Serius Antenna and Trailer wiring, 2009 Vibe GT

[Mick-F]

I have a Sirius radio with the lifetime subscription that I want to use in my new Vibe. ?. Is it possible, does anyone know how to use the built in Sirius antenna? How to access it on the OEM radio, the type of connector? If not, I will just have to run the antenna to the roof.I won't change my subscription over to the on-board radio because you only get a few changes before you lose your "lifetime" subscription, and they charge you for the move. On a Saab wagon I had, there was a connector just inside the rear hatch to plug in a trailer wiring harness, without having to do any wiring. Does anyone know if the 2009 Vibe has this? Or does anyone have a suggestion for the best/easiest harness to install?The metallic black paint looks good, sharp looking ride.Thanks, Mick

[trb]

I've been looking at them since mine is missing the rubber part. The antenna has three connectors on it. So my guess is it will only work with the built in GM XM radio setup if the connectors are not a universal XM type. Here is a pic of one:http://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-1...p=mtrAlso, the XM radio interface is in the passenger quarter panel. There is a pic of the location in this thread:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=45950

[star_deceiver]

You can get a wiring kit for the trailer lights that connects inline to the terminals of the lights and is wired directly to the battery. I've got one, works great! There are several posts around here that go into good detail on how to install the hitch. I found routing the single wire to the battery took longer then the entire hitch install!

[Mick-F]

Thanks I used the antenna that came with the radio and ran the wire up front from the hatch.Mick

[Mick-F]

Where did you find the trailer wiring harness? On my Sante Fe I didn't have to run a wire to the battery, is this absolutely necessary?Thanks, Mick

[star_deceiver]

I got mine from an autoparts store, bought it along with the trailer hitch. The wire to the battery is necessary when using the aftermarket wiring harness as it powers the unit and trailer lights. You could just splice some wires together and make your own harness but from what I've heard, the Vibe doesn't have enough power to run trailer lights/signals along with the other lights on the car at the same time. It really makes things easy, you just have to decide where you're going to run the wire.

[beemerphile1]

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »...The wire to the battery is necessary when using the aftermarket wiring harness as it powers the unit and trailer lights...from what I've heard, the Vibe doesn't have enough power to run trailer lights/signals along with the other lights on the car at the same time...The reason for the need to have powered relays operate the trailer lights is due to small original wire gauge. Most modern vehicles use very small gauge wiring and it would be overloaded if you try to run extra lights directly. The trailer light converter/modules only use the original wiring to trigger relays. No extra load is placed on the original wires. I ran the power wire under the car mostly along the brake lines and used many cable ties to secure the wire. Make sure you fuse the wire near the battery. I use an auto resetting circuit breaker and also use a continuous duty relay in the engine compartment. That way the system is only energized when the ignition is on. It isn't necessary but makes me feel better.I use the small magnetic antenna with my XM Roady. I placed it on the roof by the factory antenna and ran the wires inside the car under moldings. My antenna wire comes out of the dash under the original radio. I have super Velcro on the Roady and the dash for mounting.

[jayman2009]

You dont need the one that runs a wire to the battery its unneeded In less you have a bigger trailer with lots of lights. I havent installed one with the power wire yet and havent had a prob on the 50 i have wired when i was at uhaul. But if its a camper you are towing you may need it as they have a bit more of a draw in there for some reason with the oem lights.

[beemerphile1]

Due to cost cutting and weight reductions to improve fuel mileage the wiring in most vehicle is barely adequate for the existing lights. It isn't recommended that you add any load to the existing wiring. The fact that some one hasn't burnt their wiring harness (yet) is not proof that it is a good idea.

[star_deceiver]

And make sure that it's all hooked up correctly and ALL the lights work the way they're supposed to! I see too many trailers EVERYDAY with burnt out lights, no lights, reversed signals, ect...I ran the wire to the battery beneath the carpet and through the grommet in the firewall for the brake pedal connection to the master cylinder.

