What did you do to your Vibe today?

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 3:32 pm

lannvouivre wrote:New DENSO spark plugs, yay.

Nice. That's on my to-do list as well. I'm scared though, they're the original 12 year old plugs that have never been touched. Will they come out or will they snap off in the head?

Anyway, today I washed the old car. And tried to tweak the 2004-vintage hardwired FM modulator we're using for an aux in, the volume is way too low. It's already as good as it gets. And oh yeah, tire rotation at Costco yesterday. So much excitement here...

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 5:41 pm

ColonelPanic wrote:
lannvouivre wrote:New DENSO spark plugs, yay.
Nice. That's on my to-do list as well. I'm scared though, they're the original 12 year old plugs that have never been touched. Will they come out or will they snap off in the head?

Anyway, today I washed the old car. And tried to tweak the 2004-vintage hardwired FM modulator we're using for an aux in, the volume is way too low. It's already as good as it gets. And oh yeah, tire rotation at Costco yesterday. So much excitement here...

No need to panic, Colonel!
This video covers just about any problem you could run into when changing plugs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayeZZRlVBSo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

KevinV · Post by **KevinV** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:13 am

Swapped out the failing OEM radio for a nice Kenwood.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:26 pm

I finally got around to washing my Vibe today. Man, was it nasty

. It took a lot of soap and scrubbing, but now it's all shiny and clean again

! Since it was clean, I was finally able to get some pictures of the Magnaflow catback exhaust installed...

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:24 pm

BOMBED IT!

Picked up a Meguiar's Re-Fresher thingy at Meijer. It's basically a small can of air freshener with a time release trigger that remains open. I covered up the gauges all the interior brightwork that I could with towels (just to err on the side of caution,) removed cabin air filter, set fan on high, air to recirculate and put the can in the back.

The car's interior itself smells fine, it's been kept clean its entire life. The problem is the putrid air coming from the vents. Periodically I spray Ozium, Lysol or whatever through the vents to try to combat this problem, so this solution seemed like a more 'automated' method of doing so.

I didn't follow the directions exactly as I didn't want to overwhelm the car with the smell, so I opened the doors on occasion to let some of it air out before the prescribed 15 minutes were up. The can itself only sprays for a few minutes.

As for the scent, "new car..." We all know that's a farce, the only way to get the sweet smell of new fabrics, carpet, plastics and various carcinogens is to actually buy a new car. But it seems pleasant nonetheless. So far the air coming from the vents smells great, we'll see how it holds up.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:03 pm

Interesting remedy to the odor problem you've been having. When I first saw this & started reading, I was certain that your Vibe was FLEA infested

.. Been there, done that many years ago in a few houses that we lived in due to the dogs/cats which we had and got fleas real bad. Hopefully the air will be diluted enough to where you're not inhaling the chemicals to where they cause bodily harm.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:15 pm

ColonelPanic wrote:BOMBED IT!

Picked up a Meguiar's Re-Fresher thingy at Meijer. It's basically a small can of air freshener with a time release trigger that remains open. I covered up the gauges all the interior brightwork that I could with towels (just to err on the side of caution,) removed cabin air filter, set fan on high, air to recirculate and put the can in the back.

The car's interior itself smells fine, it's been kept clean its entire life. The problem is the putrid air coming from the vents. Periodically I spray Ozium, Lysol or whatever through the vents to try to combat this problem, so this solution seemed like a more 'automated' method of doing so.

I didn't follow the directions exactly as I didn't want to overwhelm the car with the smell, so I opened the doors on occasion to let some of it air out before the prescribed 15 minutes were up. The can itself only sprays for a few minutes.

As for the scent, "new car..." We all know that's a farce, the only way to get the sweet smell of new fabrics, carpet, plastics and various carcinogens is to actually buy a new car. But it seems pleasant nonetheless. So far the air coming from the vents smells great, we'll see how it holds up.

Colonel, Sir!
I am quite sure the smell from the vents is caused by mildew growth on the evaporator coil. I don't know the best way to get to that coil in a Vibe (I hope someone tells us) but when we get there this is how to get rid of the bad smells:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDM0Ku32Kg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:56 pm

That's precisely what it is! I had problems with my '03 when I owned it and this '03 which is my wife's suffers from the same. It smells fine when using A/C, but when not using A/C it smells terrible.

The evaporator really needs to be cleaned and disinfected but since it seems like it would require invasive surgery, I just keep throwing chemicals at it.

