe. We ended up seeing the salesman we know who we bought the Vibes from. He said they had alot of people complaining when GM/Toyota stopped making the Vibe. He was commenting on how nice my mom's Vibe looked, even though it was dirty .I am currently researching POR-15. Both our Vibes have the rusted sunroof glass frame issue and I am wanting to get the glass on both of them replaced before the warranties expire. I am going to see if the dealer will put POR-15 on the new glass frames before installing them so hopefully we won't have any more issues in the future.
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by KITT222 »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »I am currently researching POR-15. Both our Vibes have the rusted sunroof glass frame issue and I am wanting to get the glass on both of them replaced before the warranties expire. I am going to see if the dealer will put POR-15 on the new glass frames before installing them so hopefully we won't have any more issues in the future.I kinda wish that the previous owners of my Vibe had known about that stuff. Today I took a look at Vib's underbelly, and well... a catback would be helpful under there for more reasons than performance...Ignore the upside-down PROGRESS... the bar is on correctly, the letters are just wrongEssentially, my exhaust appears to be more rust than exhaust. Once it goes, catback here I come!
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Re: (KITT222)

Post by vibenvy »

Both our exhausts look the same. It is normal for the exhaust to get surface rust on it. No need to worry until it starts rusting through .
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY & KITT222)

Post by 06pvibe »

What she said.... The piping doesn't look unusually bad at all. Just some surface rust. Its the muffler that collects all the moisture that will probably give it up first and w/o warning too.So if on a budget, have a Magnaflow or a 70 series Flowmaster muffler installed. And if you have/want to spend more for the whole thing go SS!!The Magnaflows are nice but pricey. The Borla's have a nice sound and output, IMO but are less expensive.Or, have a local muffler shop build you a system. You can often get a better deal ($$$) that way too.
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Re: (06pvibe)

Post by KITT222 »

Huh. When I tap it, it almost feels a bit thin, like tin. The welds before the muffler on the Corolla went out, and it sounded like a little rice-burner for some time after. Chances are I'll get the local shop which built the system for my dads truck to do mine. He used to be straight-piped, but he eventually got a proper catback, and it sounds great. But I actually do have a Magnaflow muffler in my Ebay watch list.
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Post by KITT222 »

New dash camera came from China today. Quick play with the settings, and it's set up in the car! I'm eager to try this out on my Monday commute.Also, at the auto show today, I tried to find something similar to the Vibe. I found a base Matrix. Others are too small, or don't have a big enough loading floor. The Audi A3 was somehow a good comparison, though leaving I am convinced that my Vibe is one of the better cars I sat in at the show.Sidenote, the Hyundai Equus is totally a chauffeurs car. Those back seats are a DREAM! Although at that price I would expect a panoramic sunroof. The Cadillacs actually had better interiors than the Audis and BMW I sat in too. I also fell in love with the ATS. But the Chevy Volt... Oh my... I couldn't get enough of it, and I even taught a few people more about it.
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Post by Gekko »

I had a busy day today at work. It was straingly quiet today so I decided to work on my vibe. i guess you could say i unwintered it. but my new BFG G-Force Sport tires on my chromies. And installed them on my car. I also installed my hotchkis front sway bar as well as my progress rear sway bar. Also installed my new Megan Racing strut tower brace. More to come tomorrow.
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Houston
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Re:

Post by Houston »

Got an oil change and new filter installed, snow tire and wheel assemblies removed and summers put on, and installed one of those little mirror thingies. I suggest that those of you who do this on the driver's side mirror not install it at the lower-right, because it just seemed to get in the way of what I needed to see. I took it off and put it at the upper-left. Much better there.
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Post by ponta2147 »

Rear ended someone Hooray for my first ever accident!Trying to find the proper parking lot in St. Pat's traffic- slow traffic (10mph or so) stopped and I didn't. Their towing hitch went right into my license plate, large dent and cracked the bumper a bit but no mechanical or body damage that I can tell. Completely my fault, but still sad about it. I'll find out the costs of replacing the front end v. just leaving it (most of the damage is behind the front license plate and could be hammered/epoxied and hidden if need be). The pros would be to get a new non-chipped-up front end and be able to protect it properly, the cons are of course the high cost. When I get my oil changed soon (free at the dealer) I'll have them take a look and give me a quote for repair... then ignore it and shop around, with a better idea of the damage.
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Re: (ponta2147)

