My HHR is back with the dealer due to an overheating problem.

I've had it for two weeks. A couple of days ago it was very hot, 102. I noticed that when I turned off the engine the electric fan continued to run for a little while. I thought that because of the excessive heat, this was a safety feature. It did this three or four times in the last two days. I had not noticed this previously.

Early this morning, I had to make an airport run before daylight. The outdoor temp was in the low 60's. This is about a 35 mile round trip. I noticed the temp gauge was showing the engine getting pretty warm. It was not in the danger zone but getting close. Just as I pulled into my driveway, the warning light came on. I shut off the engine and the fan continued to run for a while.

A little laster I called my salesman. He spoke with the service manager and they had not seen this problem on any HHR before. He sent over a wrecker to bring it to the dealer because they didn't want to take any chances. He also sent over a new Equinox for me to drive (another reason to love my HHR).

I suppose I will hear something from them tomorrow. I have to say I am proud of my dealer thus far for their customer satisfaction.

Has anyone else experienced or heard of similar problems on an HHR? Any guesses as to what is causing this?

Well it sounds like the fan is working. Maybe your coolant is low or not the right strangth. Mybe the thermostat is not opening up. Your rad might be full of bug on the front side, but only having it that long I can't see that. Keep us posted when you find out what it was.

Today it was 110 here in Lake Havasu. Az., I was running around town all day with the air on and did not experience any heating problems. When I pulled in the garage, the fan turned off with the engine I guess because I could not hear it. Sounds like you have a great dealer and I am sure they will get to the problem quickly. good luck on getting back on the road quickly.

no problems here with overheating with 100+ temps

Just got the call from my salesman. The service manager said that the thermostat seemed faulty and they replaced it. They are running all the diagnostics on it now and will test everything. I hope that's the only problem.

I am very impressed with customer satisfaction and communication. I appreciate the Equinox but I want my HHR back!

Just got the call from my salesman. The service manager said that the thermostat seemed faulty and they replaced it. They are running all the diagnostics on it now and will test everything. I hope that's the only problem.

I am very impressed with customer satisfaction and communication. I appreciate the Equinox but I want my HHR back!

What did you think of the equinox overall? Wife is thinking of getting one

Just got the call from my salesman. The service manager said that the thermostat seemed faulty and they replaced it. They are running all the diagnostics on it now and will test everything. I hope that's the only problem.

I am very impressed with customer satisfaction and communication. I appreciate the Equinox but I want my HHR back!

I hope your HHR comes out OK, having a faulty thermostat isn't all that uncommon. At least it was discovered early and with luck no other problems will occur as a result. Good luck. :smile:

No overheating here.. average temp is 68 F , some days was 84 F
coolant temp is about 187 - 194 F

What did you think of the equinox overall? Wife is thinking of getting one

Forget the Equinox and get her a Dodge CHARGER!!!! :lol: :nuts: :lol:

Ng

I just came from the dealer. Bad news. They replaced the thermostat. The service manager said he wanted to run it, cool it down and run it again to make sure everything was fine before he returned it to me. Bear in mind it has about 300 miles on it. When they went through this process they heard distressing engine noises and shut it down. He told me they were going to go through the engine for further inspection.

I am a bit concerned. The SM told me if he could not restore the engine to new condition, they would put a new engine in it for me. How do you folks feel about this? Would you be stubborn and say, "I want a new engine, I don't want to take a chance down the road on this"? Would you at some point invoke the "lemon law?"

He did tell me that he contacted some guy at GM about this issue to see if it had cropped up in other HHR's and was told that this was the first one he had heard about.

About the Equinox: It's okay, not nearly as cool as my Victory Red HHR. This one is pretty stock and is that gold/champain color. There is a little more leg room than the HHR. My knee doesn't lean against the console. The seats are comfortable. The pick up and power seem adequate. The windows are huge and not tinted very darkly. It has a lot of plastic and I don't care for the quality of the cloth seats. I wouldn't buy this one but a nicer model might be better.

