Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Park your vehicle in a thread here - list your vehicle info, pics, etc. all in one place.
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Thestorm
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Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Hi, new here and just wanted to add some pictures of my Vibe I've had only about a week . It needs a little work and I'm sure I'll be coming here for help
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Last edited by Thestorm on Fri May 27, 2016 4:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
27 year old male
Newnan, Ga 30265
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

If the file size is too large, or the resolution is too large (or both) you'll have to save the image in a lossy format (like JPEG) and probably resize its dimensions too.

I usually do this with photoshop or something of that nature.
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Okay I got it worked out , thank you :D
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by MacGyver »

Welcome to the club!
2009 Vibe Base
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trb
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by trb »

Welcome! Nice looking Vibe and bonus points for the cute dog too!

Good luck with your Vibe!
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
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2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
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vibenvy
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by vibenvy »

Welcome to GenVibe! As trb said, great color (the best color actually!) and cute dog! Any plans for modifications in the future?
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Thanks everyone. I'm going to hold off on modifications right now . The car needs a couple things , honestly it might be my anxiety and worrying about nothing but I'm scared I might of gotten sold a lemon. I have the car on a autoloan , I'll be paying for it the next 4 years. Took about everything I had to put the down payment on it and insurance. I filled the tank first day I bought it and not long after the engine light came on . I thought maybe it was the gas cap so I tightened and after a while the light went back off . Now just a few days ago it came back on . This time I took it to Autozone and got a code of p0741. When I looked that up I saw stuff about people needing a whole new transmission, so obviously I'm worried . Though besides a couple small things it seems to drive fine . There's a little squeeling in the brakes , and if I gas it too hard sometimes the car jolts once and smoothes back out , but I figured it's from gassing it too hard . I went to O'reillys yesterday and let them do the check engine test and it came back with the same code . She asked if it was shifting okay ( seems fine to me but I don't know much about cars . This is my first car ) . She removed the light and said if it doesn't come back she wouldn't worry about it . It hasn't come back yet but I'm still worried :(
27 year old male
Newnan, Ga 30265
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

Did you get it from a dealer of some sort? If so, I would be up to snuff on your state's lemon car laws and such.

My Vibe shifts kind of funny from time to time too, not as smooth as I'd like, but it seems to depend on operating temp and how hard I am going on the gas. My transmission fluid was dirty as hell but I took the risk and had the fluid changed (mechanic actually ran extra fluid through to make sure it was coming out clean) and that did improve the shifting somewhat to a more reasonable level.

Hopefully everything will be OK, but if you bought this place from a used dealer or something and you are getting troublecodes related to issues they did not disclose you may or may not be able to force them to address it depending on your states laws.

Hopefully someone who knows how to deal with these issues better will come along with some more solid advice.
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Baseh

Post by Thestorm »

I'm waiting to see if the engine light returns . I let my uncle drive it today and he said its shifting fine. It was only when I really gassed it that I noticed a small kick in the car. So hopefully if anything is wrong it's something small. Uncle isn't a mechanic but he has some vehicle knowledge and says the transmission seems fine . When I get my next paycheck this coming Wednesday I will take it to a mechanic and have the car looked over. Other than that just small things with the car I'd like to get fixed . Headlights need cleaning, the foot rest thing ( not sure what to call it) the plastic piece beside the brake that lets you rest your left foot on, is broken off. I was just propping it up but it kept falling so I just tossed it in the back. One thing that bothers me is the light in the automatic shift is out . I can't see what gear I'm in at night . I mean I know by how many times I move it but I'd still like to be able to see it . I have a coworker who said he'd help me with that because I believe you have to remove the whole console . I've already replaced one of the overhead inside lights . One of the cup holders in the back is broken, eventually like to get that replaced. I definitely want an aftermarket radio ( one of the lights is out on that too) but I'd rather get more important stuff fixed with the car first

Also I did buy it from a small dealer. I bought it as is and no warranty . Was all I could afford but it was the best car I saw all day
27 year old male
Newnan, Ga 30265
Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Sorry for the double post , not sure how to delete the first one
27 year old male
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

hahaha I feel you on the shifter light. I heard that thing is a PITA to replace, and its why I haven't bothered with it yet. Finding the right bulb can be hard from what I remember reading, but finding an easy way to get at the shifter column is even harder.

