GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

My new 2004 Salsa Vibe has arrived at the dealer's! Before I pick it up, I would like some advice from experienced owners, as this is our first new car! (We just sold our '91 Honda Accord, with 252,000 km and still going strong.)1) Would you opt to get an extra undercoating done on on the Vibe?2) What about a surface treatment of some kind, as I have been reading about trouble with paint chipping easily? My dad swears we should use Liquid Glass religiously & that will help... ?3) Have you found the rear bumper guard helpful? We load a drum set... 4) Any tips on things you wish you had done at the beginning?5) What do you clean the interior with? Our Honda had a shinier surface & was easy to wipe... the Vibe interior looks like it will be a different story.6)Is the slate colour interior hard to get in other areas? I wanted slate rather than charcoal as I thought it would be easier to keep clean, but we could not find one in the maritime provinces. had to go to Nova Scotia to get my Vibe even with the charcoal interior. Ah well, I love the ocean...! ... great site!

Congrats, nice color! I didn't get undercoating. I don't know if it's needed or not on these cars. I think that car makers are using better steel than they used to . I lways thought undercoating was just one of the tricks dealers used to make more money on the sale, but I guess it's value depends on where you live and if you're in an area where lots of other new cars are having rust problems, then it may be something to look into.I have a rear bumper guard, and my rear bumper is not messed up, but I don't know how vulnerable the plastic is to damage without one.Some people found that the dealers had not set proper tire pressure, and since tire pressure can affect how your tires wear, it's good to check it when you first get the car and periodically afterwards. See http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1828 I've been keeping track of my gas usage at every fill up to track L/km (or mpg) but I didn't start until after about 1500 km. If you're going to be interested in that, then keep track of it from the beginning. When you pick it up, look it over very carefully. You want the car to be in perfect condition, and if there's any cosmetic problems, it will be harder to get the dealer to accept responsibility after you've driven it off the lot.If you need to, get the dealer to go over all of the controls and make sure you know how to use the jack and change a tire.Read the Owner's Manual.I haven't had any problems keeping the interior plastic clean, but it seems as if the plastic on the top of the dash is different from the rest and mine scratches easily.

quote:1) Would you opt to get an extra undercoating done on on the Vibe?*1 Absolutely NOT. The ONLY rust prevention product worth even thinking about is 'KROWN'. You should be able to find it out there in the Merrytimes.2) What about a surface treatment of some kind, as I have been reading about trouble with paint chipping easily? My dad swears we should use Liquid Glass religiously & that will help... ?*2 Good question. The paint on the VIBE is a concern no doubt. Might be worth it to try some form of paint protectant, with a warranty. I'd prefer something that would still allow you to apply your favourite wax on top of it.3) Have you found the rear bumper guard helpful? We load a drum set... *3 For you, definitely.4) Any tips on things you wish you had done at the beginning?*4 I wish I had come to this board and asked the same questions you are asking.5) What do you clean the interior with? Our Honda had a shinier surface & was easy to wipe... the Vibe interior looks like it will be a different story.*5 The interior is very easy to clean. Nothing special is required, just the same stuff you would use to clean any other interior. Personal preference dictates if you want a shiny finish or dull.6)Is the slate colour interior hard to get in other areas? I wanted slate rather than charcoal as I thought it would be easier to keep clean, but we could not find one in the maritime provinces. had to go to Nova Scotia to get my Vibe even with the charcoal interior. *6 Any VIBE of any colour is near impossible to get in Canada. If you factory order one it takes 6 months. GM Canada sucks.Ah well, I love the ocean...!Don't drive your VIBE in the ocean. ... great site!

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quote:...and yes... canada sux Hey! I said GM Canada sucks. What's your beef? LOL!

Welcome aboard HEDDY...I also had a Accord before and dealer's rustproofing (carecraft - 7 years warranty) applied. Paid too much for that stuff (looking like roof pitch) and may be worst than anything else. Forget about it but KROWN or any lookalike product in your area. I've been using "Perma-Shine" product for few years now on my Nissan Axxess and Mazda 323 and very satisfied so far. There is one PermaShine in Fredericton (880 Hanwell Pl.) suggest to call and get more info.Suggest to buy mudguards for your new Salsa Baby and Rubber carpet for winter. There's a lot of snow for us, up north... I also love ocean... as Coast Guard Officer!