I just came from the dealer. Bad news. When they went through this process they heard distressing engine noises and shut it down. He told me they were going to go through the engine for further inspection.

Although what has happened to your HHR is very unfortunate it is a malfunction of something man made failing to do it's part (the thermostat), anything man made is subject to failure. It's very possible that it could have caused other damages as well and I'm sure if whatever else it may have caused, if reparable, will be. Your dealer hasn't any incentive to just patch it up and return it back to you only to have you return it later because the engine failed. This would be double the work on their part and since it's a warranty issue they would be better off repairing it right the first time, even if it means a new engine. If the current engine is repairable I would suggest you let them repair it and go on your merry way. Since you already have the original problem on record you'll be covered down the road if their repair dosen't hold up. You can demand a new engine but they don't have to honor your demand if they can adequately repair the exhisting one. As far as the lemon law goes, you can't use it unless the car has been to the dealership at least three times for the same problem and they haven't been able to repair it.

Its documented about the thermostat..
Make another recommendation to GM customer support.. to futher document it..
Then in the future things happen... there responsible for it...

Forget the Equinox and get her a Dodge CHARGER!!!! :lol: :nuts: :lol:

Ng


That would be nice, but then the kids have to be stuck in the trunk. :lol:
She wants to get rid of her minvan and the Equinox seems to have enough room not priced out of are budget

TxSkyPilot Thanks for the review :thumb:

I'm getting mixed messages from the dealer. One guy told me over the phone they were getting in the parts from Detoit to "rebuild" my engine. I said, "I have 300 miles on this car. It had a defective part that caused engine damage. I don't want a rebuilt engine in my new car. I want a new engine in my new car."

I then called my salesman. He's working hard to make this right. I asked him if I had any choice in how my car is repaired and he said of course I do. I told him that my preference is to have a new engine installed. He said that was definitely doable and that there was a GM rep at the dealer today and that he would go and talk to him right away.

I miss my HHR!

Force them to replace the engine. When things go "clunk" in an engine, bad things have happened. Let GM send yours to their Mr. Goodwrench mechanic school and let the students rebuild it for themselves.

One guy told me over the phone they were getting in the parts from Detoit to "rebuild" my engine. I said, "I have 300 miles on this car. It had a defective part that caused engine damage. I don't want a rebuilt engine in my new car. I want a new engine in my new car."

I miss my HHR!

Man, I feel for u, but I hope they don't have an out in the warranty language - you know "we can repair or replace at our discretion". Yea I sure don't want a rebuilt engine in my new car! Keep fighting!

:roll:

Man, I feel for u, but I hope they don't have an out in the warranty language - you know "we can repair or replace at our discretion". Yea I sure don't want a rebuilt engine in my new car! Keep fighting!

They probably do have that out but in the spirit of satisfying a long-term customer, I hope they don't resort to using it.

:thumb: Tell them to put in the Cobalt Supercharged engine, and you'll call it even.......

They probably do have that out but in the spirit of satisfying a long-term customer, I hope they don't resort to using it.

I think if you have a real good relationship with your dealer they'll bend over backwards to satisfy you. Good luck!!

I called back today and talked to the assistant service manager. He said GM had agreed to replace my engine with a new one and they would have one overnighted and hopefully installed by the weekend.

Hey guys, this has been such a distressing situation. Thanks for being supportive and letting me rant a bit.

I called back today and talked to the assistant service manager. He said GM had agreed to replace my engine with a new one and they would have one overnighted and hopefully installed by the weekend.

Hey guys, this has been such a distressing situation. Thanks for being supportive and letting me rant a bit.
That's wonderful news...glad to hear things are all working out. I know I wouldn't be happy with anything but a NEW engine.

You are entitled to rant and that's what we're here for. I'm sure somewhere down the road another one of us will need to do the same thing. We're like a family here and if you can't blow off a little steam to your family...then who can you talk to? :smile:

It's good news that you're getting a new engine, but it's sure a bummer that something like that happened in the first place!!
Since they evidently dis-assembled the original engine did they share with you what exactly happened inside? Was the faulty thermostat actually the start of it all?