[NWEric]

Got my wiring kit at etrailer.com. Works great. I think Toyota cheaped out on the wiring for the vibe/matrix. This is the 1st car I've ever had to use the battery.http://www.etrailer.com/t1-2009_Pontiac_Vibe.htm

[alex_nrv]

I am looking forward to install trailer wiring for plugging in a trailer.
I checked the converter module from etrailer.com, and the specs are: 4.2 amp for tail lights and 2.1 per side for stop and turn signals.

Weird enough... my cousin (who really knows his way through a car's electronics) called the dealer for infos about the recommendations of the amps needed for the system... and they said to install a module giving something like 7 somelike amps for tail lights, and 4.5 amps per side for stop and signals... and these modules are selling for 150$ !!! (removed)?

Then, my cousin , told me that the jobber 4.2/2.1 module would work no problems, but if ever a wire gets skinned and shorts on the body, or even if a trailer light blows out and there is a short circuit inside the bulb when the element falls off, current would flow back to the car and severely damage the car's computer.

I cannot transcribe exactly what he told me because half of it was out of my league electronic-wise, but basically, if a short happens on any of the circuits of the module, let's say the tail lights at 4.2 amps, when the short occurs, the power will be way over 4.2 amps, probably 2 amps higher, and this will blow the diode inside the module, but NOT the module itself. So, if the diode is burnt (which job is to let the current flow only in ONE direction, the car's light bulbs), the power will flow back to the car and overload the computer and probably blow it.

Now I'm a bit scared. I have to be really unlucky for a short to happen, but who knows. Is it worth risking the car's computer to plug a trailer?

Why does companies like etrailer.com sell "generic" converter module that are way below the dealer's specs/recommendations? Is it GM trying a racket by selling/recommending modules that are way over the true required specs? Or is it jobbers that are selling cheap and affordable modules for anyone, with the present risks of damaging the car's electronics?

Please, enlighten me on the subject!
I already have a converter module (that is not from etrailer.com but with the same specs as etrailer), and all I need is to feed a power cable from the battery to the module and add a fuse to that wire. But I am on the hold because of all the mess of too much/not enough current. (I am discovering that properly wiring trailers with recent cars with cheap wiring is a pain in the (removed)).

Thanks a lot to anyone who also knows his way though this kind of electronic!

[DennisLee]

I'll be interested in any answers as well. I've already go my hitch installed, but I still need to get the wiring hooked up. I thought the purpose of the module was so that it you had a short in your trailer wiring, it would not impact the normal tail light circuits but would trip the fuse that is included in the wiring kit. The wiring from the module that is inserted into your normal tail light wiring is just to allow your normal circuits to trigger activating the trailer lights via the separate lead that runs direct to the battery, correct?

FWIW I seem to recall someone in the Tech Info and Do-It-Yourself Info forum had connected the wire from the battery to a manual toggle switch so he could physically break the connection to the module when he wasn't towing anything.

[alex_nrv]

I'll be interested in any answers as well. I've already go my hitch installed, but I still need to get the wiring hooked up. I thought the purpose of the module was so that it you had a short in your trailer wiring, it would not impact the normal tail light circuits but would trip the fuse that is included in the wiring kit. The wiring from the module that is inserted into your normal tail light wiring is just to allow your normal circuits to trigger activating the trailer lights via the separate lead that runs direct to the battery, correct?

FWIW I seem to recall someone in the Tech Info and Do-It-Yourself Info forum had connected the wire from the battery to a manual toggle switch so he could physically break the connection to the module when he wasn't towing anything.

I'll be interested in any answers as well. I've already go my hitch installed, but I still need to get the wiring hooked up. I thought the purpose of the module was so that it you had a short in your trailer wiring, it would not impact the normal tail light circuits but would trip the fuse that is included in the wiring kit. The wiring from the module that is inserted into your normal tail light wiring is just to allow your normal circuits to trigger activating the trailer lights via the separate lead that runs direct to the battery, correct?

FWIW I seem to recall someone in the Tech Info and Do-It-Yourself Info forum had connected the wire from the battery to a manual toggle switch so he could physically break the connection to the module when he wasn't towing anything.