Some people take the whole thing apart, some people do it with shortcuts that required good dexterity and finesse, going from the top or the bottom.. I kind of just deal with it too but I'd like to have it lit up.

I was thinking of changing my instrument panel LEDs to Blue (I like blue its good at night, and my radio is set to blue and easier to see in the day as well). and then I read/saw what was involved. Why couldn't they have just made them replaceable bulbs :cry:
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by NYfan08 »

I went down to my father-in-laws, there are small mountains and hills. I noticed that my vibe was shifting funny and acting like you described. Then on the way back home my light came on, and it was the dreaded tranny code. Researched for days about how if your car is up in miles you shouldn't change the fluid as it can knock things loose and quicken the death of the transmission. Then others saying to go ahead and change it, but NOT to flush it. Not knowing the maintenance record, it was a total gamble for me (mine has 250,000mi.). Anyways I went to the Toyota dealership and purchased 5 quarts of the T4 fluid, drove around for quite a bit, and drained the tranny fluid. Let it sit for about an hour, and put the fresh stuff in. Took a little under 4 qts. I have to say the fluid was pitch black, just nasty stuff. Glad I went ahead and changed it, haven't had any problems whatsoever. Plan on doing it again after a few thousand miles, just to get the rest of the old stuff out. I think it's worth the time and effort. Just my thoughts.
Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Busted: It's possible to change to the color of the led lights on the instrument panel? I wouldn't mind looking into that for a future mod .

NY: Mine seems to be driving fine . The engine light hasn't come back on yet, but it could. I'll keep an eye out for it. Definitely will have the car looked over next week.


Also it could be normal because I'm not use to it , and unfortunately I didn't keep up with the mileage but it seems like it's using more gas than it should . Keep in mind there's no telling how long it was sitting when I bought it but I filled it up that night to full. I don't feel like I drove it that much . I went to work and back a few times , but that's only a mile away . And then a few extra places around town . 8 days later I was getting close to empty already . I just filled it up to almost full yesterday and this time will keep track of how many miles I drive it before I get close to empty again. I forgot to see how many gallons it took yesterday though . How well do you guys do on gas?
27 year old male
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

Yeah its *possible* but its nothing something I want to tackle. You have to take the whole cluster out, then pretty much take it apart because apparently the bulbs are soldered to a PCB. So many things could go wrong before / after the soldering. Not worth it unless you find a cheap cluster to experiment with beforehand IMHO
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Oh okay , I probably won't bother with it then . I want a new radio eventually . One of the lights is out in mine and I'd like something I can hook my iPhone up to . But that will be a future project too . My uncle said he has trouble seeing the dark red in the instrument panel at night but it doesn't bother me . I like it in a way , but would be nice if you could change the color easily if you wanted
27 year old male
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

If you have a smartphone (android, apple w/e) there are plenty of apps out there that let you keep track of your fuel mileage.
I reset my phone so hadn't put the app I was using back on, and now forgot what it was called...haha

I usually average between 27 - 30mpg depending on how I drive. These cars have piddly engines though so its easy to go hard on the gas when you want to get moving and burn through fuel. I tend to accelerate more carefully now and try to keep it below 2500 RPM or so. You'll likely see much worse mileage if you are only doing stop-n-go city driving though. All cars are like that.

This car also has IIRC a 13 gallon gas tank. If you take it down to the refill light I think it'll take about 11 gallons or so. If I have 300+ miles on my trip odometer at that point, I feel like I've done OK.
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by vibenvy »

Check out car-part.com. You may be able to find a foot rest and/or cup holders in a junkyard near you for cheap.