Post by MrHatchWagon »

That sucks Ponta! I hope it all works out well for you, and doesn't end up costing you too much.As for me, it was 53 degrees farenheit today, one of the first days that it's above freezing, so I seized the opportunity and gave my car a nice thorough cleaning on the outside. Tomorrow, I put on my fog light covers and tackle the inside. She will be spotless once more before long!
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Re: (MrHatchWagon)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 »Rear ended someone Hooray for my first ever accident!Trying to find the proper parking lot in St. Pat's traffic- slow traffic (10mph or so) stopped and I didn't. Their towing hitch went right into my license plate, large dent and cracked the bumper a bit but no mechanical or body damage that I can tell. Completely my fault, but still sad about it. I'll find out the costs of replacing the front end v. just leaving it (most of the damage is behind the front license plate and could be hammered/epoxied and hidden if need be). The pros would be to get a new non-chipped-up front end and be able to protect it properly, the cons are of course the high cost. When I get my oil changed soon (free at the dealer) I'll have them take a look and give me a quote for repair... then ignore it and shop around, with a better idea of the damage.That sucks Michelle, but glad to hear that the damage is only cosmetic.It was around 80 yesterday so I detailed the interiors on both Vibes. I also washed mine in the rain yesterday evening. This morning I got up about 7 and washed my mom's Vibe. They both look great ! I am dying to put the 18s back on, but I am going to wait until April 1st just in case Mother Nature decides we need one more shot of winter weather. This winter has made me really glad we have all season tires instead of snow tires. I don't feel so bad about "wasting" all season tires, especially when the 16" tires are so much cheaper then the 18" tires.
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Post by MrHatchWagon »

FINALLY got around to replacing the broken clips behind my passenger side lower door cladding, not an identical match for the clips but it's better than it used to be. Also installed LED bulbs for my license plate.
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Post by KITT222 »

http://www.kateri-inc.com/yaho...e.jpg+ ... serts/=One happy Viber!!Anyway... I have a few questions regarding vinyl. I'll be getting some soon so I can make that rendering I posted on the FB page a reality. Does anybody know how to cut vinyl on the hood without damaging the clear coat? Currently I'm looking at something similar to this:http://wrapcut.langeman.com/SingleBut I don't exactly want 50 yards of the stuff at nearly $40 for a one-time job. Also, I am thinking that I'd rather plasti-dip the grille area, and then put on the Pdip glossifier. Thoughts? And does anyone know how good this ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hexis-...p=mtr ) vinyl is, as far as reliability? Thanks!
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Re: (KITT222)

Post by star_deceiver »

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 » Does anybody know how to cut vinyl on the hood without damaging the clear coat? ... and use it GENTLY!!! Very little pressure on the razor!Then find a product to seal it! Maybe even take the hood off the car and clear coat over it all!
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Re: (star_deceiver)

Post by 09vGT »

This... Nothing major. Only a broken plastic piece. Couldn't drive with it on and couldn't take it off because it was bolted to other guards underneath. Waited on that freakin' tow truck for 2 1/2 hours! Funny enough my dealer is posted on that billboard in the photo. They fixed it for free. And drilled extra screws into the other ones!
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Re: (09vGT)

Post by vibenvy »

Ouch, that sucks Ethan ! Glad to hear it was nothing major though and that the dealer fixed it for free. Was it something hanging down under the front end? What caused it to come undone? Glad to see the towing company brought a flat bed. If I ever have to have either one of our Vibes towed, I'm requesting they bring a flat bed. I don't like the idea of the rear end of my car being so close to the ground .
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by 09vGT »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »Ouch, that sucks Ethan ! Glad to hear it was nothing major though and that the dealer fixed it for free. Was it something hanging down under the front end? What caused it to come undone? Glad to see the towing company brought a flat bed. If I ever have to have either one of our Vibes towed, I'm requesting they bring a flat bed. I don't like the idea of the rear end of my car being so close to the ground .Yeah, the best way to describe it is the guard under the front part of the car. Not sure why it came off but the front dropped down, so when driving the wind caught it and yanked it down. It sounded like the whole bottom of the car fell out. As I looked in the mirror I could see small plastic pieces being thrown from behind. The dealer said its main purpose is to keep ice and snow from caking up under the car, but we don't have the problem here, so I just left it off. I would've taken the part off myself when I pulled over, but it was connected to two other plastic guard things. The service manager made sure to put extra screws in all of the other ones to make sure they were nice and tight. Even waited on us 30 mins after the dealership closed!
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Re: (09vGT)