As far as I know, the function of the proper module (that uses the positive pole from the battery) is meant to act as a "booster" for the lights' circuit. Since the wiring in the car is too cheap (small gauge), the circuit suffers from loss. It's been said that the tail lights of the Vibe probably barely have sufficient power to light the tail lights. So as soon you add more lights to the back end, the light may stop working, dim and act funny (flashers flashing too slow or too fast).
This module is meant to overcome the power loss due to poor OEM wiring.
So, the module is like an independent circuit for the trailer lights with its own power source, but uses the signal from the relays from the car to activate. It takes the signal from the wires in the car to translate them to the trailer's lights.

Besides that, I don't know at all is the module is there to act as a safety.
For the fuse that you install near positive pole of the battery, on the wire that you feed from the module to the engine bay, I've been told this fuse's function is to protect the battery itself, if the wire ever gets skinned or cut. If the wire that you fed from the module to the battery gets cut and touches something, the battery could get damaged or drain out. The fuse on this wire won't protect the car's eletronic system.

Then you have MY inquiry. What if a wire that comes OUT of the module TO the trailer gets damaged, THIS IS where it gets even creepier. If the wire that plugs into the trailer gets damaged and touches the body, the power generated in this short circuit could overcome the module's DIODE (that probably doesn't take more than 4.5 amp), this DIODE will blow. A blown DIODE will let the current flow in ANY direction, resulting in having a surge in the electronic circuits of the car, and probably directly top the car's computer.

But there's something that bugs me. The module from etrailer.com states:

Connector is equipped with a Circuit Protected "Modulite": Protects itself and the tow Pontiac Vibe against harmful electrical shorts and mis-wire situations. Also draws power for the trailer lights directly from the Pontiac Vibe battery, bypassing expensive electrical components onboard.

What is a "MODULITE" ? And does this mean that the car's computer is protected from ANY surges that may occur unexpectedly with the new trailer wiring?

This kind of reassures me about the fear I have with surges that can blow up the computer, but I am still not convinced my car is safe if anything would happen...


I went to autopart (Canadian Tire... not the best autopart, but still), and asked them about the modules. What their system carries are "T-CONNECTORS". The guy took his catalog and he shown me what it looked like: they sell the SAME THING as etrailer.com, for 20$ more. I asked him if he had the specifications of the TAIL LIGHTS amp and the STOP/TURN SIGNALS amp, but he couldn't give me an answer. He was clueless.

If that's what he always sell to the customers, and they still sell those kind of modules, I guess it's working and not blowing up car computers... or they wouldn't sell them anymore if they have negative comebacks. Canadian Tire is a large reseller and couldn't risk continuing to sell something dangerous the car's electronics.

What I'Ve been told by my cousin when he called GM, is that GM have had its fair share of customers coming back with dead computers, and the reason was because of the initial modules GM was installing in the car, which were too WEAK for the electronical system. So I guess they started installing stronger modules, so if a surge would happen, the module wouldn't be overloaded and wouldn't blow up.
So if the diode can handle to let through 8 amps one way only and the circuit only needs 4 amps, the diode WON'T burn if a surge of 2 to 3 amps occurs, because it would add up to 6 or 7 amps. So the diode wouldn't burn and woudln't then let current flow through the wrong way.

This is MY hypothesis of the GM's situation. I wonder if there is any BULLETIN regarding trailer lights modules, but if there is, I would really aprpeciate reading it!!

But I am telling myself... is it really worth freaking out like this over this risk?
I am NOT towing regularly. I will be towing very rarely, and most of the time it's gonna be a bike rack. So if I tow a trailer twice of thrice in the year, what are the chances my wire will get damaged/skinned, touch the body/ground, and send a surge that will blow the module and reach the computer?
I would SOOO damn unlucky if this would happen.

This seems to be a VERY LOW percentage risk... 3 days on 365 is not even 1% f the time... Subsctract to this the odds that my BRAND NEW and PROPERLY STORED wires get skinned... and the odds that IF the wires gets skinned, they touch something they shouldn't while being skinned...