One thing I'm adamant about now is to turn off the A/C and let the fan run for the last couple of miles of the drive if A/C or defrost was used. Helps to dry out the evaporator a bit. Works like a charm on the new cars I've bought since then, but this one is far too gone.

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:39 pm

vibrologist wrote:Colonel, Sir!
I am quite sure the smell from the vents is caused by mildew growth on the evaporator coil. I don't know the best way to get to that coil in a Vibe (I hope someone tells us) but when we get there this is how to get rid of the bad smells:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDM0Ku32Kg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On the first gen vibes, you have to pull the dash and part of the HVAC to reach the evaporator core. I think if you spray up through the drip hose on the bottom front of the firewall, you might get up into the evaporator core. So yess, massively invasive. Not as bad on a 'Yota as a Nissan, probably, but also the interior was designed by GM from what I hear. Toyota dashes tend to be designed in such a way that makes them relatively reasonable.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Tue Sep 02, 2014 8:13 pm

lannvouivre wrote:
vibrologist wrote:Colonel, Sir!
I am quite sure the smell from the vents is caused by mildew growth on the evaporator coil. I don't know the best way to get to that coil in a Vibe (I hope someone tells us) but when we get there this is how to get rid of the bad smells:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDM0Ku32Kg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
On the first gen vibes, you have to pull the dash and part of the HVAC to reach the evaporator core. I think if you spray up through the drip hose on the bottom front of the firewall, you might get up into the evaporator core. So yess, massively invasive. Not as bad on a 'Yota as a Nissan, probably, but also the interior was designed by GM from what I hear. Toyota dashes tend to be designed in such a way that makes them relatively reasonable.

Yanking the dash! what fun! At least there is a thread on GenVibe (where else!). There are some broken links and vanished pictures but the verbal description is very good:
viewtopic.php?t=7912" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:33 pm

Did a tune-up on the Imba Impala over today and yesterday. I had new plug wires via DENSO ready to install, so I spared not an ounce of savagery while mangling the old ones in a desperate struggle to remove them from the plugs. I had several break off with the metal ends still stuck on the plugs, so it's a good thing I had made Zach order new wires. Found out the old plugs were iridiums. I got DENSO TT platinum replacements because I'm not spending $10 per plug on a V6 in a car I hate possibly even more than BMWs.

Also changed the oil (castrol synthetic) and filter (Mobil1).

MPG came up to 24-25 from 19-20.

Rock on, me, rock on.

Need to add more paint coats to Epona's trim but just don't have time.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:39 am

lannvouivre wrote:
MPG came up to 24-25 from 19-20.

Rock on, me, rock on.

You go girl

Nothing like reaping the benefits of all your hard work, especially when you have the data to substantiate the results. If nobody cared about your accomplishments then at least YOU do and that's all that matters. Keep up the good work

cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:47 am

Replaced a frozen caliper. First time I ever experienced this problem. Driving home from work I noticed a vibration in the wheel at low speeds & when braking. I pulled into a gas staion & noticed that there was a ton of heat radiating from the pass front wheel. When I got home I jacked up the car and the wheel wouldnt turn at all. I loosened up one caliper bolt and flipped up the caliper, stuck a long screwdriver in the rotor vents ( on the side ) and the rotor moved....frozen caliper !!! Got a ride to advance auto by my wonderfull neighbor, picked up a new caliper, brake cleaner & fluid. Back on road again

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 6:10 pm

My mom's Vibe turned over 53,000 miles this past Thursday and mine will turn over 53,000 miles tomorrow!

I washed my Vibe this evening and am planning on washing my mom's tomorrow.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 6:18 pm

Yesterday, I thought about replacing the intake manifold gasket in the hopes it cures the engine not being able to figure out what idle speed it wants to run at when cold. But a debilitating migraine made sure that would not happen. I did manage to get out later in the day to sorta look at it. Before I went through all that trouble of replacing, I figured I would try inspecting vacuum lines to see if something was out of whack. I did discover a sizable coating of oily sludge on the underside of the intake from corner to corner.

Here's an example... Holy blowby, Batman? Or something else?

This was a small sampling of what was underneath the first intake runner.

Picked up a new PCV valve last night since it has never been replaced. Today I had to track down a socket to fit it, and bought some torx screwdrivers for an upcoming rear door handle replacement. Those will probably go in next weekend along with some fresh T-IV in the slushbox.

Finally, it got some fresh QS green bottle 5W-30 and a 2ZZ spec Wix filter. And washed both the Vibe and the Sonic this evening.