Yes, the thermostat was the culprit. However, the warning light did not come on until it was too late. Keep an eye on that engine temperature gauge!

The SM said that since the engine only had 300 miles on it, it was so tight that any excessive heat would cause serious damage. He said if the engine had 5000 or more miles on it and was well broken-in, it probably wouldn't have been damaged.

There's no word yet when I will get it back. I'm hoping by Friday but I'm not counting on having it this weekend.

It's a wonder it didn't seize up on you! Had that happen "MANY" years ago on a 1970 Pinto. My 'EX" started the car and the oil filter gasket popped out somehow. She continued on down the road, then the Red dash lights started flashing! But she just kept going until she fried the engine about 7 miles from home!

Sounds like you have a good dealership and a good service department. Since it IS a warranty they're better off replacing the engine anyway. It's much less in manhours to replace it than to rebuild it and GM's covering the cost anyway. Your SM is right about it causing so much damage cause the engine is so new. Bad thermostat's, although rare now days do happen. At least it went bad real soon rather than a year down the road. Hope you get it back soon. Mine goes into the dealership in the morning. They're still working on stopping the A/C from growling. They already replaced the compressor which quieted it down quite a bit, but it's still there. Now there's an TSB out on it saying that the noise is caused by some faulty A/C hoses so they're going to replace mine tomorrow.

I hope you get a good loaner car!

My HHR experienced some overheating also. While driving Monday I noticed the engine temp would rise quickly while at a stop and dropped almost as quickly once I got moving. I dropped the car off at my chevy dealer, they replaced the thermostat and said the coolant level was about a pint low but could not find a leak anywhere. I picked up the car today and have driven about 50 miles and things are back to normal. :thumb:

My HHR experienced some overheating also. While driving Monday I noticed the engine temp would rise quickly while at a stop and dropped almost as quickly once I got moving. I dropped the car off at my chevy dealer, they replaced the thermostat and said the coolant level was about a pint low but could not find a leak anywhere. I picked up the car today and have driven about 50 miles and things are back to normal. :thumb:

Hmmmm, maybe this is a trend. Watch your engine temps. This could be a batch of bad thermostats.

Good news. The SM just called and said they have bright shiney new new motor in a crate and I should be able to get my HHR back Saturday by noon!!!

Wahoo!!! :thumb:

Hmmmm, maybe this is a trend. Watch your engine temps. This could be a batch of bad thermostats.

Mine's runnning 195 to 200. Is that the specified temp that's considered "normal".

Mine's runnning 195 to 200. Is that the specified temp that's considered "normal".

yes, it should be able to hit around 205 or so safely. These new engines are designed to run pretty hot as compared to earlier cars. Something to do with thermal efficiency. These most likely have a 195 degree thermostat in them.

Mine's runnning 195 to 200. Is that the specified temp that's considered "normal".

Should be. Mine runs an average of 196. Just make sure you watch the temp gauge, not just the temp on the DIC.

I've hit 228 several times after dyno runs...not a pretty sight! :eek:

On an LA freeway once, stuck in traffic on a hot day it got up to 215 for a few minutes, but after all the hard dynoing we've done, I'm not too worried about the HHR overheating during regular driving.

With the CGS intake, my "normal" operating temp is around 192.

I used to run 202 to 206 and now i have the Royal Purple and CGS i am running 192 to 196.

very pleased here

I've hit 228 several times after dyno runs...not a pretty sight! :eek:

On an LA freeway once, stuck in traffic on a hot day it got up to 215 for a few minutes, but after all the hard dynoing we've done, I'm not too worried about the HHR overheating during regular driving.

With the CGS intake, my "normal" operating temp is around 192.

Hey Mike, that is interesting.....

If your engine temperature is 210F, would your transmission temperature be the same??

I'm asking because the guys I formerly worked with said, "If the transmission temp. hits 210-215f change the trans fluid NOW. If you hit 220, for any length of time, you "cooked" the trans!!!!

