GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

tpollauf

Seeing how you've already put 100k miles or so on this Vibe, the other thing that improves comfort is TIRES. You likely already went through a set or two since you got it.

tpollauf

Similar to what Joatmon mentioned, I believe most vehicles that had transmission choices, did receive a different radiator depending on the transmission. Mainly for capacity of the cooling fluid. With a manual tranny, lets say you only needed 3 qts of coolant (just grabbing some random numbers there...

tpollauf

We recently had the windshield replaced and rust removed. Found a great place near us. It has not rained yet though so not sure if it worked. Will post in different area about that once I know. Welcome to GenVibe. Why was the windshield replaced? How did the rust get there and was it under the glas...

tpollauf

OK, so i figure this would be the most appropriate "oil burning" thread to resurrect, seeing how there are several out there. Just topped of my sons 2009 Vibe GT AGAIN and was shocked at the recent interval. Attached shows our log report that we keep in the glove box, and it shows 6 quarts...

tpollauf

Phone ....... good advice and thanks for posting it. I'm sure it will save someone else the headache down the road if they too have a similar problem. I plan on owning my 2004 Vibe GT for 20 more years and am taking note of all the possible repairs that I may encounter along the way.

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe. You failed to mention where this car is located OR where will it be primarily driven? How much rust is on the car? Rust belt area or sunny hot south? A couple grand is roughly 6 months of car payments, then after that you're ahead of the game. Get it painted and keep it

tpollauf

What trim is it? Base 1.8l, Base 2.4l, AWD, GT, mileage & transmission (manual or automatic). Connecticut is a bit of a drive for me but having a complete parts donor car would sure be nice.

tpollauf

Just checked my stash of Vibe spare parts and unfortunately, I gave away my last two early this year to another fellow GenViber. I have plenty of radio knobs for the factory 2009-10 radios .... but no more roof rack caps.

tpollauf

Great write-up Doc and thanks for sharing. So your original clutch is still in the vehicle? you only changed out the supporting components outside of the clutch itself. Back in my younger days when I owned & restored several GM F-body cars, I made sure they all were manual transmission ones. Ext...

tpollauf

I'm leaning towards the starter going bad. This happened to me on my 2004 Vibe GT last year and I swore that it was a battery issue based on the symptoms. Ended up being a bad starter which was the original with close to 200k miles on it. Been fine ever since replacing it.

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe. Need a lot more information in order for us to help you out. Specifically what year Vibe you have.

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe. Yeah, to get true automotive paint nowadays, you better bend over real far and empty out one of your bank accounts! My orange metallic on my 2004 Vibe GT cost me right around $100 for a pint! Not a quart or half gallon, but a pint!!! I was then told that it was the highest tier o...

tpollauf

Nice find & fix. I had to "top off" the AC in my 2004 Vibe GT as it was low BUT not low enough to have the low pressure cutout switch prevent the compressor from coming on. I usually have to do this every couple years BUT as the car gets older, I'll likely have to do it sooner. My 2009...

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe. Good choice for anyone's kid as a first car. Safe, reliable, good on gas, and easy to work on. I teamed up with my son when he got his 2009 Vibe GT some 14 years ago and still has it today :D I paid half & he paid half for it. Anyways I have a few extra radio knobs for the 20...

tpollauf

Nice ride. Love that color!

tpollauf

Thanks for the "eventual" reply and resolution that took place. Just a few questions to satisfy our curiosity. How much time went by from the initial problem, to where it was finally found & fixed? Did the dealership reimburse you for any $$$ spent in finding the problem. As our vehicl...

tpollauf

Yes .... pics please, if possible. Did the break occur from corrosion (we have no idea where this Vibe has been driven) or did it break from a "shock" incident like jumping a curb or running over a large object? Mileage may help too. Thanks