Post by trb »

Was it like this part?Mine is missing, and the whole front bumper is really loose. I figured the guy who had my car before must have been parking against (ramming into?) a curb that was too high, and it eventually broke up so he took it off. I've been planning to replace it so the front bumper would be held on better.
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Re: (trb)

Post by 09vGT »

It looked like #5 in the diagram. GMPARTSDIRECT calls it a splash shield.
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (bodhi_tree777)

Post by BC123 »

Past few days projects:GrapxWerks Engine overlayDupliColor caliper paint
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (BC123)

Post by jkm311 »

That's one sharp looking Vibe, BC. White, black and red always look amazing together. And I love how your tint brings out that faux port the 2009-2010s have on the GT's effects under the rear passenger door. Simple, tasteful customization. Well done.
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (BC123)

Post by 06pvibe »

Lookin' GREAT!!!
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (bodhi_tree777)

Post by BC123 »

Thanks jkm311 and 06pvibe. jk...I used to live in Royal Oak. But I didn't have my Vibe when I was up there.As a side note I found this site a few weeks ago to downloaded the 2009-2010 Vibe Factory Service Repair manual. It's a PDF download and only cost $10.99. Screaming good deal and excellent reference so I can do more intricate mods.Here is the link:http://www.tradebit.com/filede...anual
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (BC123)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »Yeah, the best way to describe it is the guard under the front part of the car. Not sure why it came off but the front dropped down, so when driving the wind caught it and yanked it down. It sounded like the whole bottom of the car fell out. As I looked in the mirror I could see small plastic pieces being thrown from behind. The dealer said its main purpose is to keep ice and snow from caking up under the car, but we don't have the problem here, so I just left it off. I would've taken the part off myself when I pulled over, but it was connected to two other plastic guard things. The service manager made sure to put extra screws in all of the other ones to make sure they were nice and tight. Even waited on us 30 mins after the dealership closed!Wow, that certainly sucks about that whole big piece coming off . Like I said though, at least it wasn't anything major. Glad to hear the dealer took good care of it for you too.Quote, originally posted by BC123 »Past few days projects:GrapxWerks Engine overlayDupliColor caliper paintI posted in your Garage thread already, but I have to say it again here... looking good !
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (A Psycho Martyr)

Post by vibenvy »

Both our Vibes turned over 30,000 miles today !Mine was first...Then my mom's a couple hours later...I also called the dealer today about my rusted sunroof glass frame. I am taking my Vibe down Monday to the body shop at the GM dealer I always go to. They're going to take a look at it. They better not give me a hard time about replacing it under warranty .
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Re: What did you do to your Vibe today? (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by csxt8058 »

Changed the oil today and cleaned up under the hood a bit..lots of dirt and whatnot. Probably going to give the inside a much needed cleaning tomorrow. JR
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Post by Persephone »

Tried to use a headlight restoration kit and get my headlights clear again. Worked at it for an hour. Do they look nice now? No. F that.……………………………………..________………………………………,.-‘”……………….“~.,………………………..,.-”……………………………..“-.,…………………….,/………………………………………..”:,…………………,?………………………………………………,………………./…………………………………………………..,}……………../………………………………………………,:`^`..}……………/……………………………………………,:”………/………….…..__…………………………………..:`………../…………./__.(…..“~-,_…………………………,:`………./………../(_….”~,_……..“~,_………………..,:`…….._/……….{.._$;_……”=,_…….“-,_…….,.-~-,},.~”;/….}………..((…..*~_…….”=-._……“;,,./`…./”…………../…,,,___.`~,……“~.,………………..`…..}…………../…………(….`=-,,…….`……………………(……;_,,-”…………/.`~,……`-………………………….……/………….`~.*-,……………………………….|,./…..,__,,_……….}.>-._……………………………..|…………..`=~-,…..`=~-,__……`,…………………………………………….`=~-,,.,………………………….…………………………..`:,,………………………`…………..__……………………………….`=-,……………….,%`>–==“…………………………………._……….._,-%…….`……………………………..,<`.._|_,-&“…………….`
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Re: (Persephone)

