GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Bookworm

From what I've read, it's not _sun_ that kills the tires. It's heat - and exposure to air. The various sites (including manufacturers) all say that for off season tires, to keep them good longer, wash them, then bag them in plastic, dry. Sealing them in keeps the volatiles necessary for flexibility ...

Bookworm

I believe there's a retractable cover you can buy, but it's not attached to the hatch. It's just a horizontal cover that goes from the back of the seats to just below the window area. (on the walls, of course)

Bookworm

Be sure to check the starter connections.

Bookworm

Nice car. I'd bet you get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

The one thing I'd do almost immediately is put new shocks on it. They seem to die by 100k. Mine are totally shot; I just haven't invested the money in buying new ones to install yet.

Bookworm

I used these folks. https://www.discountconverter.com/direct_fit_catalytic_converters/index.cfm I wouldn't touch a $100 catalytic converter if you paid me. They tend to be low on the catalyst, for one thing. They also only have one cat, and the Vibes have two. It's been 4 years and nearly 50k miles...

Bookworm

I used these folks.

https://www.discountconverter.com/direc ... /index.cfm

I wouldn't touch a $100 catalytic converter if you paid me. They tend to be low on the catalyst, for one thing.

They also only have one cat, and the Vibes have two.

Bookworm

I replaced the oil in my vibe, and the serpentine belt, air filter, cabin air filter, and oil in my wife's 2013 Mazda 5. Someone needs to put together a class action lawsuit against Mazda for deliberate and malicious bad design for standard maintenance, to force people to take their cars to a mechan...

Bookworm

I believe that the Toyota Corolla of the same year(s) are the same hood prop. You might be able to find floor mats from the same source.

Edit - remember, you can use parts from 03-08. No need to be specific on '2006'

Bookworm

Still rocking mine, will be exactly 10 years on July 31. Thankfully never accidented with all it's original paint and no rust. This thing has been through 9 long and harsh Quebec winters yet never let me down once and still looks almost as good as the day I bought it. I would buy another Vibe in an...

Bookworm

Still rocking mine, will be exactly 10 years on July 31. Thankfully never accidented with all it's original paint and no rust. This thing has been through 9 long and harsh Quebec winters yet never let me down once and still looks almost as good as the day I bought it. I would buy another Vibe in an...

Bookworm

I _believe_ that the manual for the Vibes is wrong - it's generally power steering fluid. Really, a mechanic i trusted years ago said that there's not a lot of difference, and if you accidentally put one in the other, it usually does no harm at all. Since it was when I called because a GF poured tra...

Bookworm

Caveat. It's a tight fit for your forearm. If you have large arms, get someone else to help, especially if they can get underneath while you work on top.

I had a hide rash/scar for months after changing mine the last time.

Bookworm

I have to do my back brakes. I really don't like drum brakes.

Bookworm

The ones I just put in my 2007 were the same as my 2003.

Bookworm

I've thought about picking up a seat from a yard, yes - mostly for the covers. The cushion will be destroyed, just like this one. I think they just weren't made for someone to sit on them, then turn and get up (flattening it against the bracket for the seat jack), for more than 50k miles. I was just...

Bookworm

There's also a big difference between negativity and being realistic. There are a LOT of modifications that can be done to these cars, station wagon or not. Unfortunately, these are NOT the engines of the 1940's, which could be modified like crazy. (V8-60 as a big example) These engines have been e...

Bookworm

I have a 2007 Vibe, and I'm needing to replace the seat cushion. It's been compressed so many times due to people getting in and out of the front seat that the seat slopes from a high on the right to a low at the door. So it hurts my back after a while. Is there actually an air bag in the seat? (Eje...

Bookworm

There's also a big difference between negativity and being realistic. There are a LOT of modifications that can be done to these cars, station wagon or not. Unfortunately, these are NOT the engines of the 1940's, which could be modified like crazy. (V8-60 as a big example) These engines have been ex...

Bookworm

Frankly, it's difficult to find a mechanic that'll do an inspection on-site, and sometimes extremely difficult to get someone to let you take the car to a mechanic for a check (and the mechanic might be busy). Luckily, I do enough of my own repairs to spot the really nasty things, so I've never been...

Bookworm

Good luck. Hopefully it's a Garager.

Bookworm

Yes - https://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudi ... 910BT.aspx

I'd consider it, but I decided when I buy another radio, it'll have Digital FM capability.

Bookworm

500k is insane, i'd be thrilled to get 100k out of it. My girlfriend and I camp and fish a lot and think it will work well for that compared to my daily driver sedan. I'm Southeastern about 40 minutes west of Philly. Never heard of Sheffield so google mapped it looks to be about 5 hours away from u...

Bookworm

The CTS-V wagon would like to have a chat with you. Body style doesn't determine what the engine is capable of. The 2zz can be made more powerful if you have the money. And if OP wants to spend it on a vibe then we should help them instead of being negative for no good reason. it's called being rea...

Bookworm

If I get motivated to do this, I'll head over to my folks. The replacement garage building has an I-beam extension coming out of the front. I'll just hook a block and tackle on it, and lock the other end with a marlin-spike to the building.