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe. Lots of info here to help you get the most out of your ride! Location is also helpful as we'd have an idea of what climate this Vibe has and will be driven in. Any rust or is this Vibe pretty solid? Visit here often and get involved

tpollauf

Well another meet has come & gone. Some 65+ Vibes were there and a few Matrix's too! A bit cool, and even some rain, but was another great time. Just a few pics. Anyone on F*^&?##$@book should be able to see more, but not me as I stay clear of that platform. I'll attend it once again next ye...

tpollauf

Interesting video. She's lucky to be alive. No reason to drag out a situation like this where it puts everyone at risk. Kudos to the law enforcement for following protocol. If I were there, she'd be dead. No place on our roads for mentally disrespectful drivers like that!

tpollauf

I too have ordered a few items from them. Seeing how I have the 2zz engine and 6-speed manual tranny, they are clearly the ONLY place I'd buy parts from. Hell , they're just over an hour to my north in Michigan so I could technically drive up there to get any parts that I would need.

tpollauf

Wasn't there a known problem with some of the sockets getting hot and melting the wire(s). That happened to my 04 and the prior owner replaced the socket. It was ONLY on the drivers side!

tpollauf

Well my son finally got his new head unit installed in his 2009 Vibe GT. He had a few minor issues with harnesses not having correct pin-outs BUT eventually he got it all together and works great! He even was able to add the right side steering wheel controls for Bluetooth (I think) and it works gre...

tpollauf

Hit 190K the other day. 200K should be sometime in 2026 and 300K sometime around 2035

[/img]

tpollauf

Glad to hear all went well. Post pics of the installation AND a close up of what the "backup camera" image looks like. I'll be doing mine real soon here on my 2004 Vibe GT.

tpollauf

I get this is probably silly and more work than it's worth, but also I like doing this stuff. Not silly at all BUT not sure if practical. Sure we all LOVE the conveniences of most newer vehicles that have steering wheel controls to where it would be nice to convert the older Vibes to have similar f...

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe Chuck ;) A three volume set of the service manual would have been helpful for you to have when making that attempted installation. FYI ... my son will be installing a new head unit in his 2009 Vibe GT within the next month. Not sure if he'll include a backup camera or not BUT when...

tpollauf

Based on some of your earlier posts, you have a base 2004 Vibe. There are TWO heat shields (at least on the 2009-10 Vibes) one in the center above the cat, and one above the muffler at the rear. One of our 2009 Vibe GT's was subjected to so much shock & vibrations that we "lost" the re...

tpollauf

Damm girl ... you're getting old :lol: I certainly have no room to talk. Retired two years ago and went on Medicare last year :shock: So good to finally hear from you again after all these years and glad to see you're entering a new chapter in your life. I see the custom HMBL that I made for several...

tpollauf

Glad to see you're still around and visit back here occasionally

Based on your "trade in" timeframe, looks like you're due for a new set of wheels

tpollauf

Are there markings that I can find that will tell me if it's original or a replacement? Not sure on how to determine OEM from replacement ... BUT it almost looks like someone did repaint the edge just under the rubber trim moulding. Either that or the pigment separates as the clear coating fades of...

tpollauf

Your undercarriage looks very clean for a 20+ year old car ;) Must not use salt/brine on the roads in your area much. This should then make it fairly easy to perform the task. I see where you sought out another post showing how simple this job can be. Good luck and let us know how things go. Pics ar...

tpollauf

Sounds like you have the "economical" plan in place initially and hope it works out for you. One question you failed to answer is this ............ Was your windshield ever replaced? Do you know if it is the original windshield? Hidden defects that you can't see, can result in the windshie...

tpollauf

Glad to hear things are going well for you and are very pleased so far with the vehicle. Seeing where you're located, you'll do great with the EV. Up here where it gets real cold and snowy, we may not fare as well. Definitely check in every six months or so and keep us updated. I know I plan on bein...

tpollauf

SSizler wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 3:29 pm Did you book a hotel room?

No need to for me. It's just a 90-100 minute drive from the Toledo area. This town is very small and not many hotels in the area. Seeing where you are driving from, you DEFINITELY would need a hotel!

tpollauf

SSizler wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 8:29 am I am registered for the event.
Looks like I am participant #23!