I have a very very low risk of anything to happen. And this is reflected with Canadian Tire's sales of this same module. Sh!t doesn't happen.

I will continue searching for info on this matter, but might fall back and just buy the etrailer.com module for 50$ plus shipping and save me a lot of hassle and money.

[alex_nrv]

Got my wiring kit at etrailer.com. Works great. I think Toyota cheaped out on the wiring for the vibe/matrix. This is the 1st car I've ever had to use the battery.http://www.etrailer.com/t1-2009_Pontiac_Vibe.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, Eric!
I went online and I was about to buy this module from them, for 50$, it's pretty cool that you have the instructions, and -everything- needed!
But before checking out and buy from etrailer.com, I started looking for other models of modules, to see if any other model would offer "more amps" on their circuits, just like GM recommends, but I couldn't find anything else than the "Tow Ready" (T-One Connector) one.
BUT, as I was looking around, I found 2 other good sites to buy. One had the very same module at 60$ (I think it was directly at Tow Ready...), and the other site had it at 39.33$!

I took a chance and ordered it from there... I asked the billing page to calculate for the shipping cost (everywhere else it was about 6-8 bucks, especially that it had to be imported, so they had an extra tax for exports)... but this one said FREE SHIPPING! I am located in Montrea, Quebec, but I also tried states like Florida, Maine and California, and EVERY places I checked had FREE SHIPPING!
I took the chance, got an email that my order was being processed... but since then, NOTHING. I then thought the site was a "lemon"... I wrote them to know what was the status, today... no answer. I came back from work... and what did I found? A box from them, with my module inside!
Didn't even took 48 hours to arrive, no shipping fees, no nothing, just the 39.33$, converted to CAN dollars (not even a buck of difference!)

So here is the website, directly to the Vibe 2009 module (118460):
http://www.autopartsasap.com/2009-Ponti ... 18460.html

I just checked the packing slip, and the product came from CEQUENT Towing Products (Ontario). I think they have multiple warehouses and they ship everywhere in NA, and probably internationally.

If you need the wiring for your trailer, check them out. I paid with PayPal, for even more protection of transaction. They also accept all major credit cards.
They have a lot of other misc stuff too, towing-wise.

Very pleased with the delivery. I'll wait to plug the wiring and test it before giving them all the credit they deserve, but I'm very confident.

[DennisLee]

...I ran the wire to the battery beneath the carpet and through the grommet in the firewall for the brake pedal connection to the master cylinder.

Star,
Where exactly did you run the wire under the carpet (and how). I've still got to get my vibe wired (the hitch was easy after I picked up a tap from Menards to clean out the threads on the weld nuts) but I'm not too thrilled about running the wire under the car and then having to punch a hole through some grommet under the car - I'm kind of paranoid about anything that could let moisture into the "pockets" in the body behind the rear tires.

[alex_nrv]

Yeah, Star, I was asking myself the same! Can you give us a little "tutorialish" help for "where" and "how" you managed to run the wire under the carpet? I would also prefer to have it run inside the car, even though the wire I got is pretty large with a really thick enveloppe.

Thanks a lot!!

[star_deceiver]

I placed the box in the drivers side compartment.



The wires run under the plastic and spare. The signal connector wires run under the trim by the bottom arrows and the black wire runs loose beneath the spare and up beneath the trim and comes out bu the rear drivers side 40% seatback.



From there, the black wire runs beneath the trim at the edge of the carpet and comes out by the clutch pedal. The wire goes through the firewall here. It fits through with the other wires.



From there I worked it beside the ECU to the fused connector and the positive terminal.

[alex_nrv]

Thanks for your input, Star!!
I'll be checking out about how I will manage to run the wire under the carpet. I'll probably unsnap (?) the plastic trims (door steps) and see if I am able to pull the carpet a bit so I can run the wire there, and then resnap the plastic trim over it all. Then I'll see if I can find the hole through the firewall where all the wires already get through.

I'll think about taking pics as I advance in the project. It might be useful for someone who wants to do the same.
It's a long weekend (labor day on monday) and I was thinking about running the wires this weekend­.

