Chris,I'd call Rock Auto (see my earlier post) and ask them which Curt hitch fits on your car. I suspect it will be the same one as on my car, but I would check before buying.

I finally solved the window clunking (grinding). My first attempt involved tightening the clamp that connects the bottom of the window to the bottom bracket. That didn't do the job. With further research I found this thread indicating that the door stop interfered with the window. I took the door ap...

I used these directions today to fix a window clunk on the passenger side of my 05 Vibe. Worked great and only took about a half an hour.

What's wrong with the cable? Figuring out how to fix it depends on what's wrong with it. If you have to replace the cable, splicing in a new one is not difficult if you have some experience with wires, but you may not have to cross that bridge if it is just the terminal connector that is bad or some...

Trailer brakes are always a good idea, but if you are only pulling a small utility trailer with little weight (less than 1000 pounds total), I have never felt the need to add the brakes. As usual with a trailer, keep the speed down.

I just got back from a canoe trip where I pulled a trailer with one canoe and two kayaks on it, 4 people and paddling gear and got 25 mpg at speeds ranging from 50 mph to 70 mph. I'm pleased with that. The Vibe handled the load very well.

I was about to post some ways of carrying bikes that I have used with the Vibe so I might as well do that here. This roof rack would work for a Kayak I think. As you can see, I have a mountain bike mounted on it.A recumbent can also be mounted in the standard way on the roof or it can also be back m...

You don't have to cut any wires if you buy one of the wiring harnesses designed for the Vibe. The unfortunate thing though is you have to run a hot wire directly from the battery to the harness since there isn't enough electric power delivered to the tail lights to power the trailer lights on the Vi...

I installed a receiver hitch a couple of months ago. This is a link to a thread on the subject that you might find helpful.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=40779I have pulled a small utility trailer with the Vibe with no issues. Over the years I have also pulled some fairly large loads with s...

I follow the manufacturer's instructions on these kinds of things. If they recommend thread lock, then I would do it.

Yah, the wire brush thread cleaner tool would help I think. Maybe that's all you will need to do.

Our posts must have just crossed each other. Let me describe the way I did it. I used a bolt with the same threads as the ones that came with the receiver. I brought one of the the receiver bolts to an auto parts store and had them match the thread. The bolt I bought was hardened. I put the sacrific...

I have been using my bike rack with the receiver hitch a lot lately. In fact, I just got back from a three day trip where I did a two days of biking in northern Minnesota. I hope it goes well for you installing the hitch. I had trouble with the threads in the frame being pretty rusted. I ended up cl...

Check out this trailer. It serves several purposes.http://www.sylvansport.com/it/sylvansport-go

One of the two Curt hitches mounts higher up and, therefore shows less of the hitch structure. I don't know which one it is though. A call to Curt could probably answer this.

I can't find the documentation on the hitch I bought, but I went to the Rock Auto website and found what I think is the hitch I bought. It carries Curt Mfg. part number 12234. I think the wiring harness number is Curt Mfg. number 55057. There are two Curt hitches for this car. Be careful that you or...

I would vote for 5W30. It is a little heavier and I think provides better lubrication. There might be an unmeasurable reduction in MPG from 5W20.

There were two Curt hitches listed for the Vibe. The one I got appears to have been a recent modification of the earlier one and as you noted, mounted a little higher. I plan to use mine with a bike rack also, besides pulling a small trailer.

I put a Curt trailer hitch on my 05 basic and I think it turned out as a clean installation. The receiver itself is the only part of it that is visible which can just barely be seen in the car shadow in this pic. I had some trouble cleaning out the rusty welded on frame rail nuts, but finally manage...

I second the rust diagnosis. It happens on a lot of cars when the weather is wet and humid.

Good information on the intake manifold gasket. That's the kind of fix I like. That is a good price on ATF. I paid about $5.50 for it at a Toyota dealer in Minneapolis and thought it was a good price. (Believe it or not, but the local GM dealer out here in rural MN I checked with wanted $17+ a quart...

That is impressive performance. What trailer hitch are you using? I just installed a Curt hitch yesterday to tow my motorcycle hauling trailer which weighs about 700 pounds.

I understand why people are freaked out over these Toyota issues, but as pointed out above, virtually all cars have recalls for both serious and non serious stuff. A little group psychology is at work here and some panic is showing up. I have had dozens of cars over the last 45 years and the Toyotas...

Quote, originally posted by aussiemom »TSB?TSB=Technical Service Bulletin

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »I knew GM was high but that's ridiculous! I think it was around $13 a quart when I had mine, the markup for GM to repackage Toyota parts has always been astronomical. Time + GM/Toyota's dissolved partnership have made that worse, I guess. Need to change the...

Quote, originally posted by vibolista »Can't you get trans fluid at a parts store? Or do they charge as much or more than GM? Amazing that Toyota stores can charge that little. You can buy ATF at parts stores that claims it is Type T-IV compatible, but if you search though various automotive sites ...

I dropped the transmission pan on my 05 Vibe, changed the filter and refilled the transmission with 3.2 quarts of Type T-IV ATF (as called for in the owner's manual). I didn't realize when the filter is changed it takes more than 4 quarts to fill it up again. That meant I needed more ATF, but the ne...

Quote, originally posted by tonyn1 »I have an 09 AWD model Vibe. Is there any wiring installed for a trailer or will I have to splice into the existing wiring?The places that sell trailer hitches usually also sell a wiring harness kit. The ones I have used have a plug in device that connects to eac...

Welcome. I just got an 05 Vibe myself last week. Seems like a pretty good vehicle. I put new front brake pads on it today and once I get some Toyota type T-IV transmission fluid, I'm changing that out. I think this site is great.

I had that Corolla for 6 years and it was great. Unfortunately, the oil pump failed and trashed the engine. The Vibe is definitely an big upgrade. It is the bright red color. Good advice on waxing it. I will do that ASAP. I agree that tire pressure is a trade off as you suggest between mileage and r...

I was searching the net to find information on new owner used car maintenance I do when I get a new (to me) used car and I came across this site. I found some very good information on replacing the coolant, brakes, etc. My vibe is a 2005 with 84,000 miles. It is red which isn't what I would have pic...