Good times.

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:41 pm

ColonelPanic wrote:Here's an example... Holy blowby, Batman? Or something else?

Above that, you have the valve cover gasket. Mine came off in many pieces when I replaced it on my 06 earlier this year.

Also in that area is the VVT solenoid and OCV, which dead center of your first picture. It probably has an O-ring needing replaced. Below that is a bolt with the VVT filter behind it, which you can remove and clean with brake or carb cleaner or something. May also have a gasket, gonna go look.

th3fr4nchi5e · Post by **th3fr4nchi5e** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 11:29 am

New starter! It had been cranking slower and slower lately and got to the point where when the car was warm it would just buzz. Really easy starter to change with the fan assembly set off to the side!

dnoishere · Post by **dnoishere** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 6:28 pm

...today I put on a new serpentine belt....91717 miles on the old one.Wasn't in too bad a shape but winters coming and I'm preparing the Vibe...

trb · Post by **trb** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 12:32 pm

Did Vibrologist's seat mod:

Seat position is MUCH better.

Also finally got the roof repaint finshed. About 8 foam roller coats of Rustoleum semi gloss black over a Plastidip base coat, just in case I end up repainting it correctly.

I do need to clean the paint off the side rails and reinstall the cross bars, but I need to find another front passenger side cap first. Mine flew off last week as I didn't get it snapped back on good enough.

gtv237 · Post by **gtv237** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:06 pm

trb wrote:Did Vibrologist's seat mod:

Seat position is MUCH better.

Can you elaborate on this mod? I have a problem where I wish I could sit more straight up. It feels like I'm always leaned back a bit. Would this mod help my problem?

I don't know if this is really on topic with this thread but my sister is making me a matching bike. How cool!

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:21 pm

That bike is cool!
I see shifters on the stem. That means the bike is from the later 70's to early 80's. Most likely a 10 speed with 27" wheels. They are getting harder to find every day.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:33 pm

GTV: I had a number of problems with the seat. You probably notice a lack of lumbar support. That makes you slouch or rounding out your lower back. I fixed that problem with a piece of foam. See the details here: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=43419" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You state this:

It feels like I'm always leaned back a bit.

I assume you found the lever that lets you adjust the seat back. With your left hand find the height adjuster, then move about 3" back and find the recline adjuster. Pull it, lean forward and let it go.

I still noticed that my steering wheel was way to far up even when it was tilted all the way down. I fixed that with raising the front of the seat with these shims. viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43476&p=499873&hil ... 05#p499779" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

trb · Post by **trb** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 5:36 pm

gtv237 wrote:
trb wrote:Did Vibrologist's seat mod:

Seat position is MUCH better.
Can you elaborate on this mod? I have a problem where I wish I could sit more straight up. It feels like I'm always leaned back a bit. Would this mod help my problem?

Probably not, since it raises the front edge of the seat, and thus makes the seat lean further back. After I did this, I had to move the seat back up a click forward to put it back into the right position for me. If your seat back is positioned all the way up and you feel like it is too far back, this would just make it worse. I don't know if there is a simple solution if the seatback adjuster does not have enough range for you. I don't recall how the 09-10 seats mount, but you can't easily move the back of the seats up on the 03-08 since one of the corners mounts to the center tunnel of the car, not the floor. Now if both rear rails mount to the floor, then maybe you can do this mod to the rear mounting points.

trb · Post by **trb** » Sun Oct 05, 2014 6:05 pm

And as a final accomplishment today, I got the Homelink garage remote installed!

Ever since we got the Homelink system in my wife's Equinox, I really appreciated how well it works. Especially not having to bother with a garage door remote cluttering up the car interior or on the visor, not to mention replacing the batteries.

After I read about this mod on an Equinox forum by a guy that did not get it facory installed, I bought a sun visor from an eary 2000's Lincoln for $5.95 from Pick a Part. He got them cheap too, or bought them on ebay.

I pulled it apart and got to the control box inside the visor. I decided to mount it between the sun visors right above the rear view mirror and use the map lights for power.

I removed the visors and mounting clips so I could pull down the headline a bit. Then I tapped into the map light wires, found the power and ground, and hooked them to the Homelink harness.

Then I cut a template of the control panel trim piece, and taped it to the headliner so I could cut through the headliner.

Once I got the hole cut, I had to shave down the cardboard backing a bit so the trim piece would snap into the control unit since the headliner cardboard is thicker than what was on the original sunvisors. Basically, all you can have between the trim and the unit is the cloth part of the headliner.

