2 questions for matrix/vibe (or corolla?) drivers

I just bought a 2003 Vibe, and I'm very happy with it, but I have a few
little questions.
1. Where are the cabin fuses? I feel really dumb that I can't find
them - the manual helpfully says they're "under the driver's side
insturment panel" but even when I crawl under there upside down I can't
see them. Any advice?
2. Is it normal that there is sometimes quite a pause after I turn the
key before the engine starts? I depress both the brake and the clutch
and turn the key, and nothing happens, sometimes for a few seconds.
I'd appreciate any helpful advice or comments.
Thanks,
Andy

On 25 Oct 2005 16:31:12 -0700, [email]andynewhouse@yahoo.com[/email] wrote:
[color=blue]
>I just bought a 2003 Vibe, and I'm very happy with it, but I have a few
>little questions.
>1. Where are the cabin fuses? I feel really dumb that I can't find
>them - the manual helpfully says they're "under the driver's side
>insturment panel" but even when I crawl under there upside down I can't
>see them. Any advice?[/color]

They put a cover over the fuses so kids don't play with them. or you
don't accidentally short them out with something metallic. Look for a
rectangular or oval panel bigger than a playing card with a
finger-hole in the middle to pop it out.

Sometimes you have to take off an entire plastic panel, like the
'kick panel by your foot ahead of the door, but that's rarer. And
they usually mark the panel with a raised "FUSE PANEL". They know
people need to find the fuse block, so they make it findable.
[color=blue]
>2. Is it normal that there is sometimes quite a pause after I turn the
>key before the engine starts? I depress both the brake and the clutch
>and turn the key, and nothing happens, sometimes for a few seconds.
>I'd appreciate any helpful advice or comments.[/color]

Sounds like a sticking starter solenoid to me - how many miles on
the car? If the car was used for courier service and they used the
starter a lot, they could have plain worn it out.

Pay attention to that pause - if the pause starts getting longer and
longer, get it checked out before the car won't start at all.

Or it could have some oil or grease inside the starter solenoid
where it shouldn't be (graphite lube, please) and it's quite literally
gumming up the works.

Or the battery is toast - possible even on a 3 year old car if
someone has left the headlights on overnight a few times. Have
someone do a simple load test on the battery

.. And top off the battery with distilled water at the same time -
when they put 'maintenance free' on top, it just means you only need
to check it once or twice a year, not every month. If you never add
water to a 'maintenance free' battery it runs dry and goes dead just
as the 3 year warranty ends, and you have to buy a new battery that
much sooner.

--<< Bruce >>--

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.