Hey all!
I just brought home my 2006 Vibe 5 Speed and have a few general questions that some of you might be able to answer.
My primary concern is the clutch. The car has 308,027 miles as of today and the previous owner has no knowledge of the car ever receiving a new clutch. Surely with such high mileage, the clutch must have been replaced at some point, right? Knowing this, how can I identify warning signs of a worn clutch, moreover, what are the symptoms of a slipping clutch?
One last question here, how difficult is it for a relatively inexperienced mechanic to learn how to replace a clutch with one of these cars? This is my first car with a standard transmission and my first potential large project. Any tips you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Otherwise, it's all the other small odds and ends. Recirc actuator needs to be replaced, HVAC backlights, and maybe disabling the auto headlights at some point lol. Has a pretty sweet Kenwood stereo hooked up to the Moons and Toons package, but has some pretty bad interference issues so it could use a rewiring.
Thanks for having such a welcoming community here at GenVibe! Looking forward to the miles I'll put on this car!
New Owner - 2006 Vibe 5 speed Concerns
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meltdown000
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:32 am
- Location: Southwest WI
New Owner - 2006 Vibe 5 speed Concerns
"Hubble" - 2006 Platinum Silver Vibe Base, Moons and Tunes, 5 speed - 308,XXX Miles and counting
R.I.P. 2004 "Neppy" Vibe Base - 5XX,XXX estimated miles, 17-Year Family Car.
R.I.P. 2004 "Neppy" Vibe Base - 5XX,XXX estimated miles, 17-Year Family Car.
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VibeNation2024
- Posts: 109
- Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:06 pm
- Location: Central IL
Re: New Owner - 2006 Vibe 5 speed Concerns
Welcome to Gen Vibe and congrats on your "new to you" Vibe! I always wanted a stick but the wife doesn't so I have an automatic '07 and '08 base Vibe. Since neither of mine Vibes are manual, I don't have personal expirience but from what I read and past manual trans expirience, I would be very suprised if the clutch was never replaced with 300,000 miles! Even if a majority of the miles were highway, that is a lot of miles on the original clutch.
As far as symptoms of a slipping clutch, it would be things like not engaging even with the clutch pedal fully released, increase in RPM's, noises while in gear, etc. There are several forums that you could look through to see if they relate. There is also a recent one: viewtopic.php?t=49033
If it is a DIY project, I would say that depends on your mechnical knowledge, tools at hand, willingness to tackle the project, etc. I found this youtube video that seems very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebJpabh-WXc
Finally, I had the other minor repairs when I picked up my 08 in the spring. My suggestions are as follows:
1. Re-circ - purchase a quality part and so the gear teeth do not fail quickly. This is not a repair you want to do often! You can do it without taking apart the dash but it is tight so you will have to be patient. I did it with a mini socket set.
2. HVAC lights - I looked into this but decided to skip it since you have to take apart the console to get to the components and solder in the new LED's.
Hope this helps and feel free to reach out with other questions or post updates with the progress!
As far as symptoms of a slipping clutch, it would be things like not engaging even with the clutch pedal fully released, increase in RPM's, noises while in gear, etc. There are several forums that you could look through to see if they relate. There is also a recent one: viewtopic.php?t=49033
If it is a DIY project, I would say that depends on your mechnical knowledge, tools at hand, willingness to tackle the project, etc. I found this youtube video that seems very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebJpabh-WXc
Finally, I had the other minor repairs when I picked up my 08 in the spring. My suggestions are as follows:
1. Re-circ - purchase a quality part and so the gear teeth do not fail quickly. This is not a repair you want to do often! You can do it without taking apart the dash but it is tight so you will have to be patient. I did it with a mini socket set.
2. HVAC lights - I looked into this but decided to skip it since you have to take apart the console to get to the components and solder in the new LED's.
Hope this helps and feel free to reach out with other questions or post updates with the progress!
Re: New Owner - 2006 Vibe 5 speed Concerns
A slipping clutch looks like RPMs go up but speed doesnt. It's doable, but a pain. Sooner or later all clutches wear out, not cheap but I'd be inclined to pay someone to replace one
I thought the hvac lights were replaceable bulbs in the 03-08s, although it lost formatting and any pictures, there's a how to at viewtopic.php?t=37556
I thought the hvac lights were replaceable bulbs in the 03-08s, although it lost formatting and any pictures, there's a how to at viewtopic.php?t=37556