Finished product:

And success:

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:48 pm

Awesome mod there Thomas

And to think you only spent a few bucks on it! It looks OEM and nobody would ever think differently. We had this on our 2004 Trailblazer and loved it. That was the first time I heard of such a thing. Apparently there are a lot of these out there for various cars? I know on the Trailblazer it was incorporated into the overhead center console. The one we had also had power sunroof controls & dome lights. I'll have to add this to my list of future mods. Thanks for the idea

trb · Post by **trb** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 7:26 pm

Thanks Tim. Yes, I thought it was a pretty awesome mod when I saw it. The Equinox install I got the idea from was in the overhead console in about the same area as the OEM is installed, and it looked really good. Google "homelink install" in images and you can see plenty of installation pics all over the car. I have a beige visor unit that I plan to install in my daughter's Rogue one day, and plan to grab another grey one for my son's Vibe and a black one for my Mustang next time I'm at the Pick a Part. Almost every Lincoln and upscale Ford or Mercury had the visor mounted module from about 2000 up to ??? I may grab a few extras if I can find them, for others to install.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 4:28 pm

Happy birthday! The Vibe rolled off the line at 6:07 AM Pacific on this date back in 2002. 99,3xxx miles on it at the moment.

For her birthday, I ordered an OEM door handle and keyhole cover for the driver's side. The handle is still good (for now) but the keyhole cover is about to fall off so I'm just taking care of both. I know I could have spent a lot less but I just don't care for the aftermarket knockoffs all that much.

Yesterday on the ride home, the RF speaker started rattling badly. Crutchfield to the rescue and another project for the weekend. I bought the same low end Kenwoods that I put in the rear doors a couple months ago.

I also finally decided to join in on the fun of Recall Madness, it has 3 waiting - 1 window, 2 air bag. The earliest appointment the dealer had was a month out.

Anyway, here's to another 12 years.

cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:04 am

ColonelPanic , dont knock the " knock offs "

....I bought 3 generic door handles & keyholes from ebay 4 years ago 9 maybe 5 ) and no probs

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:58 pm

The aftermarket ones are fine, perfectly functional but I just wish they would have done a better job at matching the texture of the OEM. The textured ones I got from eBay are noticeably smoother and more shiny. It was a needle in a haystack finding those, most were smooth black (of the ready-to-paint variety.)

Of course $10 vs $145, I suppose one could overlook quite a bit.

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 5:07 pm

I used Frost King duct insulation to add some sound deadening. Its 20.00 a roll, and one roll will do the entire hatch and a door. It's also extremely lightweight.

I also used some 3M aerosol adhesive to make sure it would actually stick. Tons of rattle gone in the hatch area.

th3fr4nchi5e · Post by **th3fr4nchi5e** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 4:29 pm

New rear axle seals! Both sides! Nice to have that taken care of.

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 7:45 pm

Pulled the intake, unplugged all the front and topside engine electricals, intake manifold, drive belt, alternator, and thermostat and thermostat housing after draining engine oil and removing engine oil filter.

Meshami · Post by **Meshami** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 11:01 pm

Started on my bug-out/camp-out bag. I sometimes get the urge to get outta Dodge and want something I can have ready to grab and go. I do have an RV, but with the price of gas and it getting about 8-9mpg... yeah. It is fully self contained and I keep it pretty much stocked. Got that idea from my grandma years ago. Only thing missing is clothes, have enough food and water to live out of it for a month or so. Keep the gas tank close to full. It is not the most nimble being 27' and cumbersome, though. Vibe to the rescue!!

So today, purchased for the Vibe: skinny twin air bed that fits on the passenger back side, battery air pump, a sleeping bag, a silicone bowl and cup set, utility spoon/fork/knife/can opener thingy, dehydrated food, whistle/compass/thermometer thingy, flask, thermos, sunshade for windshield. Bought black foam board to attempt cutouts for windows for privacy. Added an extra pillow, regular throw blanket and little electric blanket from the house. Experimented with testing the voltage on my little one cup coffee maker for hot water for beverages and food (dehydrated food, oatmeal). All of this will go into the duffel for grab and go effect. Will need to keep adding to bag for more of a bug out setup. But for now, I can quite comfortably sleep in the Vibe, so shelter is taken care of. Ordered online short potty, a battery operated sound machine, and deflector visors for the windows. Still want to find/order a portable battery jumper for peace of mind. Also a 12v heater for windshield or temporary heat if it got too chilly.

