Looking at an 03GT- Questions

[gottabstick]

Hello all. I'm new here on the forum and will hopefully be a new 03GT owner in a couple of days. I will be flying to look at the car soon and hope to drive it home with me on the same day. It looks like a good deal - one owner and only 55k on the clock. What kind of problem areas should I be looking at with this car, and what price would be fair?I have seen NADA values of $10,400.I would really appreciate any help and apologies if this question is asked frequently.Until recently I owned a Volvo S60R but have decided to go the economical, family-sized route. This car looks like it will fit all my familys needs without compromising on the fun driving element.I hope to be an active member of this forum as I was with the volvo on swedespeed.Thanks in advance folks.

[ToolGuy]

Check if for "Lift" to make sure the engine will still achieve this. There are two pins that wear out and Lift will not be gotten if they are. Basically floor the car and see if it goes into a Power Band mode once you run the RPMs up like it got kicked in the pants by something! This engine is a high revving engine...Check both fog lamps, they are glass and most are broken. You can buy aftermarket replacements for around $50 each. Check the clutch.

[NibCrom]

Quote, originally posted by ToolGuy » Check the clutch. Bolded for emphasis. Get a Carfax if you can.

[ToolGuy]

If no "Lift" and the car is good otherwise do not let the no Lift stop you from buying it. Here is a link to what wears out, this person fixed theirs on their own but a shop could naturally do it as well. It does not affect the car otherwise and the engine still runs like normal just not at the high RPMs. The base model Vibe like mine does not have "Lift" just the GT's.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1993

[MRCN RCE]

hey paul, welcome to the family, glad to see another (potential) GT owner here. in addition to what toolguy said: lift won't engage til 6000+ RPMs, so don't be afraid to take it all the way up to 8k. you'll notice lift more in first and second gear(if it's floored), and it gets a little weaker with each gear after that. if you're not really feeling it kick in, but can hear the engine change in the sound of the engine, it's time to replace the bolts he mentioned, which i think were under $20 for the 2 bolts and a valve cover gasketif the foglamps are broken and need replacements, hit toolguy up for a set of protectors when you get new ones. they're cheap and work great

[ToolGuy]

Thanks for the shameless plug Josh! Oh and one more item to check... Check both front windows by cycyling them up and down, if a cluck is heard it probably needs the recall ASAP. The current recall is for two bolts; see this post. I never had the issue but still got it fixed yesterday. If you get this Vibe you will want to see if the recall has been done on the car, if not you can get it done. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=33044This is a great car and mine has only been to the dealer three times in five years and the recall was the third and probably last! My car has never given me an issue!

[gottabstick]

Thanks for the prompt response guys. I checked the carfax and nothing stood out other than it initially being a private lease for the first 16k (another definate reason to check the clutch I guess).55k seems pretty early for clutch problems (although I guess driving style is the main contributing factor), is this really so common with this car? I havent been able to test drive a local 6 speed GT but will try to get out in a 5 speed base today, would that provide a reasonable comparison with regards to the clutch? Where should I find the clutch biting point? On the S60 it was very very low. Other than driving the car ,how else can I check the clutch?

[joatmon]

It's tough to be looking for a car that isn't local. By the time you fly out to look at it, you are already half committed to buying it, after spending the time and money to go see it in the first place. Lift will not engage until the car is warmed up, keep that in mind when test driving.GT clutches have been problematic, some have problems, other not. I don't know how the base 5 speed compares to the GT 6 speed. Just make sure that when you've let the clutch out all the way, it grabs, doesn't slip. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5172If it still has the original battery, you will probably need a new one before long.Look for extensive chipping of the paint, especially on the leading edge of the nose. 03 paint wasn't as strong as some would have liked. Some people have had rust develop under the weatherstripping for the glass in the hatch.Check the carpet, under the floor mats to make sure it is dry.Check the cabin air filter. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=982 It will likely be terrible looking, many people apparently don't know it exists and it may have never been cleaned out. Check it with the owner there to watch, if you pull typical nastiness out of there, you can get a disgusted look on your face, part of the psychological game of talking the seller down in price At only 55K miles, most of the other things are probably ok. The fabric in these cars shows water stains easily, if you see water stains on the fabric, it does not mean it is from anything unpleasantly biological.Is the car being sold publicly? If so, maybe you can find someone here locally to spin by and give it a quick once over, report what they see. Maybe there is a stopper, something that wknowing about would save you the time and cost of going to see it. Sometimes, sellers don't mention stuff, or make sure pictures don't show the cigarette burns in the fabric. One I looked at on line was great, but when I went to see it, I found that the previous owner and eight freinds must have chain smoked in the thing for years, and also there was invisible damage to the hatch that kept it from opening.