Coming back from redland this past weekend I got stuck in some traffic on the Arizona side of I-10 (ambient 110) I hit 208-210 on engine temp. a couple of times....that has me worried. Could this cause premature trans problems???

Hey Mike, that is interesting.....

If your engine temperature is 210F, would your transmission temperature be the same??

I'm asking because the guys I formerly worked with said, "If the transmission temp. hits 210-215f change the trans fluid NOW. If you hit 220, for any length of time, you "cooked" the trans!!!!

Coming back from redland this past weekend I got stuck in some traffic on the Arizona side of I-10 (ambient 110) I hit 208-210 on engine temp. a couple of times....that has me worried. Could this cause premature trans problems???

Try this site.....

http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm

Try this site.....

http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm

Good post Pacerman....Good info on that chart...I was going to say, with GM TH350 & TH400 tranny's, you were safe til the magic number 260...then you had to get a tow....
I have a 3800 rpm stall converter in my Chevelle with a Tranny Temp. Gauge and it runs normal at around 180....launch it from a few stop lights and run it through the gears a few times and it gets up to 220 - 240...then I drive like I have some sense and it comes right back to 180-190.....

Try this site.....

http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm
Hey a big thanks Pacerman....:thumb: :twothumbs

The referred site provides part of the answer regarding the temperature and "cooking" the trans.;)

Still wondering about the engine temp. and the trans temp. relationship. But I suppose logic would dictate....if the engine reaches 300+ you would "cook" everything anyhow.:lol: :lol:

I hit 250 briefly while experincing overheating. The temp guage was still one tick away from red and no check engine light. The temp dropped twenty degress very quickly once I got moving. At the dealership the service advisor duplicated the temperature and the A/C shut itself off, but still no warning light. After they repalced the thermostat they ran it for an hour in the shop and never got over 202. I'm running Mobil 1 and I'm glad I do.

I think there must have been a batch of bad thermostats. Keep your eyes open people. Now back to my ongoing saga...

I was supposed to get my HHR back yesterday (Sat) at noon. At 11:00, the service rep called me to say that they had run into a snag. I had asked them to check out the DIC because the outside temp seemed to be sticking on one temperature reading and not going up and down as it does in my suburban.

After replacing my engine, they started working on the DIC. Remember now that my overheat warning light did not come on until after the damage was done to the engine. So they thought it best to do some check. The service manager decided to replace that whole unit... which of course they didn't have and couldn't get on a Saturday. So Monday they will express order the part, get it on Tuesday and MAYBE I will be back in my HHR on Wednesday. That will lack one day being two weeks in the shop.

I wasn't too upset. I told him I would rather them keep it long and fix it right than to get it back and have more problems.

Well, you are going to have to really take that puppy out for a good long test drive when you get her back. I wouldn't even say I was accepting it when I went to pick it up. I would say, OK, I'm going out for a 1 hour test drive and report back. Be polite - but anal-retentive about the whole thing.

Just out of curiosity - Do you get back a car that shows zero miles, like a new car???

Just out of curiosity - Do you get back a car that shows zero miles, like a new car???

I asked that. It's illegal even for a dealer to zero the miles (perhaps impossible in the DIC). So I'll have a car with 300 miles on it and an engine with 0.

I think taking it out for an hour or two would be a very, very good idea. I hope to get it back Wednesday morning.

Still wondering about the engine temp. and the trans temp. relationship. But I suppose logic would dictate....if the engine reaches 300+ you would "cook" everything anyhow.:lol: :lol:

Generally speaking the heat relationship between the tranny and engine are for the most part independant from one another. The only thing they may have in common is a tranny cooling tank located in the radiator housing. Since I have a manual I don't know if the HHR uses a tank cooler located in the radiator or if it has it's own cooler. But even if it's located in the radiator, the engine cooling part of the radiator has little effect on the tranny cooling part.