Post by KITT222 »

That's no good. I hope you get them figured out!Next week is my spring break. I'll need the break after we had to put my cat down yesterday. But that also means I can take it off my mind by working on my car! Yay!
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Re: (KITT222)

Post by 06pvibe »

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »That's no good. I hope you get them figured out!Next week is my spring break. I'll need the break after we had to put my cat down yesterday. But that also means I can take it off my mind by working on my car! Yay! +1, but an hour doesn't seem that long for the process. Try again tomorrow, if you have the time/weather, etc...So sorry to hear about your cat. This is the third incident I know of of friend's pets dying this week alone.They are like family and you will not forget him/her.My first and most favorite cat I found when I was a kid lived to be +/-17. She was indoor/outdoor and was a GREAT cat, gone 30+yrs now. I still think of her often and wish she were here now. She is referred to in our household as "Saint" Friskie.
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Re: (06pvibe)

Post by KITT222 »

Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »So sorry to hear about your cat. This is the third incident I know of of friend's pets dying this week alone.They are like family and you will not forget him/her.My first and most favorite cat I found when I was a kid lived to be +/-17. She was indoor/outdoor and was a GREAT cat, gone 30+yrs now. I still think of her often and wish she were here now. She is referred to in our household as "Saint" Friskie. Thanks! She was my step-moms cat long before she was mine, but she took a real shining to me. If I was Genvibe posting, chances are she was on my lap. Funny to think that she was as old as some of the kids at my high school, and hardly a year younger than me (she was 16. I'm 17). She certainly won't be forgotten, but I'm happy that she isn't in pain anymore. The little thing was only pelt and bones at the end, and her hips were messed up. I'm glad that I could make her happy before she went.
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Re: (Persephone)

Post by chadhgraves »

I used one of those headlight restoration kits a couple weeks ago. Worked ok. I ended up just getting some 800, 1000, 2000 grit sandpaper and doing it myself. Just wet the sandpaper and headlight and work your way from 800 to 2000 grit sandpaper. Then get some Meguiar's ultimate rubbing compound and rub it in till it's squeaky clear. After I did that, they are crystal clear now. It takes a while to get a great result, but just keep at it. Look up how to color sand a car. It's the same principle for the headlights.
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Re: (chadhgraves)

Post by 06pvibe »

And may I suggest to you both to add some further protection to the lens after. Once sanded and polished the protective (and very thin) carbonite layer that protects the softer plastic underneath, usually Lexan, is gone. You will need to replace it with something or you'll be doing it again in a year.I recommend Lamin-X or some other film that is designed for light lenses.
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Re: (06pvibe)

Post by Persephone »

Kitt, noooo!! D: I'm so sorry about your cat! 06pvibe, how long am I supposed to sit there rubbing at it with that tiny 1x1" sand paper pad? D: My arm might die!! lol Also my first cat just died like a year ago. I got her when I was 9. She was a very mean cat. Granted, it was probably all my fault for dressing her in doll clothes, playing whale rescuer, and pretty much playing with her every night. Also thank you so much for the tip. I was planning on getting Lamin=x. Now I see it was more important than I thought!! And Chad, that's a wonderful idea. I bet it would make things soooo much easier. Thank you!
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Post by ponta2147 »

Got the oil changed, and they took a look at the damaged front fascia and confirmed that it is only surface damage. That is good to know when looking for a replacement! I may just order the parts and replace it myself after getting it painted.Chris also test drove the GMC Terrain while we waited. He loved it and so did I. It's his next car for sure! Was very quiet in the interior though... it is going to inspire me to do another project, some sort of spray-foam inside the doors for sound-deadening.
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Re: (ponta2147)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »I'll need the break after we had to put my cat down yesterday.Sorry to hear that Nick .I woke up at 7:00 am today and got to work putting our 18s back on !I used Mother's 3 Step Ultimate Wax System on the wheels, touched up some spots on the calipers where the paint had come off and finished everything off by installing our Toyota chrome wheel locks ! Later today and/or tomorrow I will be doing our 30,000 mile oil changes!
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by chadhgraves »

Those are some fine looking Vibes!
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vibenvy
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Re: (chadhgraves)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by chadhgraves »Those are some fine looking Vibes!Thanks !
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
KITT222
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by KITT222 »