[star_deceiver]

I just pushed it up under the carpet/door trim. The wires run through between the gas and brake pedal, way up there.... it's a pain to weasel it through...

[alex_nrv]

I finally ran my wire from the back to the front.
I took pictures on my cell (bad-ish quality) at every steps.
I'll be writing a little tutorial on how I did it, and it will be posted soon enough (today)!

[alex_nrv]

Here's my little step by step of how I ran the power wire from the driver's side compartment in the back of the car to the battery in the engine bay.

First, easy enough, I removed the two trunk cargo panels and put them aside.
Then, I removed the two silver bolts (10 mm?) from the left and right cargo compartments and removed them by pulling up.
Then, I removed the five bolts (two normal, three for baby seats) (12 mm??) from the remaining cargo compartement at the top of the spare tire and removed the compartement.

Notice that I also removed the spare tire so I would have a lot of room to work in the area, but it's not needed.
Oh, and I shop-vac'd because there was a LOT of sand down there!




Then, I removed the driver's side compartment's panel to access the area where the module will be and the wire will start from. I attached the wire with a loop and electric tape on the top plastic part where the latch of the panel goes (1). Then, I ran the wire to the bottom left opening (2). Then, I pulled on the plastic panel that meets the floor of the trunk and tucked the wire under there (3) and out to the right opening (4). After this, I tucked the wire under the rest of the light grey plastic panel (this is where the shock absorber sits) and I worked the wire under the black plastic panel that meets the rear passenger door (5). I had the wire exit near the rear passenger's door latch, where the real rear wiring travels.

Before trying to run the wire behind the black plastic panel, I went to the rear passenger's door and pulled on the door sill and the black plastic panel in order to catch the wire as it gets close to coming out. The door sills in this car are super easy to remove, it is only lightly snaped, I had no worries of breaking anything. Just lightly pull the sill from the inside and towards you.

Note that this black plastic panel is insulated and makes it a little harder to run the wire under, but it's not a pain at all to achieve.
Note also that I didn't check if it was possible, but I probably could have ran the wire through the area where my head's shadow is, using the "fishing" technique (metal wiring, etc.).




So here you can see where my wire is coming out, close to the door latch. and under the black plastic panel that I pulled off without removing it. My wire is the one that sits in the white plastic clamp, coming from the left. (The other one in the clamp is the rear window tube for the windshield washer fluid.) It's really nice that those white clamps are there, it makes the job really clean, you have no worries when snaping the trims and panels back because you know the wire sits properly in place.




Here, you can see the rear passenger's door with its door sill removed and the black panel pulled back so I can access the car's body. I ran the wire all the way down from the latch, sitting the wire in all the available white plastic clamps for a clean job.




The next step was to run the wire behind the plastic panel that separates the rear and front door. I didn't want to remove this panel, I knew I could run the wire behind it. I went to the front door and removed the door sill so I could access the panel from both sides. To run the wire, I used a small diameter (but stiff) plastic stick as a "fishing line". I gently stucked the stick behind the panel, starting from the driver's door, until I could see the stick sticking out of the other side.
Then, I taped the wire to the stick with electric tape and pulled it back and voilà! My wire was now ready for the next step.




Here, you can see the driver's door sill removed and the wire running along the existing wire harness that I followed from the back door.




The next step was to remove the "last" plastic panel, the one that meets the door sill. This plastic panel covers something I would call a "patch panel" (1). This is where many wires connect before continuing their way to the many parts of the car's electric system.
So, after I removed the plastic panel by pulling on it, I was able to see how I could route my wire.
I ran the wire under and behind this "patch panel" (1) and I ran it alondside the big wire harness (2). In order to have my wire hold in place, I attached it with a zip-tie (that you will be able to see on the next picture).




You can now see where I attached the wire to the big wire harness using a black zip-tie (1).




