New Vibe Owner.

[RandallFlagg]

I say new but I have had the car since April. I found this site while doing research on buying a used Vibe. A lot of excellent information here. I have been meaning to post but have not gotten around to it.

03 base Vibe. Abyss Black non-monotone. 5-speed.... up until a week ago. Now it's a 6 speed.

I absolutely love this car. It reminds me a lot of my old 85 Duster 2.2. Small, versatile, fun to drive, and economical. I drive 60 miles to work one way with 50 of those miles being on the expressway so I have had some pretty good MPG results, typically 35-36. Waiting for my next fill up to see what kind of hit I take on the MPG running the 6 speed.

Anyways I have a couple of questions that I just have not been able to find answers for.

1. What buttons on the dash are supposed to be illuminated at night? Specifically the rear defroster, AC, Recirculate, remote mirror, and light dimmer controls. I don't want to tear apart the dash to look to see if there are lights behind these if I don't have to. Figured someone could just tell me which ones are supposed to be lit and which ones are not.

2. M/T shifter knob. Anyone have a 6 speed knob they are looking to sell? How do you remove them? It looks like a simple screw on screw off. Correct? Any recommendations on an aftermarket replacement? I know where to shift but I fear that if somebody else were to drive it they wouldn't realize that R is actually 6.

That's all I have for now. Thanks in advance for any info or answers.

[Pops]

Welcome.....
Sorry I can't help with your questions but I'm sure someone will chime in with the answers.

[KITT222]

Welcome welcome!! Post pics when you can. We love pics! As for your questions, pretty much everything is illuminated. The 110V button, all climate controls, the A/C and recirculate buttons, radio, defroster, hazards, and possibly the ring around the cigarette lighter. I'd post a picture, but Photobucket is acting up right now.

As for the shift knob, check ebay or car-part.com for GT Vibe/Matrix XRS/Corolla XRSs in your area for the knob. Or an aftermarket knob could work as long as the shift lever is the right diameter.

[Mariachi]

welcome to the forums!



hazards and rear window defrost don't light up on mine. the only time the defrost lights up is when I have it on.

the HVAC should all light up including the arrows.

[hotbug1776]

welcome to the forums!



hazards and rear window defrost don't light up on mine. the only time the defrost lights up is when I have it on.

the HVAC should all light up including the arrows.

Then you may have a bulb or two out. The hazards, rear defrost, and hvac buttons should all be lit. At least they all are in my car.

[Mariachi]

nope. no bulb out. im just on crack. lol.

they all light up. just checked my car again. lol. including the AC and vent circulation button.

[tpollauf]

Welcome to GenVibe. If I'm not mistaken the final drive ratio is the same for a 5-speed as it is for the 6-speed. Your MPG numbers should pretty much stay the same. POST pics real soon.

[RandallFlagg]

Thanks, Guys. I kind of figured most of those buttons would be illuminated but you can never tell.

Pics:


Your basic Black Vibe. I have been kicking around the idea of finding the painted cladding off from a silver Vibe and replacing the flat black cladding. Probably will never do it but if the opportunity arises I just might.


AC insulation mod. I just happened to have an old AC line with the insulation laying around so I retrofitted it to the Vibe. Works like a charm.

As for the gas mileage with the 6 speed I filled up today and it was right at 33.76 MPG. I usually get about 35.5 so it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. With the 5 speed I would be ding about 3000 RPM at 75 now with the 6 speed its about 3400 RPM. The 6 speed gives the engine a lot more zip due to it always being right in the middle of the engines power band. If I am not needing to accelerate quickly I will shift 1-2-4-6. Thankfully my mechanic does good work at a fair price. Nobody would rebuild the 5-speed and a used 6 speed was cheaper than a rebuilt 5.

I think the next things I will be doing are a new head unit and possibly speakers. The factory setup is very muddy sounding no matter how much I tweak it. After that it's getting the windows tinted. The long commute to work has me on the daylight side of the cars both ways. Shouldn't be a problem getting a script from the eye doc for the front window tint.

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! Glad to hear you finally decided to post and also glad to hear you're happy with your 1st gen Vibe !