Introducing a newbie's first year in a VX

[spaceghost]

Check engine light cleared and came back a few times with p0440 evap emissions code until I found this under the hood. Spent a few minutes to find the host that should be attached, and after connecting no more check engine light so far. Not sure what it does, but it likes it connected.

[spaceghost]

The ABS works great in sub-zero temps at times, but isn’t happy the rest of the time. For the most part, I don’t really mind. ABS always seems to make me mad on any car I have tried to use it. The air bag light is a bit more bothersome, and I did manage to fix it for awhile by playing with the drivers belt recoil. I’ll have to try harder some day.

[spaceghost]

A month into VX ownership,II noticed the original timing belt was still going strong @ 185k and installed a Gates TCKWP303 Timing Belt Kit with Water Pump to keep fate at bay. Shortly after went in some new SurTrack IZ-8021 CV Axle Shafts and Moog ball joints. With fresh axle half-shafts, the TOD system is way better than I thought after having the jerkiness with the old shafts. If you think your TOD is crap, install new shafts. Of course, none of this helped all the oil disappearing without a trace. If I drive nice, I can go 1000 miles before adding a quart. If I drive like I do, I get between 500 and 800 miles it seems. Interesting enough this exactly matched the behavior my 99 Trooper had with about the same miles on it, so I am already trained in. Let’s just say I am used to having a monthly oil budget in addition to gas.

[spaceghost]

Around the first holiday season, I gifted the VX some custom replacement rear door cargo cover knobs, and threw in a Kurt 2" receiver hitch. Heck, even found the old subwoofer & rear some speakers to make life good. With holiday travel in effect, my man Craig and his mighty list prepared me with with a Yakima Low Rider rack & Basketcase rack to prep for Santa. Liking the setup so far.

[spaceghost]

This lead to a first road trip, driving 4 folks a few hundred miles in a VX. Required the most serious mod yet - custom cup holders all around. If you can’t hold at least 4 cups, you aren’t ready for prime time yet.

Rear console with added cup holder from 200ish Chevy Prizm.




Front custom from moded walmart $5 auto isle special

[spaceghost]

The road trip also made me install a Trooper rear cargo light off the dome light. Also found this to be an easy “must do” mod.

[spaceghost]

Lookin a new rubber, I gave Discount Tire a spin with some P255/70R15 109S OWL Pathfinder SAT tires. They look good, and eat snow and weather like nothing happened. Would do again!

[Mile High VX]

Nice job spaceghost!

Be sure to keep the front half of this cup holder filled for more mods and more fun...

[gletom]

I don"t understand why spend fifty five hundred on a Vehicross with 185,000 miles and so many obvious things wrong. For $2000 more and get a real nice one with lower miles and full history???

[Y33TREKker]

The ABS works great in sub-zero temps at times, but isn’t happy the rest of the time. For the most part, I don’t really mind. ABS always seems to make me mad on any car I have tried to use it. The air bag light is a bit more bothersome, and I did manage to fix it for awhile by playing with the drivers belt recoil. I’ll have to try harder some day.

Possibly the colder temps making the electronics connections in the ABS module in the engine bay contract and maintain better contact? There is an Ebay seller who sells the service of reconditioning these modules for about $100 that a few members here have had success with. Maybe that would do the trick?

Airbag lights/codes are a bit trickier. I just fixed the airbag code I was getting on my car by replacing a few capacitors, a thermal resistor, and a thermal fuse in my airbag diagnostics module. Knowing how fidgety electronics gremlins can be though, time will tell whether that fix permanently addresses the code.

Nice choice for user ID. Old school Coast To Coast fan too?

Welcome.