[sloth]

55k is low for a clutch to wear out, but that has been a problem area for the GTs. I have about 85k on my 03GT and it's still holding up.The clutch can be easy to burn, really need to baby it from a stop.You might want to check and see how accurate the odometer/speedo is as well. Mine is nearly 4% off. That's been about my only complaint with this car. Good mileage and fun to punch if you have to.One other note is to check the paint on the front. Chips pretty easily.

[MRCN RCE]

other than driving it, or taking it apart, i don't know of any other ways to check the clutch. the only vibe i've ever driven is my GT, so i couldn't tell you anything about the feel of the clutch between a base and the GT. my clutch starts to engage about halfway up, but i replaced the stock clutch with an aftermarket one. i don't think that would've changed where the clutch starts to engage though. another thing... i don't know if it's like this with all vibes, but when you start the car, the clutch pedal needs to be pressed all the way to the floor.PS, you can't hit lift until then engine is warmed up. the limiter stops you from getting your revs that high in order to protect the engine

[ToolGuy]

I have heard to check the clutch is to downshift. If it does not grab and put your teeth into the steering wheel, then the clutch is slipping. That is what the tech told me when he and I test drove my 6-speed Corvette. It still has its original clutch at 59,000 miles.

[gottabstick]

Thanks again guys.. Man I love a helpful forumthe car is in Wichitahere is the link to the website-http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...thumbI guess it is a long shot but if anyone is local and could have a look I would appreciate it. I have breakable plans of going there tomorrow (flying from Calgary to Oklahoma then driving a rental to Wichita before going to Kingfisher Oklahoma- hopefully with the new car)I called the dealer to ask about the service records and he is going to get back to me. It would sure be nice to know whether I'm dealing with a high mileage stock clutch or not.Better not tell the wife about this little inherent problem- she'd have me in a base auto in a heartbeat( not that theres anything wrong with base autos , just not for me).Life would sure be a lot easier if I didnt like speed and stick

[coldmm803]

welcome to the board. just making sure your aware, with the GT your supposed to use premium gas. iirc its due to the higher compression of the engine

[AKLGT]

get a better clutch. the stock clutch on the GT sucks. I think mine started going out about 30K miles and once I traded it in, the new owner replaced it by 40K miles. A lot depends on how the car was driven. I can honestly say that I beat the crap out of mine for the 2 yrs i owned it. I mean, any chance I got, the car was in Lift (about 6300 rpm). I had an intake and Unichip (should have gotten the exhaust but oh well). I ripped on that car like no tomorrow.... even still managed to avb 26 mpg city and about 28-30 mpg hwy. I know if I had left my right foot out of it more, I'd get much better gas mileage. It's a fun car and great for hauling all kinds of things! the shifter's a bit sloppy, but for about $30, you can get some shifter bushings that should tighten that up.

[gottabstick]

Yes looks like an aftermarket clutch would certainly be the way to go. Just heard back from the dealer and it is the original clutch @ 55k.Could mean that either: a) original driver(s) drove her softly and I may still have tonnes of life left in it or,b) the clutch was on the way out, hence the sale.I guess this MAY give me some leverage in the price though. We'll see

[gottabstick]

Is there any other kind of gas ?? J/KI was aware of the need for premium thanks- the S60R was the same. Although I loved that car to pieces I certainly wont miss the $75 dollars to fill her up and drive 270 miles before needing more gas.