As far as the shift indicator light is concerned, I don't think you need to remove the entire console to replace the bulb. I'm not sure how exactly to replace it though since we have 2nd gens (09-10). I'm not too familiar with the 1st gens (03-08). I tried seaching but didn't find anything helpful. Hopefully a 1st gen owner will chime in...
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Busted: I don't feel like I got anywhere near 300 . I'd be surprised if I even went 75-100 Miles in the last week. I haven't been on the interstate and I live in a good size town so it has been all stop and go driving. Also it was the first time I had a car so there were several times I just sat in the yard after driving with the engine idle listening to music and running the AC. So maybe that's a few more reasons why I feel like it went fast . I also think I was gassing it too hard several times when leaving a stop light and I've corrected that issue . I'm keeping track this time .

Thanks for the link Vibenvy, I'll definitely be looking at getting parts soon
27 year old male
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

Yeah those are likely significant factors. Running the A/C in general can kill your mileage too. Although I did just fill up. I put in 9.751 gallons at pump-cutoff and my trip odometer read 307 miles. (I didn't even run it down to the gas warning light, but was close enough)

Most of my driving, again, is highway speed (55 - 75 mph). But I also had my throttle body cleaned recently so that may have helped a little too.
If you don't know when the last time your throttle body was cleaned, or your spark plugs replaced, and you still have crappy mileage, I would look into those as possible improvements.

Also make sure your engine air filter is clean too.
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Yeah I don't have any history on the car at all. Definitely will have it checked out this week
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by vibrologist »

Welcome to GenVibe, Thestorm!

by the way: it's nice to see new members helping each other right away!

Could you tell us how many miles are on the odo?

I suggest you go to a trusty GM dealer and have them check if all the recalls have been taken care of. They may find your car deserves a new PCM that deals with some hard shifting issues.
Also: I am in the camp of "drain and refill your ATF with Toyota T-IV". In fact, since you don't have a history of the car I would drop the pan and clean the magnets. There is no filter in this transmission, only a wire screen.
The '05 and up has Drive by Wire throttle control. If you have a sudden tip-in it could be that the throttle body needs some cleaning. If the butterfly is sticking a little bit the control motor has to pop it loose and therefore accelerates to hard.
Clean the MAF sensor and check the air filter.
If you do only short trips, like 1 mile to work in stop and go traffic and A/C on (it's Georgia, after all) you cannot expect good gas mileage.
Vibrologist
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by tpollauf »

Welcome to GenVbe. As mentioned it's neat to see you newer YOUNGER :lol: members getting involved and helping each other out. Also, we love our "pups" around here and they love riding in Vibe's! Although you seem a bit concerned initially with this purchase, rest assured you purchased one of the most dependable & versatile cars ever built. Update us on mileage , more pics, and your profile showing us your location. Stay involved here and visit often ;)
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Thestorm
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Hey! Thanks guys . I believe the mileage when I bought it over 2 weeks ago was approx 154,300. It's at 154,403 right now. Still planning to have it looked over come next paycheck as the down payment and insurance have left me broke :| I sprayed the car with the water hose today , there's a few small spots on the hood that look like rust spots. Not sure how serious that is . Anyway it's possible my gas mileage is fine . Again this is my first car and I'm an anxious person who worries about too much so I could very well just be worrying over nothing
27 year old male
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by BustedVibe »

Take a picture of the spots and someone here can probably tell you. I am planning to do something about rust spots and a few nasty scratches myself. Bought some Rostoleum metallic black & clear coat paint matcher. Hopefully not too hard to put on and look good.

I wish my mileage was that low when I got mine, it was at 167k
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Re: Thestorm- '05 Vibe Base

Post by Thestorm »

Here's a couple pics of my odometer and gas level. The bottom pic is when I almost filled it up Friday and the level at that point. The odometer read 154,361. And the top pic is tonight , Its been about 4 days , and the odometer is at 154,419. Thats only about 60 miles since then. Getting near half a tank. Does this seem odd to anyone?
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27 year old male
Newnan, Ga 30265
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