Bookworm

joatmon wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:16 am
Bookworm wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:54 am I've been a member for 9 years, but I never talked much
I've been a member here for too long and talked too much, but even though they're not here anymore, I'll never catch Hope (aklgt) or Mavrik

Anyone asked them to come visit?

Bookworm

ddpr in texas is knowledgable about the 2zz engines as well. In terms of adding power, some guys in puerto rico have been doing NA builds on stock internals in the low 200 hp range at the wheels. PPE makes good intakes and exhausts. I have their stainless long tube header with a spiked collector an...

Bookworm

I've been a member for 9 years, but I never talked much

Bookworm

I should probably get one of those to put in my console. I wouldn't do it to my dash - I have my laptop plugged into the 12 volt for the dash.

Bookworm

Mustie1 (youtube) uses Bar chain oil, I believe.

Bookworm

I tend to replace spark plugs every 50k or so, even with the factory plugs. At a minimum, you should pull them, clean, and re-gap.

Bookworm

Glad to hear you're making progress, and that the Vibe is now running smoothly. Have you done a drain and fill on the transmission? (I don't know if that's included in 'change the fluids', or if you did it when you did the oil) You should also fill out the rest of your profile - at least to a genera...

Bookworm

My 2007, bought two years ago, cost me $4026 after TTL with 135k miles. it's at 171k miles now, with no major issues. I'm keeping my eye out on manual transmission vehicles, cheap. My daughter's only (about to turn) 10, but I can keep one sitting around for a few years if need be. I think that learn...

Bookworm

Sway bar links - don't get the ones with crush nuts. Get the ones with lock nuts. If they come with crush nuts, send them back. The problem with those is that once you torque them up, you'll have to cut them off with a grinder to replace the links. I haven't actually changed the rest of the suspensi...

Bookworm

Rockauto.com

Bookworm

I found a two foot breaker bar helped enormously.

Bookworm

Oh, yeah Battery, alternator. You can use the battery as a core exchange, if nothing else. Same with alternator. belt tensioner, if you want to get that deep into the engine. Fuel pump is buried in the tank, under the back seat. spare wheel tools. (jack, nuts, lug wrench) (Don't toss the steel wheel...

Bookworm

Console cap, if you have the double lid. Seat release knobs. (back seats) Inverter Radio (if lights still work) Roof rack cross bars, if you have them. Spare (if it's not rotten. Even if it is, the wheel itself costs a ton, the spare costs about as much as a normal tire) the driver seat. That way yo...

Bookworm

Oh now I think I understand, that one cover that doesn't look so good you did not apply the Duplicolor matte wheel clear coat as a final step. That is interesting as I would never have thought it would have made such a significant difference as it did in your case. It's all a learning process for a...

Bookworm

Hit up Harbor Freight and grab a set of their ugly black 'impact sockets'. You'll need two of the enormous sockets for the struts. You'll also want a large adjustable hammer... I mean, wrench, plus a 1/2" torque wrench. If you're doing tie rods, you'll want a tie rod tool as well. Don't forget ...

Bookworm

Oh - one more thought. You might look at the Mazda MPV. They're old, but had pretty good ratings, and are available pretty cheaply, as they were replaced by the Mazda 5. (We replaced my wife's Grand Prix with a Mazda 5. We were going to go for the MPV, but the ones available at the time were overpri...

Bookworm

I'd keep watching Craigslist. In the large markets (Houston, Atlanta, DFW, etc), you can find some decent deals as you search. In Houston, on April 12th, there was a 2004 vibe that was dropped from 2300 to 2000 in price. No ideas of mileage, they list 'low miles', but with these cars, that could sim...

Bookworm

I know engines are removed before they go into a crusher - the crushers can't break cast iron blocks.

Bookworm

The roof light switch.

Bookworm

I'd clean the oil off of the engine, then drive it for a bit, then look for the fresh oil. It's always a pain trying to track down an oil leak through months and years of splashing and garbage.

Bookworm

Glad to hear you managed to get the right part! Keep the forum updated with the results of your work. I never did my own exhaust work, it was always more cost effective to get the right parts and pay a shop to put it in.

Bookworm

Hacksaw and a grinder?

Bookworm

I replaced mine three times. First time with ACdelco, second and third with TYC. I found no difference between the two in quality and performance. They all lasted about 60k miles, but I'm really annoyed by noises, and have the air on all the time . I have the air on all the time - I keep the window...

Bookworm

If you didn't lube the slides and pins with brake lubricant (just buy the large tube. It'll last for 30 years), the pads will have a hard time moving away from the rotor - I'd look at that first. It'll also let you look at everything else as you disassemble the brakes for cleaning and lubing. The ro...

Bookworm

You're welcome. Just be glad they're not as much of a PITA to replace as an '81 Ford Escort. That front motor mount was a stone... mother of a puppy.

Bookworm

Motor mounts, at a minimum, require a good jack with a soft lift point. (wooden block or similar)

Search around, the link for the 03 manual is around on the site, and they're more tedious to replace than difficult.

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