All this talk about heat has got me to pay attention to mine. I've been watching mine a lot lately and here are the results. Our ambient temps here in central Florida have been in the upper 90's lately. The operating temps in my HHR (according to the DIC) stay between 194 and 196 no matter what the driving conditions are. My engine is completely stock as is the exhaust and intake systems. :thumb:

Generally speaking the heat relationship between the tranny and engine are for the most part independant from one another. The only thing they may have in common is a tranny cooling tank located in the radiator housing. Since I have a manual I don't know if the HHR uses a tank cooler located in the radiator or if it has it's own cooler. But even if it's located in the radiator, the engine cooling part of the radiator has little effect on the tranny cooling part.

Thanks, Dan...

I appreciate your time for this answer.

I'm still wondering why "the guys" said to change the trans. fluid when the temp.'s exceeded 220.

This info came from a guy who pulled a 6500# boat with an older truck. He changed his tranny fluid after every run to the lake (if you have been to Arizona, you know how much torture that is). He went slightly over 200,000 miles before a rebuild.

But, I guess, according to info on a link someone else supplied, the excess temp.'s could be cumulative.

I asked that. It's illegal even for a dealer to zero the miles (perhaps impossible in the DIC). So I'll have a car with 300 miles on it and an engine with 0.

I think taking it out for an hour or two would be a very, very good idea. I hope to get it back Wednesday morning.

Hey.... if they are a good dealer, they would extend your warranty for the "lost" time.

I had a similar situation a few years back and my dealer (with GM approval) added 27 days to my warranty. Didn't matter though. My out of warranty mileage came first.

Oh, and I do not believe it is ILLIGAL for a dealer to zero out the mileage (at least not in AZ. maybe in TX). as long as the original mileage is disclosed at the time of sale. I have done this at least once also....custom El Camino.....with full digital instumentation.

Just a thought for you..

Thanks, Dan...

I'm still wondering why "the guys" said to change the trans. fluid when the temp.'s exceeded 220.

This info came from a guy who pulled a 6500# boat with an older truck. He changed his tranny fluid after every run to the lake (if you have been to Arizona, you know how much torture that is). He went slightly over 200,000 miles before a rebuild.

But, I guess, according to info on a link someone else supplied, the excess temp.'s could be cumulative.

He's probably using his engine temp as a guide to guage his tranny temp. Even though the temps between the two systems won't be the same, it's pretty good reasoning that when one goes up so does the other, and the tranny temps would even be higher than normal when towing. So it's alway's good to establish some sort of guideline to use as a routine for tranny fluid replacement. By using a routine tranny fluid cycle you can expect your tranny to last a good long time.

All the Trans temp answers are good, and all I may add is your Trans temp will depend on the load during driving. Idle putting around town would let it run cooler than the engine. On the other hand, doing the hard launches, High speed runs or pulling a trailer give the water cooled engine a edge on the transmission.

wwoooHHHoooo Post 350.... only 1/16th of 'CH's Posts'

<rant mode on>

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!! :mad: :cussing:

Okay, I was supposed to get the HHR back today. No dice. Get this, the computer and parts they were going to order on Monday and have overnighted so they could be installed on Tuesday... They still didn't have them today (Wednesday)! The excuse: "Must have got lost in the mail." Yeah, or some incompetent SA didn't order them yet. My beautiful new HHR with now a new engine has sat in a service bay at the dealer longer than I have had it. Meanwhile, I've made my first payment and paid insurance. This is getting old!

</rant mode off>

Geez Louise...I think GM should offer to at least pay your car payment, since you not having the vehicle is through no fault of your own. Yea right...like they will really do that. Hope you get your car back real soon.

Sorry for the continuing updates but I now have my HHR back! :D

My salesman went to the service manager and got him to get the computer part from a new HHR and put it on mine. Whenever the part they ordered (if they ever ordered it) comes in, it can go on the new HHR.

He's such a good guy, he called me up this morning to give me the good news and delivered it to my driveway himself along with a gift card to Texas Roadhouse.

I'm not happy with the service department but they don't come any better than my salesman.

I hope to get it out this weekend for a road test. Thanks for all your support and keep your eye on the temperature.

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Congrads on getting you car back. Glad to here that your salesman did that for you. My salesman retired 3 days after I bought my HHR.

