Swapped the 5-spd in my 04 with a junkyard 6-spd at ~225,000 km due to the usual bearing noise. I've heard rumors that the problem was fixed on the 05 but don't quote me. Don't know how reliable the automatic is (I prefer to row my own gears).

I've always beat the EPA numbers in every car I've own. That is, until I swapped the 5-speed for a 6-speed when the 5-speed went bad. I used to average 36mpg commuting in rush hour traffic and occasionally hit 40. Now I average 31. On top of that, at highway speeds, the engine runs at a higher rpm w...

Interesting. I had never heard any bad press about Fram before. I've been using whatever was cheapest (often Fram) for years with no issue. Same thing with the oil. Sold my previous car at 287,000 still running like a champ. Learn something new everyday....

From what i have read and seen with both my '03 GT and my sisters '06 Base, the high idle is normal for these motors especially in cold weather. It's just their way of warming up! If you just let it warm up a bit and come back out when your car is nice and toasty in side, you should be able to turn...

I just checked the battery in my 04 and it appears to be the original battery (310CCA ACDelco)! There's no date stamped on the battery so I can't say for sure. I suppose the previous owner might have replaced the original with the same one. Being in the frigid upper midwest, no one in their right mi...

Happy Birthday! When my old 1994 Geo Prizm hit 200,000 miles, my wife and I threw a full car-themed party. It was mostly just an excuse to get together with friends, but it was fun.

any chance you need to replace your intake manifold gasket? similar issue to yours? http://matrixowners.com/index.php?/topic/91427-today-on-my-matrix-i/page__view__findpost__p__1285620" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I already did, though I used the black gasket, not the or...

Welcome to this great site. Another "manual" man .... gotta love it :D Post pics soon of your Vibe ;) Thanks! Yeah, I learned to drive on a stick and everything I've owned since has been manual. Sadly, used cars with manuals are getting harder to find. Took me a while to find this one. I'...

Idle 'surging' when cold is normal. It's the engine trying to warm up faster and will even out when everything is up to temperature. Every car I've driven w/ the 1zz-fe did this. When an engine is cold it is normal for it to run at a higher rpm and stay there until it warms up. My car, on the other...

I'm halfway thru a 6speed swap myself....what are your highway rpm's like vs the 5 speed? For me I'd like never know as our other car is a GT and I used to have an XRS...but I'm curious I'm already starting to forget what the 5-speed was like but in general, rpm's are about 300-400 higher. The 6-sp...

Welcome to Genvibe! Yay, yet another new member from Minnesota! Where in MN are you? I live in St. Paul, though I work in Chanhassen. It's 23 miles each way, hence the small, fuel efficient car. My previous car was a 94 Geo Prizm. That thing was bullet proof mechanically. Finally got rid of it at 2...

I have miscellaneous parts for a 2003 vibe. I don't need parts. Dash cluster, foot kick panel thing on floor, shifter (manual) , couple small buttons and that. I have pics call or txt me 724-301-7324 I'm asking $40.00 obo. I want gone. You cover shipping. I have pics sit won't let me load Is the sh...

Hi all, I've actually been snooping around genVibe since I bought the vibe just over a year ago. Lots of great info here! I've generally enjoyed the car and being a wagon/hatch has come in handy quite a few times for hauling stuff. It has its quirks and issues, though. A few months after I bought it...