New member out of the Detroit area.

[7mac7]

Hey all! I like the site! I didn't buy a bran-new vibe so I'm not super cool but this is the first car that I have ever bought from a deal or financed for that matter. I have always just bought with cash. This time it was different because my wife has our second child on the way (due June 3rd). I needed something reliable, roomy and didn't make my wife feel all soccer mommy. I picked up a 2005 vibe, silver with sunroof, monsoon sound, alloys, cruise and it is CLEAN. It does have 103000 miles but it runs like it has 30k. I am very adept in vehicle mechanics and I did a ton of research on the vibe before I bought it. It gets really good marks all over except for in the body and trim category. Is there anything (other than the normal stuff) I should check for or be aware of on this car? It drives and handles like a new car. It looks new too. I hope to find some good knowledge on this site.

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[Zimm]

welcome fellow Ferndaler! or is it Ferndalian?

[tpollauf]

Quote, originally posted by Zimm »welcome fellow Ferndaler! or is it Ferndalian? Or as they say on 89X... fashionable Ferndale Welcome to Genvibe Looks like a good choice for the wife and a couple of young kids. Visit this site often for advise, suggestions, meets, and more. You're one of US now

[jkm311]

Welcome, Mac! It's good to see new members popping up. Especially those I may see around the corner from me on a constant basis (live in R.O.)! I'll be looking for you, and congrats on snagging a well-taken-care-of 2005. Cheers, and check out the Vibe meet we are putting together for the weekend of July 17th in Indianapolis, if you haven't already: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=41100Love to have everyone from newbies all the way to vets there.

[7mac7]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome... I'll be checking this site out and every time I see another vibe I'll wonder if it's one of you.

[TONY TAT2]

Hi !

[Zimm]

Quote, originally posted by 7mac7 »Thanks everyone for the warm welcome... I'll be checking this site out and every time I see another vibe I'll wonder if it's one of you.when i'm about town, you'll most often see me north of 9 mile, often on hilton, sometimes on woodward.i live north of woodward heights, east of hilton. i see a ton of vibes around. i don't see a lot of '09/'10's in black, with the stock wheels around here (like mine). there are a couple of '09/'10's around, especially in silver, dark blue (my favorite) and red. so many of the older generations of vibes, i can't begin to count them...

[psiu]

Congrats on the Vibe, and congrats on #2! We have #1 due in September.Definitely get some good tires for the winter for it. Winter handling is my one beef with our Vibe (03 Base), though the all-seasons we put on it last year seem okay.Remember to wave at other Vibes this summer when you have your windows down (at least until you give up hope of getting anyone else to wave back ).

[jkm311]

Quote, originally posted by psiu »Remember to wave at other Vibes this summer when you have your windows down (at least until you give up hope of getting anyone else to wave back ).Seriously! I have YET to pass a Vibe where the driver even remotely makes eye contact with me. I've only seen two members from this site since joining in 2006. Give a wave!

[7mac7]

jkm311, I will make eye contact. Everyone else, I will wave too. I do see a ton of vibes around, that's for sure. Hey, I'm not seeing a "tech" section on this site specific to asking mechanical questions. Is there one? I am wondering if someone has been tampering with my check engine light. The reason is when I first turn the ignition I thought all of the check lights were supposed to come on until the car was started. My check engine light isn't doing so. Does anyone have some info in this area? Maybe I'll take it over to O'Briens and ask them to plug it in. I am assuming this is a basic OBDII PCM car. Is this the case. Could someone point me to the right forum for these questions. You guys rock!

[lovemyraffe]

Congrats and welcome!

[jkm311]

Quote, originally posted by 7mac7 »Hey, I'm not seeing a "tech" section on this site specific to asking mechanical questions. Is there one?Here's your forum, it's under Maintenance and Care when you're scrolling down the main page: http://forums.genvibe.com/zeroforum?id=23Quote »Does anyone have some info in this area?I did a search for Check Engine Light, knowing there are a TON of threads addressing it, and boy was I right. I read through a few and could not find anyone saying it WASN'T working. Quite the opposite, actually. Most of us have it come on too often! Mostly due to Cold Air Intakes and whatnot that we put on. Maybe you will have better luck. Look for the SEARCH button on the top-right of every forum/thread. Not the Google search bar, but actual type that says SEARCH. Click on that, and good luck, Mac!

[ponta2147]

Quote, originally posted by psiu »Remember to wave at other Vibes this summer when you have your windows down (at least until you give up hope of getting anyone else to wave back ).I do my best to do that as well, but it seems like a majority of Vibe owners are not only oblivious to the fact that they have an awesome car, but are oblivious to the fact that there are other people around them who own the same car and like it. My guess is that most of them are the "This Is My Family Utility Car And I Don't Really Care Otherwise" type

[7mac7]

Thanks again JKM311. If anyone else has an 05 please tell me if the check engine light comes on when they turn the key just to the first notch. I see all of the other check lights when I do that. My saturn shows the check engine light when I do that. I could just see some jacka$$ pulling the check engine light to sell it or trade it in. Just a thought.

[tpollauf]

Quote, originally posted by 7mac7 » I could just see some jacka$$ pulling the check engine light to sell it or trade it in. Just a thought.I think your assumption COULD be correct Not familiar with the 05's BUT industry wide ALL vehicles SHOULD have ALL indicators light momentarily when first starting the engine. It wouldn't surprise me one bit that the bulb (or LED) was removed as it was a nuisance to the previous owner If you know the exact location on the dash bezel then look for it OR any cut wiring.

[7mac7]

Not so sure how easy it is to get to the check engine light on this car. I know it's a real pain in the ars to get to it on my Saturn. That one I know works...lol. I will have to do some further investigation. I hope I don't have a car with some unrepairable check engine light issue.

[Wolfman213]

to get to the CEL, and replace if needed, check the link in my thread about Custom LED Gauge Swap or whatever it says lol.

[vibolista]

Welcome to Genvibe. Hope you can find the light disconnect. Looks like someone may have had a problem and didn't want it to show up. I would connect the obdll and see if it throws anything at you. Any modifications on the car when you bought it? At 103000 miles a Vibe is just breaking in. If it's running good, you probably don't have a problem, but I would certainly get it checke out soon.Good to see another Silver Vibe aboard!

[7mac7]

Thanks Wolfman, vibolista, and everyone else that commented. I will check the codes... I know of a shop up the way that will plug her in for free. Nice how to Wolfman... It's a good thing I like the way the dash looks on this car...lol Id fudge it up pretty quick with any soldering job. The car does run great and feels like a new car so I am not very worried but I do want to make sure I can be alerted when an issue arises. My wife is officially about to "pop" so I cant be taking any cars (or dash boards) apart because that will be the time she goes into labor. Thanks again and I'll keep ya posted.