It's a start.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 3:46 pm

Last weekend I detailed the interiors of both Vibes and consequently I actually enjoyed my commute to and from work this past week a little more

!

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 5:03 pm

So, a month or two ago I noticed some splatter marks of coolant in the engine bay of my Vibe. I cleaned them up, added a little more coolant to the reservoir and figured I'd keep an eye on it as I hadn't yet experienced any puddles of coolant under the engine. Fast forward to last weekend. The splatter marks had returned so it was obvious coolant was leaking from somewhere, but I couldn't tell from where, so I decided I'd better take it to my mechanic. I stopped last Monday and setup an appointment to drop my Vibe off this past Thursday. I dropped it off in the morning and drove my mom's Vibe to work. When I went out to my mom's Vibe on my lunch break I had a voicemail from the mechanic saying the water pump was leaking

. I called him back and he told me it would about $275.00 to replace the water pump. I told him go ahead and do it. I was without my Vibe until Friday afternoon after I got off work. The total ended up being $274.08 - labor was $160.00 ($80.00 per hour x 2 hours), the brand new water pump was $74.xx and Toyota SLLC (Super Long Life Coolant) was $32.99. I had put a Post-It note on the shift knob reminding them to be sure and use Toyota SLLC. I fully trust these guys and I know they know it's really a Toyota, but I didn't want to take any chances. When I picked it up, I was talking to the mechanic/owner. He said a water pump is not that big of a deal as far as vehicle repairs go. He told me they had hosed off the underside of the Vibe to rinse off any spilled coolant, but that I may get some residual splatter marks on the topside of the engine, so don't be worried. One thing I love about these guys is they always put a paper floor mat on the driver's side to protect the carpet/floor mat

. It's a little thing, but to me it shows they care more than most mechanics/dealers.

Yesterday, my parents and I took a little road trip up to Lake Geneva, WI. We took my mom's Vibe and went for a cruise on one of the most gorgeous roads in the area, Rustic Road. I couldn't resist stopping to take a few shots of my mom's Vibe...

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Oct 29, 2014 4:21 pm

My mom's Vibe turned 6 today

!

Meshami · Post by **Meshami** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:34 am

It got a new windshield yesterday. Included some tint, am very happy but $300 poorer. Today she's going into the local brake place. I thought it was the CV joints, they don't think so, maybe a bolt or calipers, won't be as much as the CV joint replacement, I'm happy.

Meshami · Post by **Meshami** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:36 am

This weekend getting new defector visors installed and hopefully the cruise control replaced.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 6:00 pm

Gave headlight restoration a go... I have about 6 hours invested just in headlights yesterday and today. A far cry from the 30 minutes it said on the package.

But there was a lot of trial and error since this was the first time I had attempted this...

Before Sylvania headlight restore kit:

After:

I could only get the driver's side in before dark yesterday. The final UV coating step did not look good this morning, very streaky so I had to hit it with Plast-X to get all of that junk off. I then reapplied and it looked better by the end of the afternoon.

The passenger's light didn't turn out as good as I had hoped, it's still somewhat cloudy but it was also in worse shape than the driver's side when I started.. For it, I tried the Mothers kit as it has all those sanding/polishing attachments for the drill and I felt like being lazy.

Ultimately I used a combination of both kits for this light and sealed up with the Sylvania's UV blocker stuff - which a comporable item is missing from the Mothers kit.

Then a shot of TrimShine on the plastics, a pre-winter waxing, sanding of rusted paint chips and touch-up paint. My hackish attempt at repairing the roof rack rubber molding with black silicone failed, so I just stuck electrical tape over the crack and missing section of rubber.

Old car looks great (from a distance.)

Washed that filthy little blue Chevrolet in the background too.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:56 pm

I had my winter wheels mounted and the oil changed.
Back in June I bought a set of used MSW 15" alloys with General Altimax Arctic tires on them. I was told they were used for 3 winters so far. I took it to the shop for balancing and mounting. They found a piece of a screw in one of them and fixed it. This morning the weather was o.k. and the shop was incredibly busy changing tires. When I picked the car up this afternoon we had the first snow accumulations of this winter.