Welcome, and congrats on your purchase!Two of the biggest things I regret not doing the moment I took delivery are:(A) putting SEVERAL coats of a TOUGH durable wax on, not only to keep the shine, but to help toughen up the not-so-durable paint...though at the time I hadn't known the paint was going to let me down...(B) putting SEVERAL coats of Scotch-Guard on to help prevent staining on the seats, carpet, and mats. Though it may not have helped with my oil staining problem, it might have made some of the lesser, but still tough, stains easier to get out.But, hey, you live and you learn right?

Wow! THANK YOU for all of the input. Nothing like benefiting from the hindsight of others!I will be picking up my Salsa baby in a couple of hours. Based on some of your responses, I am ordering mudguardsand the rear bumper protector, will check my tire pressure, inspect it well, and plan to give it a protective coating right away. Thank you for helping ensure the long life of my Maritime Vibe. Although I will resist the temptation to actually drive my Vibe in the ocean, it WILL be subject to snow, sleet, hail (had some two days ago), blistering heat, humidity, salt, salt & more salt. Thank God for the awesome people & some of the most gorgeous scenery in the world to make up for it.A few more questions:1) is Clear Coat the extra coating offered by the dealer?2) What is Krown and where do I find it?3) The Scotch- Guard mentioned by ragingfish... is there any advantage to having the dealer put it on, or is it just as good to do it myself?4) SCTM- which Perma-Shine products do you like?5) How do y'all feeel about the cargo net & other accessories? Well-made? Worthwhile?BTW, I have seen only one other Vibe on the road in Fredericton - a shadow two-tone. The dealer has a loaded Neptune & Satellite on the lot at the moment, in case other Maritimers are browsing...Merci, & wish me luck! Heddy

I got an after-market cargo liner -- from http://www.mats.com -- which fit quite well. Of course, it covers the runners for the tie-down straps, but I find it more useful. I also got Weathertech rubber mats at the same website. I have had them on four five cars now and highly recommend them.

Hey there Heddy! Not much to add to the knowledgable posts above!1) Do the Scotch Guard yourself. Will cost you about 8bux vs. what, $100 for the dealer to do the same thing you will I covered the instruments and dash with a piece of cardboard to limit overspray then dusted the whole car after putting on about 3 coats of SG. Works just as good as the dealers would.2) you may want to research the undercoating thing. I don't have it in my vibe but I live in Alberta where we don't use much salt... I've heard BAD things about East Coast salted roads... dunno what to do about it but you should start asking around your friends, neighbours, random passers by, to figure out what is the best for your climate and road conditions.Happy vibing!

Re: Perma-Shine product. I choose that one (mid-oil/mid-grease) which is not dripping all over and over like just-oil product. It goes everywhere but like oil, you must re-apply every year. I don't believe in those product applied just once and supposed to be lifetime!!!I also placed a 3M plastic film on front end (hood) Make it before you wax your car! For ScotchGuard, do it yourself, save your money on this and buy a 3M plastic film for your exterior front end "hood". (make it before any wax!)Now, I don't want to make you cry... but winter tires will be necessary soon for us. Some of us have 15" rims and some others (like me) stayed with 16" original rims. Cause I bought MAGS for summer. I placed my GoodYear UltraGrip ice 16" on original rims. It goes realy well. Now, forget winter and enjoy summer in your magnificient province. I'll be there in august for vacations. (Shediac)Acadien? A la prochaine.

definitely cover the plastic handles and moldings before you wax it! It's hard to get out of the pits in the plastic

Hey, I clean my dash with armoral wipes...they work perfectly and make it amazingly shiny, although your right the dash doesnt clean easily, the armoral wipes dont work on the dash but they def. work on the rest of the interrior -={Paul}=-

Okay- I now officially have the most awesome car in the neighbourhood... my 2004 Salsa spent its first night in my driveway. I must say I looked out at it several times just to admire it. Took it out for a good drive & love the way it handles. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would adjust well, as my last car was a fully loaded Honda Accord EXR - quite plush, really, & powerful. But the Vibe is... well, just plain fun!Another question - what do you folks put on the black moldings (I have a two-tone)? This material is new to me.Thanks for the advice so far... a great help!Heddy

Welcome to GenVibe! Happy to have a province neighbour here! Congrats on your purchase! quote:Another question - what do you folks put on the black moldings (I have a two-tone)? This material is new to me.I personnally use the Mothers Back To Black on the cladding. I like it very much. It gives a great finish and it protects the cladding. I bought a bottle at Canadian Tire this spring. You just have to go to the Fredericton store.There's how it looks: and it's on sale this week (6,79 $) at CT.