Lookin' great, Carrie! There are two Vibe GTs for sale in my area that are JUST like yours and your moms'. Of course the silver one hasn't had the centercaps siliconed on, so it's missing two of them, but every time I see it, I think of your Vibe GT.I just did the soft-stop mod to my Vibe in just a few minutes. Amazingly easy, and very nice to have. If someone wants the other diode so they may do it to their, let me know. I'll mail it to you free of charge. I also devised a new way of leaving my mark. From now on, if I take something apart, I'm going to write 'KITT222 was here' behind that part, so you'll only be able to see it if you too took it apart. I also ordered my vinyl to cover my hood. If I can't get vinyl to work around my grille, I'll have to find some PlastiDip glossifier.
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Post by cptnsolo77 »

repainted 2 of my hubcaps with duplicolors high performance wheel paint in silver. Came out great! They were really faded from the hot florida sun here....there were some spots where it was faded down to bare plastic.
* 2003 Vibe Auto Satellite Silver w / Moons & Tunes
* Kenwood Excelon KDC-X597
* Polk DB651-Speakers
* Soundproofcow Roadblock R sound deadening in all doors
* Drop In K & N Filter
* NGK Iridium IX Plugs
* 27 MPG City/Highway with AC on
thebarber
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Post by thebarber »

tein h-techs went on today...[/
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lannvouivre
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Re: (KITT222)

Post by lannvouivre »

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »That's no good. I hope you get them figured out!Next week is my spring break. I'll need the break after we had to put my cat down yesterday. But that also means I can take it off my mind by working on my car! Yay! I'm really sorry to hear about your kitty...My oldest cat I've had for 13 years (over half my life), and he was an adult when I got him. I've been feeling a little down lately because I realized that he's even older than I though.Anyway, changed my oil and oil filter (got a TRD filter that fits the Matrix and double-checked the part number on oil filters for the Matrix and Vibe using AdvanceAuto to make sure it would fit). I'm wondering how I'm supposed to clean it ("reusable"), but I suppose I can just look that up! I had to get my dad to loosen the old oil filter and the oil cap, though...how embarrassing
"If you don't love me at my diddliest, you don't deserve me at my doodliest." - User ktluvscricket of reddit
KITT222
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Re: (lannvouivre)

Post by KITT222 »

Thanks everyone for your condolences. She was happy when she went, and that is what makes me happy. Such a happy kitty Quote, originally posted by lannvouivre »Anyway, changed my oil and oil filter (got a TRD filter that fits the Matrix and double-checked the part number on oil filters for the Matrix and Vibe using AdvanceAuto to make sure it would fit). I'm wondering how I'm supposed to clean it ("reusable"), but I suppose I can just look that up! I had to get my dad to loosen the old oil filter and the oil cap, though...how embarrassing I don't like the idea of reusable filters. I change my filter with the oil every time. But don't worry about needing your dad's help. I couldn't get my oil plug off without my dad's help. Filter was easier, but it got stuck on the wrench.
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vibenvy
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Re: (KITT222)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »Lookin' great, Carrie! There are two Vibe GTs for sale in my area that are JUST like yours and your moms'. Of course the silver one hasn't had the centercaps siliconed on, so it's missing two of them, but every time I see it, I think of your Vibe GT.LOL! That's funny! There's a black late 80s/early 90s Firebird that has KITT xxx (3 numbers [not 222], but can't remember what they are) on the license plate about a block away from me that always reminds me of you !Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »Awww... she's so cute ! 2 of my 3 dogs sleep all curled up just like that !Quote, originally posted by KITT222 »I don't like the idea of reusable filters. I change my filter with the oil every time.x2 ! A reusable air filter or cabin air filter is one thing, but a reusable oil filter!?! No thanks.
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
lannvouivre
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Re: (J_TO_ENVY)

Post by lannvouivre »

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »x2 ! A reusable air filter or cabin air filter is one thing, but a reusable oil filter!?! No thanks.Alright, I won't reuse it, then. I think my BF will not be impressed with me if I keep getting TRD oil filters instead of something cheaper, but when he gets a car, I'll probably be the one doing the oil/etc changes so...I actually asked him if he wanted me to teach him how to do this stuff, and he said no! He'd rather Youtube it. My feelers are hurt
"If you don't love me at my diddliest, you don't deserve me at my doodliest." - User ktluvscricket of reddit
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