[joatmon]

There are people with high mileage GTs that never had a clutch problem. I think it might be luck of the draw. The fact that this one has the original clutch and 55K miles on it doesn't mean it is about to go bad. Doesn't mean it will last forever either.I looked at the pics on the autotrader listing, and didn't really see anything outrageous. PW/PL/cruise, sunroof, 6 CD changer, all nice options. Looks clean. I did notice that it does not have the factory standard floor mats. Most likely they were beat up so the seller threw them away to make the car look nicer. The car does not have a front license plate bracket. I live in Maryland, which requires both front and rear plates. Some places only have rear plates. If you live in state that has both front and rear plates, then you will need to get something. Probably the OEM bracket, and if you were buying it from a Pontiac dealer, they might be able to find one for you, but this place looks like a Pontiac is just another used car. Even if you live where they only require rear plates, you might use that as another haggling point. Vibes come with a set of tie down anchors and straps to secure cargo in the back. Usually come in two plastic bags. I've never used mine, except to put one anchor in to see how to do it, after that it was back in teh back and back under the rear deck. Might be something to look for. If they are there, then cool, if not, not really a big deal.Make sure the jack and tire iron are there under the rear deck. Lots of other things, not necessarily Vibe specific. Look for leaks. Make sure the AC blows cold air. For that much money, and the effort of going that far to get it, give a really good critical eye.You can also tilt the rear seatbacks forward a little and see under, it's a place where stuff can accumulate, and might not be noticed by whoever detailed the car for sale. Maybe some clues from the previous owner.I won't say whether the car is worth the price or not, because it doesn't matter if I think so. The question is if it is worth that much to you. If it is, then go for it, and once you have committed to buying it, STOP, quit looking at used Vibe prices. If you buy this one, and later find another one similar for lots less, then all that will do is make you feel bad. So stop comparison shoipping once you buy. This one looks like it's well in the market's current price range for used Vibes.

[gottabstick]

Thanks for looking and the sound advice. It is definately close to the right price for me, and I'll be saving huge money over the summer if I get close to the posted mileage. With my wife driving over 600 miles a week for school at the moment I can hear my wallet sighing with relief already. Having all the extra room for the baby and accompanying stuff will be priceless also, and ontop of all this, I dont have to compromise on my fun ride.

[st_pinetree]

I bought my 03 GT this past weekend. Mine has a few more miles on her than the one your looking at-80k. Seems to be a strong running little car and its pretty fun to drive. I'm going to be checking out the lift bolts this weekend after reading this thread. Other than that, what I've learned in my research is all pretty much been mentioned here. My car had a clutch at 60k according to the previous owner, and the receipts in the glove box. Good luck.

[dlittle71]

I am also looking to get a 03 GT. I just test drove it today and guess I didn't notice the "lift" that you are talking about. How long does it take to warm up? Also it actually seemed to only go to about 7200 RPM. Is that a problem of not being warmed up yet? Its really a good price but the car is rather filthy. Makes me wonder if the person took care of it. Anyone have an idea of how much it costs for the dealership to replace the lift bolts? Appreciate the feedback as I would really like to get this GT.

[wyatt89]

If the engine isn't warm (if the temp gauge isn't near the 1/4-1/2 point) then you will be rev limited early, get the engine warm then try to get into lift. Hope this helps.Check your clutches!

[bodhi_tree777]

Quote, originally posted by gottabstick »Thanks for looking and the sound advice.Having all the extra room for the baby and accompanying stuff will be priceless also, and ontop of all this, I dont have to compromise on my fun ride. i can second that .. we bought our 03 GT this past December and have put about 10k miles on the clock since then. The clutch in ours is stock and is problem-free at 58000 miles, although we don't drive it hard. We have a 2 year old and the ability to carry around myself, my wife, the baby, our laundry, and all of our misc baby gear while still pulling 28-30 mpgs is pretty nice. Did a little hypermiling recently and get 33 mpg on mixed city/hwy driving. I'm running full synthetic and just recently changed the trannie fluid to Redline MT-90. Drives great but the shifter is a little spongy. As somebody already mentioned, I'd recommend switching to brass shifter bushings (i still need to put mine in). The paint chips very easily. If it doesn't have one already, I'd recommened making or buying a mat for the rear cargo area. Stuff just slides around back there otherwise. Premium gas gets pricey. Generally costs us $45 or so to fill up lately. Easily the best car I've ever owned, and this forum is invaluable (thanks guys! )

[zionzr2]

Just wanted to Pop in and Welcome you to the Vibedom!!