Some other advice /tips for a new vibe owner:If an automatic transmission, make sure you have the shift lock cover installed. If not, make sure the dealer installs one.Understand how the Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and automatic headlights work. There's a delay between when they come on initially and when the full intensity headlights and taillights come on, so if you are starting out at night, turn the headlights on manually if you need to.The air conditioner is turned on automatically when the air system is set to defrost or combo defrost/floor, so you may need to adjust the temp control up to keep the windshield from fogging up.This is a great thread. Lets keep this going. This is a good one to point folks to when they first wise up and come to genvibe. What else should a new (or prospective) vibe owner know about?

congrats on your new car purchase! great choice in vehicle. let us know if you need anything else! we love to help!

Buy some RainX Anti-Fog for interior glass, and apply it to the windshield religiously. You'll be glad you did when it gets to that really annoying humid and cool temperature that causes the windshield to fog up within seconds of getting in the car. Armor All protectant wipes work fine for me to keep the dash looking nice. I go over everything with the AA Cleaner Wipes first, then again with the Protectant Wipes about once every three weeks or so. Keeps the interior looking all spiffy.If you didn't buy the cargo mat, get some grey towels to put under especially "scratchy" cargo to avoid damage to your plastic.

Glad to see another vibe here in the maritimes. They are rare-I just moved from Windsor where Vibes are a Dime a Dozen. Where I bought my Vibe in Windsor I got the undercoat and Teflon Paint Seal (to protect from all the chemical fallout from living in Southern Ontario where pollution is killer on paint!) I didn't bother with the bumper guard (snowboard and bikes in and out) or the cargo tray because I got my vibe because of the plastic floor that didn't need protection, just throw junk in. Last week I split rotten milk in the trunk and just wiped it up, imagine the smell if the trunk was carpet like other cars. Sorry to ramble enjoy your vibe.......

As requested (by Joatmon) - Many new Vibe owners report finding 2 plastic plugs in their glove boxes. The Vibe has two holes in the frame, about 6 inches in front of the rear wheels. The holes are used as anchor points for shipping. The plugs should be installed by the dealer before delivery, but many don't have a clue.Check your car - just look in front of the rear wheels, the holes are oval shaped (do not confuse with the series of round plugs running the length of the frame, the oval holes are farther under). To install just push them into place, just takes a minute. Failure to do so could result in premature corrosion of the frame. A diagram is attached from a post I had found some time ago ... sorry, but I cannot remember who originally provided it.

Thanks tots, I have been looking for that prior post and I think I finally found it at http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=3283.It lists some things the dealer is supposed to do prior to delivering the vehicle to the customer, the frame plugs are one of them.

get the scotch guard done at the dealer.for me, they warrantied the seats against stains or any other spills after they applied it.

Check out http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=8339 for a recommendation to have your alignment checked early, check your tire pressure and make sure your headlights are aimed properly.

Quote, originally posted by SCTM »Re: I also placed a 3M plastic film on front end (hood) Make it before you wax your car! Where did you get the film? What kind film (big one or small one)? How can the film stick on the hood?

If you're bying a 2004, try to bargain with the dealer for a free battery upgrade., the stock battery has been weak in very cold climates, and in 2005 models they are upgrading the battery to almost double the starting power of the battery in the 03's and 04's, see http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=2976

I always wondered what those plugs were for, I guess I could've actually looked at the package, it clearly says and shows what they are for At least they're now installed!