What I did next can't be shown on a picture. I simply routed my wire the best I could trying to follow the big wire harness up to the firewall, where it goes through a large rubber grommet to reach the engine bay (1). In order to help you locate it, it is just on the left of the silver metal pipes for the heater (2). Be careful, because even if the car was stopped for about an hour, those pipes were still hot! They carry prestone from the coolant system to the heater core (basically a radiator), in order to give you hot air in the winter.

So, in order to proceed, I moved the driver's seat all the way back, I raised the steering wheel as high as I could, and I layed on my back on the floor, working the wire the best I could, always trying to get my hands in the best position possible in between the pedals and metal parts up there. At times, it was a little pain to reach the wire, but not as the pain in the next step!
All you need to consider when routing the wire up there is to stay away from moving parts, in order not to have the wire damaged.

So I finally reached the manufacturer's large rubber grommet (1) that lets the wires through the firewall.

THIS IS THE WORST PART OF THE PROCESS! Everyone will agree.
You now need to find a way to get the wire through this rubber grommet!

What I did to get the wire through it was first to explore how I could get through it. I used a rounded-tip 4-inches nail (rounded it myself using a file) to see if I would at least get through between the metal and the rubber, but it was a bit too tight and unsecure to have the wire scrape onto the metal wall. So I opted to get through the RUBBER. The large wire harness goes through the very center of the rubber grommet, but there is a LOT of space around it. So I used a sharp-tiped 4-inches nail and I punctured a hole just above the wire harness, just where the rubber grommet forms a "ditch" towards the engine bay (3).
When you pierce your way through, you will get through a first layer of rubber, but there is a second one to pierce to reach the other side, into the engine bay... So get a nail that is long enough! I used a 4-inches nail (the type you use when building a wall structure in 2x4).




When I got the nail through the two layers of rubber, I went into the engine bay and located where it was coming from and marked the location. In order for you to locate the rubebr grommet from inside the engine bay, it is just behind the air filter box. You will see two rubber hoses (1) and your wire harness and rubber grommet are just a little higher and to the right (2) of those rubber hoses.

(In this picture, ignore the fact that my black wire is already through, I didn't took any pictures BEFORE running it through, so I had to use a picture of later in the process..!)




After marking the location of the puncture I had done, I went back into the car and removed the nail.
Then, I went back into the engine bay and used a long and thin flat screwdriver to check if I could get through the rubber grommet by the marked hole I just did with the nail. I had to work my way through, but I succeeded!

So knowing that I was able to get through, I knew I could again use the fishing technique to get my wire through! But the screwdriver AND the wire attached together were too THICK to get through and my wire got untaped from the screwdriver, so I had to use another technique.

I took brass metal wiring (the one that comes on a plastic spindle) that I tightly taped with electric tape onto my thin screwdriver. Be sure to properly cover the tip of the metal wire to be sure nothing gets stuck as you run the screwdriver through the rubber grommet. Also, I left the metal wire onto the whole spindle, to be sure I wouldn't run out of metal wire!

So I ran the taped screwdriver and metal wire through the rubber grommet into the hole I had marked and it worked! My metal wire was through, so I went back into the car and I untaped it from the screwdriver and I pulled the metal wire back two extra feet in order to be able to properly handle it.

Then, I took my wire and the metal wire and I attached them together. To be sure the metal wire wouldn't slip off my wire, I wrapped it around my wire for about 4 to 5 inches, in a spiral pattern, then I tightly taped them together, making sure again to propery cover the tip of my black wire.

(In this picture, you can see the metal wire and the black wire taped together, but you will be able to see just exactly how I wrapped the metal wire around the black wire in three pictures, when it's in the engine bay...)




Now that the black wire and the metal wire were tightly attached together, all I had to do now was to pull on the metal wire from inside the engine bay. So, I went back into the engine bay, removed the thin screwdriver that was still in place and started pulling. It got hard to pull when the junction of tape reached the rubber grommet, so instead of killing my fingers, I took the thin screwdriver and wraped the metal wire 3 times around its shaft to act as a handle. Now that I had extra pulling power, it went through! It felt like the rubber grommet was about to rip off the firewall, but don't be scared, the wire still got through with nothing ripping off!

