2006 Base Vibe, Don't Leave Me Stranded
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 6:37 am
2006 Base Vibe with 147k miles, original owner.
A couple days ago my car would not start when leaving work. All of the interior lights worked and so did the exterior lights (though they seemed a bit dim), but it would not even try to turn over. No click, nothing. Fortunately, a co-worker offered to help jump the battery and it started right up. I thought the battery was 3 - 4 years old, but when I checked my records the battery turned out to be 6 years old. Time flies. Anyway, the next day I installed a new battery. But it really got me thinking. What else could leave me stranded? The car has been great for the 12 years of ownership. Except for the battery being 6 years old, I'm really good about normal maintenance: fluids, tire rotation, brakes, tires, timing belt, spark plugs, lights etc. I think the only non-maintenance things I had to fix were the switches for the interior fan and the recirculation door. Are there any serious components that start to fail around 150k miles that I should just replace now? Starter? Relays? Sensors? What preventive maintenance should I consider having done now to avoid getting stranded? Thanks!
A couple days ago my car would not start when leaving work. All of the interior lights worked and so did the exterior lights (though they seemed a bit dim), but it would not even try to turn over. No click, nothing. Fortunately, a co-worker offered to help jump the battery and it started right up. I thought the battery was 3 - 4 years old, but when I checked my records the battery turned out to be 6 years old. Time flies. Anyway, the next day I installed a new battery. But it really got me thinking. What else could leave me stranded? The car has been great for the 12 years of ownership. Except for the battery being 6 years old, I'm really good about normal maintenance: fluids, tire rotation, brakes, tires, timing belt, spark plugs, lights etc. I think the only non-maintenance things I had to fix were the switches for the interior fan and the recirculation door. Are there any serious components that start to fail around 150k miles that I should just replace now? Starter? Relays? Sensors? What preventive maintenance should I consider having done now to avoid getting stranded? Thanks!
I'll assume you'r e from Michigan (update profile for us) Also post pictures of your Vibe when you get the time. As far as what to plan for to fail next, it's a crapshoot! these cars are so reliable that you really don't know what will fail next. Climate many times dictates what will fail (north vs south, etc.) but there's no way of honestly knowing of what will go next. In my case, what you just experienced, I would likely have NOT been stranded. All my personal vehicles for the past 40 years of my driving life, have been MANUAL transmission vehicles. Yep ... bad battery or bad starter ... just get out and give it a good push, pop the clutch in low gear, and you're up & running! 