GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi! I've had my Vibe for 9 months and have browsed these forums off and on. I thought it's about time I make an account and join the community. This is the first vehicle I've owned outright.

Here she is (hosted images to get around size limit) : http://imgur.com/a/PJtRC

This was my parents car until my dad slid into a tree, putting the gash in the rear passenger door/ fender. It's also rear ended at least one car. The car was "totaled" and they bought it back from insurance, and I took it off their hands for $900. 130k miles, engine runs great! It's been my daily driver for 9 months.

Work I've done myself so far:

- a lot of troubleshooting the headlights when I first bought it, took a lot of trial and error to get them working. cleaned grounds, swapped fuses, bulbs, but what finally did it was some patchy electrical work with the cracked fuse box (more on this below)
- new battery
- changed serpentine belt

At the shop:
- had front brakes done
- had coolant flushed first thing, regular oil changes since
- new tires

There are a few "cosmetic" things that have been nagging at me.

- the engine fuse box is cracked into 2 pieces, which are held together by a large piece of wire (how serious is this? I've driven for 9 months with no major electrical problems)
- the left headlight assembly was cracked (reflector hanging loose) and glued back together. It works, but points down too low
- the bumper cover is broken in a couple places and held on with the help of 2 drywall screws
- the fog lights are out
- the horn does not work (checked the fuse, no luck)
- the stereo display no longer lights up, but the radio works. I have an FM modulator wired to the stereo for an aux cord
- obviously the large dent in the passenger side
- warped rotors causing brake pulsation
- cracked windshield

I think those are the main things! I've been waiting for the weather to improve a bit to start working on it again. I do not have a place to work on my car indoors. My next priority is getting the headlights and fog lights restored and working optimally. Later I may try to do my own brakes.

Thanks for reading, tips and advice always welcome!

It will be much nicer if you can find a door and these cladding from the junkyard. Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum! I like your plans with your Vibe. I'd put the fog lights way down on the priority list. They really don't do anything. I would like to see a picture of the fuse box.

Put some battery power on the horn to see, I mean hear, if the horn itself works.
Replace the busted and glued headlight with one from the junkyard. Good site here: http://www.car-part.com/
Work on the front brakes. It is not difficult. O'Reilly's can turn the rotors if they are still thick enough.

Welcome to GenVibe Glad to hear you will slowly be fixing up this poor Vibe. Address safety concerns first, then onto cosmetic. Not having a shop or indoor garage to work on it really s u c k s !!! That was my problem 35 years ago Keep us posted here as to any/all progress. Oh, thanks for posting pics AND your location. That helps up help you.

Thanks for the responses! This car is not pretty, but has been very reliable and good to drive. I would like to get it in some semblance of better condition this year.

I have been looking for a door, but have not found one in my area in the right color.

Here are some images of the fuse box problem: http://imgur.com/a/XOcoW

It's going to need a more permanent solution eventually, with corrosion having it's way at the moment. Has anyone replaced an entire engine fuse box? How much of a pain would that be?

I have not replaced a fuse box yet. If I were in your place I would go to a U-pull and remove a junction box of a vibe/ Matrix/ Corolla of the same year/same engine. That way you learn on the junkyard car how to do it.

Welcome to GenVibe! So glad to hear you "saved" this Vibe and are already in the process of getting it fixed up. Consider starting a thread in the GenVibe Garage Forum to document any repairs, modifications, etc.

Welcome & good luck