The tires have good grip. The road noise is acceptable considering these are snow tires. I took it all the way to 60 mph on a very thin layer of snow.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:25 am

I spent all day last Saturday in the garage. I started out putting the winter wheels, wheel covers and tires on my mom's Vibe. Next, I put the winter wheels, wheel covers and tires on my Vibe. Finally, I did a full exterior detail (wash, dry, clay bar, wash again, dry again, wipe down door jambs, hatch jambs and engine compartment, Mother's California Gold Water Spot Remover on all exterior glass and finally Mother's California Gold Ultimate 3 Step Wax System [including all exterior lights]) on my mom's Vibe. It looked absolutely amazing, so I decided to snap a few quick pictures...

I finished the day by cleaning up the summer wheels and getting them all tucked away into the corner of the garage. I also removed the eBay 3000k HID bulbs and DDM Tuning ballasts from the fog lights of both Vibes because I noticed the color of the bulbs in my mom's Vibe had changed to an almost reddish/orangeish color which looked horrible. For now, we are once again rocking the trusty Nokya hyper yellow Stage 1 halogen bulbs in the fog lights. I am currently trying to decide if I want to try some other HID bulbs or stick with the Nokyas

...

Zimm · Post by **Zimm** » Sun Nov 23, 2014 1:14 pm

bought and installed a new interstate battery from Costco. $72+tax. not too shabby.

this replaced the original. which had 5+ years of use. at that price, there's no need to push my luck trying to extend the life. it's never worth the hassle of getting stranded, and if you work some of the places that i work, a dead battery is not an option. today's unseasonably warm weather made it a fairly pleasant task.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:49 pm

Well, for starters .... I DROVE it

Yeah it has been sitting too long to where I had to jump the battery and put air in a couple of the tires. Also had to fuel it up as it's only been 5 months since the last fill up. We took it up to Ford Field for the Bills vs Jets "free" game last night. Also over the weekend I installed my winter 16" rims/tires on Juniors Vibe GT as he can benefit from them more than I will. I plan on a mini Florida trip in February and will be taking the Vibe on another pleasant road trip!

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Wed Nov 26, 2014 2:52 pm

I also drove, on fresh snow. This was a better test than the previous one. I was on slush over blacktop, packed snow over blacktop, packed snow over gravel, and fresh snow over gravel. These tires (General Tire Altimax Arctic) are confidence inspiring.
A tundra dweller (Ontario) sent me his winter driving pointers: Slow down for curves. On icy stops, put car in neutral the last 10 mph and don't completely stop as you have to get going again. Take a good run when going uphill.

trb · Post by **trb** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 9:18 pm

I washed the GT again, and this time I cleaned the underhood a bit. Used the Back to Black I've used on the cladding on the plastic parts and they look a good bit better. Not quite 100% as clean as I want it, but maybe 70% there.

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 12:21 am

trb wrote:I washed the GT again, and this time I cleaned the underhood a bit. Used the Back to Black I've used on the cladding on the plastic parts and they look a good bit better. Not quite 100% as clean as I want it, but maybe 70% there.

I use the GUNK brand canned engine cleaner. UGH it's so awesome. I need to use some tomorrow to clean up my CV axle grease explosion before I drop the engine back in...and also clean the power steering pump.

cptnsolo77 · Post by **cptnsolo77** » Mon Dec 01, 2014 6:13 am

This weekend I used my 2nd sylvania headlight restoration kit. Being that the kit has a LIFETIME warranty, I simply emailed customer support stating that the headlights didnt maintain its clarity. My claim wasnt false, the kit does a fantastic job restoring the headlights...however after a year they began to fade again and look like crap. Slyvania replied the same day & said they would send me a replacement kit 2nd day fed ex. To make a long story short my headlights are back to new like condition. I also simultaneously did the reverse light and wow

Im just a lilttle curious because I have some UV protectant left and wondering if I could put another UV coat after the first coat cures. Im going to email them again today. It is the best resto kit on the market BUT after 11 YEARS its just time for new friggen headlights for this Vibe owner

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Mon Dec 01, 2014 8:44 pm

I got 5 bolts into the final 90 degree turn on the main bolts to check my oil clearances before my cheap socket split open.

lannvouivre · Post by **lannvouivre** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:18 pm

Checked valve clearances today, all good. Tomorrow need to pick up some pallets and marry the transmission and engine.

vibrologist · Post by **vibrologist** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 4:49 am

lannvouivre wrote:I got 5 bolts into the final 90 degree turn on the main bolts to check my oil clearances before my cheap socket split open.

I can relate. I once bought a cheap spring compressor tool. The threads were stripping right off even before the spring started compressing. I now borrow such tools from the Parts store. They loan out the good tools. It is worthwhile to have a good quality socket set of your own.