2003 vibe gt trouble (i think....)

[dbiehl1979]

Hey guys, had a couple of questions for all of you. I have a 2003 vibe gt with 60,000 miles on it. I absolutely love the car, it is a blast to drive. I just have a couple of questions for you that are concerning me. I appologize in advance because this will be a long post. I also thank you guys (and gals) in advance.question 1 A little while ago i started to notice a driveline vibration. It is only noticeable in second gear, at about 2600-3000 rpm. It vibrates my wheel back and forth slightly. it does not happen all of the time, usually when the car is turning, not in a strait line. It seems to be happening more often. I thought that i have felt it in other gears once or twice, but i cannot be sure. 2nd is when i notice it the most. any ideas on what could be happening? question 2 this has been happening since i bought the car with 3 miles on it. When i accelerate throught the gears, at lower rpm there seems to be a hesitation effect. the engine is not hesitating, but that is the best way i can describe it. It feels like when i am accelerating, the engine misfires or something of the same effect and makes the car jerk. Its like when you accelerate with the ac or defroster on and the compressor kicks in. It makes the car bounce fore and aft. but this happens sometimes when the ac and defrost are off. there are no check engine codes going off. I did have the car checked at the dealer twice for it under warranty a couple of years ago, but they could not find anything. any ideas?question 3. what would be a good replacement clutch? like i said above, i have 60000 miles on the car, am i kinda think that the above problems might be clutch related, but agian they might not. I have read in these forums that the stock clutch in these things is crap, so i was wondering when the time does come, what kind of aftermarket clutch would be good to put in the car. i would like it to last quite a while and be streetable.question 4. I put a K&N air filter in about a year ago. i have read some bad news about them here. should i put a paper filter back in?? what kinds of problems could it cause. i think i read that it could foul out the mass airflow sensor. it this trueif you have read through all of this i thank you. this car is my baby and any help is very appreciated!!!!Danny

[JohnC]

1, Classic CV joint symptom.2, Just a guess...front/rear motor mount bad.3, Couldn't say, but I have always had good luck with Centerforce. There website shows the Matrix http://www.centerforce.com/4, I have ran K&Ns for years with no problems, just don't over oil them after cleaning. Just my $.02 worth here.

[goodvibe]

If the CVs aren't noisey or loose I'd check and clean the MAF and reset the ECU before going further.

[dbiehl1979]

i know where the MAF is but what do i look for to see if it is dirty and is there any special way to clean it? also how would i got about resetting the ecu??thanks a bunch guys.danny

[03VibeGT6Spd]

Quote, originally posted by dbiehl1979 »question 3. what would be a good replacement clutch? like i said above, i have 60000 miles on the car, am i kinda think that the above problems might be clutch related, but agian they might not. I have read in these forums that the stock clutch in these things is crap, so i was wondering when the time does come, what kind of aftermarket clutch would be good to put in the car. i would like it to last quite a while and be streetable.I have been investing alot of hours reading reviews about clutch's.I have made my choice (Advance Clutch Technology) TC2-HDSS Clutch kit.Includes T-022 H.D. Preasure PlateTYSD035S Performance Street DiscRB840 Throw Out Bearing and an Alignment tool.holds up to 233ft/lbs of torqueThey have a strong following and hold up.Cheapist price I have found so far is 291.00 plus 35.00 S&HI have read there a little more grabie then stock but there much stronger.

[goodvibe]

Quote, originally posted by dbiehl1979 »i know where the MAF is but what do i look for to see if it is dirty and is there any special way to clean it? also how would i got about resetting the ecu??thanks a bunch guys.danny Spray carb cleaner or non residue brake cleaner. You can use a cotton swab if you're very careful. Disconnect the pos from the battery, disconnect and unscrew MAF from the filter box and clean. The large metal finns are a temp sensor and O2 sensor is up the pipe. To check, open your filter box, if the white air director just in front MAF is sticky slick or dirty, you'll need to clean the MAF. If you can't feel or see dirt, take a white paper towel and do a good whipe and see what's there.