Hi there ;I got a new vibe just 1 month back and i read your tips ; thanks and i immediately bought a tire pressure guage and checked the pressure ;it was 32psi on 3 tires and left rear had 20 so i inflated it to 32 . I wanted to clarify something , on the tire it says 44 psi max cold load ,so should i inflate all the tires to 44 .Pls advice .Thank you .William

Hi there ;I got a new vibe just 1 month back and i read your tips ; thanks and i immediately bought a tire pressure guage and checked the pressure ;it was 32psi on 3 tires and left rear had 20 so i inflated it to 32 . I wanted to clarify something , on the tire it says 44 psi max cold load ,so should i inflate all the tires to 44 .Pls advice .Thank you .William

It is not necessary to post this in multiple forums.That's a common misconception. While the tire is designed to handle a max load of 44 psi, you should ALWAYS inflate your tires to the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure. This pressure is found on a label both on the driver's door jamb as well as in the glove box. For the 03 and 04 models it was 32 psi...I'm assuming it's the same for 05 as well...More info is available here: http://www.tiresafety.com/service/serv_nav1b.htm

Hey,i also just got rid of my 91 accord and got a new vibe, and i'm adoring the thing.

Hi there -- I have some newbie questions. I bought my 2003 base Vibe (with some mods in) this week ( ), but it didn't come with an owners manual . What do I need to know quickly in a nutshell? For one, I've been told the GT takes supreme gas only--same for the base model? I need to know VERY soon Heddy, I'm in Fredericton too (at UNB). Any chance I can take a quick peek at your book? (Though I don't know how much would apply - I have an '03, you have an '04; I have a base model, don't know what you have?) It would be nice to set the proper time at least!I've been looking into getting a cargo mat, though I've been checking out some of the all-weather varieties. Are there some all-weather ones (or rubberish/vinyl/easily cleanable ones that things don't slide on) that don't have a lip? I don't like the idea of having the lip sticking up -- especially if I want to put the back seats down! Any advice? )

You can find an owner's manual here. Granted, that's the US version but for all intents and purposes should serve you fine for anything you may need. The GT requires at least 91 octane fuel, however the base and AWD cars do not. 87 octane is the recommended fuel for those.Don't know about any of the other stuff, but someone else will. Welcome aboard.

Thanks! At least now I can set my clock (among other things). And if you're out there -- a big thank you to whoever in Quebec let go of this car at the end of its lease!

I'm about to buy a brand new '08 Vibe (Stealth - I love the blue grey color! It looked dull and flat online, but it's gorgeous in person) and I was wondering if there were any other questions to ask the dealer. I'm hoping I get quick posts because I'll likely be buying it tonight :DOn my list so far is to check tire pressure, check glove box for plugs to go in holes in the back (does this apply to 08 still? I'll ask anyway) and to get them to find a shift lock cover. I know it wasn't there because I saw the button while test driving and found myself wondering what it did, but thankfully I was afraid to push it.Any other advice for those new to the Vibe?I'm so thrilled I found this site. I had never heard of the Vibe, and when I was hunting down cars that met my practical needs, this one covered every single one including rave reviews from Consumer Reports. I really despise the idea of having the same blah car as the rest of the world, and I'm psyched to find such a versatile & functional, but still economical car with such a great personality!

welcome to genvibe fellow marylander The shiftlock cover is a little plastic piece that covers a hole, if you saw it and thought it was a button, then it's installed, if you saw a hole there then you need them to get you the cover. THere's a picture here somewhere of it installed and missing. (I have the 5 speed, so I don't have one to take a picture of) The shiftlock cover and the plugs underneath the car are things that the dealer is suposed to install, part of the dealer prep after the car has been shipped, it's not so much of a "do they apply to 08 vibes" more of how well they did their job on a particular day at a particular dealer. Couldn't hurt to ask.

So it would be an empty hole without the cover? It actually did seem like a button, it was recessed and it depressed a little like there was a spring mechanism behind it (I pushed on it a little... but like I said, I was afraid to push it for real). I assumed when I read about the cover it would be to prevent the button being pressed when it shouldn't be. I could definitely be wrong, though This is a pretty good dealer my family has done business with for years, so I know they'll find out and answer all my questions, but I want to make sure I know the ones to ask.Yay to a fellow Marylander, I'm actually in Clarksville, but I'm very near the SUV crazy yuppie death village (Columbia), so it's rare to see unique cars around me. Fun to be the only kid on the block with one, but nice to know there are some in the vicinity

Ok, after some Googling, it looks like shift lock is supposed to be a button that you can press to override the lock that stops gears from shifting without braking. (New at car specifics, but pretty handy around the internet)Can someone clarify if there should be a cover over top of this button?From what I've read on this thread so far, my impression was that it was a cover to bring the depression where the button is flush with the rest of the console and prevent the button from being pressed without actually intending to.So.. hole or button? Help?