Wow...that's great news and great service from your saleman. Good idea to hijack computer part from a new HHR on the lot. :bow:

It always helps to have a good rapport with the salesman. Those who are very good at what they do know that even though the sale has been completed. After all, they love referrals and if a previous buyer is unhappy with service provided by the dealership, they certainly won't get them. My salesman is always happy to see me, although he always asks if anything is wrong :lol: and always calls me by my first name. And of course, he's always curious to see what I've done to the car since the last time he saw it. :D

Sorry to bother you but I have a question, my coolant temp climbs to like 210 if the car is left sitting for a while i.e. a busy fast food drive thru... but on the freeway the temp is like 185-190. Is the higher temp normal??

My 08 does that also. Then the cooling fan will kick in and bring the temp down.

Sorry to bother you but I have a question, my coolant temp climbs to like 210 if the car is left sitting for a while i.e. a busy fast food drive thru... but on the freeway the temp is like 185-190. Is the higher temp normal??

That almost exactly what i see with mine. The only time i've had a car over heat on me was after i had it in a body shop for a couple of month and it turned out that the rad was packed with filler dust.

What you are encountering probably won't hurt anything unless it goes a bit over that.

If it bothers you....one thing you can do is turn on the A/C. Maybe turn the temp to high, if the area you live in is cold. Turning the a/c on, automatically turns the radiator fans on, providing the necessary air movement through the system.

Any idea the temp that the cooling fan kicks on??

I'm afraid to admit this, but the coolant fan "kick-in" is not an exact science. Mine turns on at exactly 208 F INDICATED. I've heard others say 210 and 215.:roll:

But again, if the a/c is turned on....it's immediate, I believe.

Actually, the fans are a variable speed setup. Two parameters control the speed, engine coolant temp (ECT) and A/C pressure via two calibration tables and represent fan speed as a %.

The top table is the one for temp control and the bottom for A/C. At any condition the higher value will apply. These are from an actual HHR calibration file.

With my high summer temps here in VA and heavy urban traffic, I saw the temps rise higher than I would like. What I did was to ramp up the temp table quicker and all is much better now, with much more stable temps.

Hope this helps understand how the fan works.

http://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/files/1/0/8/HHRfanSmall.JPG

The ECM commands the fan on under the following conditions:

• Engine coolant temperature exceeds approximately 106°C (223°F).

• A/C refrigerant pressure exceeds 1302 kPa (189 psi).

• A/C is requested and vehicle speed is below 100 km/h (62 mph) with A/C pressure above 1413 kPa (205 psi).

• AF23-5 Transmission fluid temperature exceeds 130°C (266°F).

• VT25-E Transmission fluid temperature exceeds 140°C (284°F).

• When the engine coolant temperature exceeds 125°C (257°F) at key off, the fan will run for up to 108 seconds.

The ECM commands the fan off under the following conditions:

• Engine coolant temperature drops below approximately 125°C (257°F).

• Throttle position is greater than 95 percent.

• Vehicle speed exceeds 113 km/h (70 mph)

Thermostat should open at 190F.

The ECM commands the fan on under the following conditions:

• Engine coolant temperature exceeds approximately 106°C (223°F).

• A/C refrigerant pressure exceeds 1302 kPa (189 psi).

• A/C is requested and vehicle speed is below 100 km/h (62 mph) with A/C pressure above 1413 kPa (205 psi).

• AF23-5 Transmission fluid temperature exceeds 130°C (266°F).

• VT25-E Transmission fluid temperature exceeds 140°C (284°F).

• When the engine coolant temperature exceeds 125°C (257°F) at key off, the fan will run for up to 108 seconds.

The ECM commands the fan off under the following conditions:

• Engine coolant temperature drops below approximately 125°C (257°F).

• Throttle position is greater than 95 percent.

• Vehicle speed exceeds 113 km/h (70 mph)

Thermostat should open at 190F.

I thought the Thermostat is suppose to open at 180 if its a 180 degree thermostat?