I too registered the other day. I think I'm participant #4. At least under "Auto ID" it has "004" there. If that is what that means. Looking forward to this meet again

tpollauf

Good pic of the same issue that I had. Daisy ....... Please send us a good pic of your "wet spot" or drips, and if it is similar to both of ours, then it is very likely windshield related and NOT the luggage rack.

tpollauf

Glad your son parked the car immediately after the oil light came on. Can't comment on any type of reader BUT definitely keep a sample of the current oil (6months or so from now) when you do your next oil change and send it off to a lab for an oil analysis. They will tell you if there was any intern...

tpollauf

Ane .....Welcome to GenVibe (2 months late). Anyways give us a bit more info on this Vibe. When did you purchase it? current Mileage, climate it has been driven in? Current location (update profile for us). Lots of times once you tear into a repair, you accidentally create NEW problems. Although an ...

tpollauf

Welcome to GenVibe Daisy! ;) It's very possible you are having the exact same problem that I had with my 204 Vibe Gt. Read this post IN IT'S ENTIRETY and then see if it's possible that this could be your problem too! Do you know if the windshield has been replaced? https://forums.genvibe.com/phpBB3/...

tpollauf

Sorry about your luck. Give us a bit more info on this Vibe. How long have you owned it? What mileage did you put on it the last 4 months? Did your oil "idiot light" come on in the dashboard to alert you of a low oil condition? When you first noticed the knocking, did you shut the car off ...

tpollauf

Thanks for the update on this future meet. I will definitely be attending this meet AGAIN as I had a blast last year and met a lot of good Vibers out there. I too am not on F%&*book and am left in the dark on events that they get put together & scheduled. It's really sad that some key indivi...

tpollauf

Definitely get another engine so you can keep this Vibe GT on the road. At just under 120k miles I'm surprised you've had two MAJOR failures already. The tranny & now the engine! :o Was yours one of the few 2.4l oil burning engines? One of ours IS, and the other is not. Keep us posted as to what...

tpollauf

as it's been too cold , here. Welcome to GenVibe! So where is "too cold" at? Update profile showing us. Great move for any young driver to get the taste & experience of driving. Your kid(s) hopefully thank you and appreciate what you've done for them. Looks like a base model, as it is...

tpollauf

D I C K . you are correct ................. and WELCOME to GenVibe :D Very few 09-10 Vibes came with luggage racks. I'd guess one out of every 50 that rolled down the assembly line? Rarely see any around my tri-state area (Ohio/Mich/Ind) . It's definitely a FIXED positioning of the racks and never ...

tpollauf

(removed). you are correct ................. and WELCOME to GenVibe :D Very few 09-10 Vibes came with luggage racks. I'd guess one out of every 50 that rolled down the assembly line? Rarely see any around my tri-state area (Ohio/Mich/Ind) . It's definitely a FIXED positioning of the racks and never ...

tpollauf

Glad I was able to help

. Seeing how My Vibes have the 2.4L engine, I wouldn't be of much help on your current issue.

tpollauf

I don't own the 1.8L engine BUT I do own the 3-volume set of manuals. Hope this helps: https://www.silveradosierra.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down//media/img_9554-jpg.394427/full https://www.silveradosierra.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=re...

tpollauf

Yeah, sometimes cutting parts off/out is the only solution BUT at least you tried other methods first. Looks like a lot of corrosion under there for a 2010 Vibe. What part of the country is this Vibe from? Rust belt states? Midwest? Update profile for us so we roughly know your whereabouts. Nice wor...

tpollauf

Exactly as you say. The oil was in fact leaking from the timing chain cover. All Toyota engines seem to suffer from this as the gasket ages. I bought 2 OEM timing cover gaskets and replaced on both my 03 and 04 GTs. On the 03 it's a big job but on the 04 it is massive job because of the secondary a...

Search found 4136 matches