Quote, originally posted by aerineth »Can someone clarify if there should be a cover over top of this button?From what I've read on this thread so far, my impression was that it was a cover to bring the depression where the button is flush with the rest of the console and prevent the button from being pressed without actually intending to.So.. hole or button? Help?hey welcome to the family. i'm gonna have to run out to my car at lunch time and check. but i'm sure there's a cover so like you said, the button is flush with the rest of the console.i think you're the first o8 owner on the forum...

Huge props to my dealer. It IS missing the cover, and he was asking the prep guys before I even asked about it. He says he has the hardest time keeping them from chucking them, and he'll sneak one away from another Vibe if he needs to He also knew exactly what I meant about the plugs in the frame and he's having the tire pressure checked for me.Good to have a genuine trustworthy car dealer!Gold Star

Quote, originally posted by fred »Where did you get the film? What kind film (big one or small one)? How can the film stick on the hood? I had the film installed prior to delivery, and it works great. No stone chips in the area covered by the film (which sadly isn't all that much). Not sure on the exact chemical composition of the adhesive - probably similar to pinstriping.No signs of it fading to a yellow hue...some people have mentioned this, but I've never seen it...not on the 3M stuff anyway.

Quote, originally posted by aerineth »I assumed when I read about the cover it would be to prevent the button being pressed when it shouldn't be. I could definitely be wrong, thoughThe small round hole next to the automatic shifter should have a cover. It is a small circular cover with a gap on one side to allow you to pry it open with a small tool. There is no button at all, either visible or under the cover. Instructions from the OM pp 2-30 & 31 says..."2. Carefully pry the shift-lock override small, round cover from the floor-shift console, located to the right of the shift lever.3. Insert the end of a flat-tipped tool into the circular slot and press down firmly.4. While maintaining brake application, move the shift lever into the drive gear you want.5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as possible." My understanding is that if you ever have to do this, then the mechanism must be reset by the dealer.The over torqueing in Park can occur when you don't follow the proper sequence putting it into or out of Park, especially when on a hill. They recommend...Shifting into Park. Press foot brake and hold, engage the parking brake, push the chrome button on the lever in and move into Park, turn ignition key to the Lock position.Shifting out of Park and into gear. Press foot brake and hold, push the chrome button on the lever in and move into gear, then release the parking brake.Note the critical thing is to engage the parking brake before putting into Park and disengage the parking brake after putting it into Gear. While I don't have many hills where I live, I have noticed that it is very easy to do this sequence wrong, which can easily cause the torque lock condition described.Sorry to be so long winded, but I hope this clarifies it for you.

Hm, well, it's not a hole but it is missing the cover. Here's a picture of what I have and the dealer is ordering me a cover for it.

I just wanted to say high to all. I am a proud owner of a 2008 vibe as of 4:00 on 4/25/2008. Does anyone know of any problems the 2008 may have up front. THe car seems to be pretty stout for just being the base model.

Hello guys,This is my first time on the site. I have no advice or tips, but I am looking forward to reading some of your thoughts. I have just recently purchased a 06 vibe, it had 17k miles and was in "very cherry" condition. It has the following: monotone appearance, moonroof, AWD, CD changer and 7 speaker system. My last car is a 01 Honda Civic and at 325K miles and it still runs like a top. I tend to be very fanatical when it comes to car maintenence. I do a lot of driving. I really wasn't intending to buy the car, but I was at a dealership getting service done to another car and I saw it. One thing lead to another and I bought it. The funny thing was that I had seen the car on the dealer's lot 3 weeks earlier and obviously it caught my eye. I love the car. I travel over an hour to work everyday and the mileage is pretty good for a AWD. So far I've averaged 28.5 mpg (40% town-60% highway). I am sure I will do a little better. As for the Honda, (which I still love) I am giving the car to my eldest son to take with him when he goes back to college after the upcoming holidays. He just needs to learn to drive a "standard"; I have been teaching him. I am hoping to get the same amount of use and miles as I did on the Honda. The Vibe's set up and features would have been the same, if I was to have purchased it when it was new in 06. I guess the Vibe was meant for me. Thanks for your attention.Roland