Note that if you want to be sure it glides as it gets through the rubber grommer, you can lubricate the black wire before pulling on it. Use grease or water/silicone-based lubricant and it might make the pulling easier and less scary!

So here it is, my wire out of the rubber grommet in the engine bay still attached to the metal wire! The worst part is done! And the project of running the wire from the back to the engine bay is almost done!




Now you can remove the tape and unwind the metal wire from the black wire.
As mentionned earlier, you can now see how I wrapped the metal wire around the black wire!




Final steps! The wire has now reached the engine bay!
So all that's left to do now is to pull the black wire until there is no more loose wire inside the car (it's better to have someone pull on the wire while you check the remaining of wire left inside the car, in order not to pull too much!) and then route your wire to the battery, using zip-ties.

The route I took to get my wire to the battery isn't "straight to the battery". I like it clean, so I ran the wire cleanly.
I routed it from behind the brake fluid reservoir (pic. A),
then between the big wire harness (that runs to the car's computer) and the car's body (where the shock absorber is) (pic. B),
and then between the car's computer and the fuse box (pic. C).

Notice on picture "B" that I zip-tied the wire to the computer's bracket.

On my last picture (D), you can see the yellow fuse holder, which I zip-tied to the long screw (1) that holds the battery in place to the car's frame. On the same picture, I also zip-tied the black wire to a wire harness near "(2)".










Finally and obviously, the job isn't done as long as all the door sills, plastic panels and cargo compartments aren't put back into place, but you don't need a tutorial for this!

Now, you are ready to complete the rest of the installation with the T-One connectors and module (#118460). The worst part of the module's installation was to run the power wire to the battery, and it is now done!

I hope this tutorial will be helpful to someone, and that my explainations are clear and understandable. Sorry for the bad-ish quality of the photos, they were taken with my cell phone, which focus is really bad up close.

I ask a lot of questions on this forum, and I love to give back to the community by adding tutorials on how I did stuff myself, especially when I'm not the only one asking how to do them!

You can ask any questions and leave any comments, I will answer the best I can to help you!

[star_deceiver]

The worst part of the module's installation was to run the power wire to the battery, and it is now done!

Ah yes... your pics make the job look as unenjoyable as when I did it! What a pain it was (but glad it was done!). And I'll agree with you, being on your back reaching up and fiddling around with small things at the top of the pedals is indeed:

So I finally reached the manufacturer's large rubber grommet (1) that lets the wires through the firewall.

THIS IS THE WORST PART OF THE PROCESS! Everyone will agree.

[timsdiecast]

The 2004 AWD Vibe I bought a few months ago came with a Putnam Trailer Hitch & Wiring Harness, and the wiring harness looks pretty basic. It looks like you unplug the wires going into the back of the brake lights and turn signals in the rear of the car, and you plug this wiring harness in, and you plug the original plugs back into the wiring harness. Looks like it takes about 2 minutes to install or uninstall. I'm thinking about taking the trailer hitch off along with the wiring harness, and putting them both up for sale. The person I bought the Vibe off of just had the wires going from side to side under the cargo area mat.

[alex_nrv]

I don't know much about the eletric systems of the Vibes, but here, it's been told the 2009+ needed a power wire running to the battery since the power was often not enough to power trailers. It probably is different for the 2004, so that's why the installation is straight forward and really easy.

If I didn't had to run the wire to the battery, it would have taken the same amount of time it took you, since the module I bought had the pre-made connectors that you hook to the existing wiring harness and then to the light.

[dragon64]

Passing a wire through thr firewall on a '09 is that bad. If you look at the rubber grommet to the wiring harness there is a nipple that sticks out toward the engine depending on the gage of wire being passed either poke a soild fish wire (coat hanger wire) or cut the end off first for like a 4-8ga wire.

[star_deceiver]

Getting the wire through the grommet is relativly easy.... the hard part is positioning yourself and your hands. It's quite "fun" for a 6'4 man to contort himself in the necessary way to get your hands up there behind the pedals...

I did my install at work and there was little to use as a fishwire, no access to coathangers or small wire.