pdmorris1

I got a 2010 HHR-radio with the USB from one of the members on this forum.I installed it into my 2011 HHR LT. It showed locked. I took my car to the chevy garage to have it unlocked using the Vin gave to me by the seller.After an hour of trying the service department informed me they could not unlock the radio. They even tried putting my HHR into the tec-2 as a 2010,like the donor car, but no luck. anyone have any thoughts as to why it can't be unlocked? could it be the service tec wasn't experienced enough to no how to do it. I hate to take it to a different chevy dealership,spend more money,and still it won't unlock.

Lucky

I would recommend a different dealer. I have changed out radios before and all the dealer needed was the numbers off of the replacement radio to reprogram the radio to accept your cars vin number.

I believe they have to call gm and get a pass code to enter the new vin into the replacement radio.

pdmorris1

that is the first time I heard about calling gm for a pass code. I just gave the dealer the Vin from the donor car. couple of months ago I had a 2010 hhr radio put in my 2006 while in florida,and the dealer had no problem getting it to work. the car this radio came out of was an SS,and had a factory amp. My 2011 doesn't have the amp. I wonder if that could be the problem

donbrew

I think it's the tech missed a couple of tech2 classes.

843de

Posts 2, 3, & 4 nailed it. Find another dealer, or have the dealer assign a technician who has been trained in the proper use of a Tech II.

pdmorris1

thanks for the input guys, I have an appointment for next Tuesday at another dealership. I will post the results. The only difference between my HHR and the donor car is my HHR didn't have the factory amp.where as the HHR donor car was a HHR SS which I am pretty sure had the factory amp. could that maybe be the problem?

Oldblue

It shouldn't be the cause to lock it.

pdmorris1

I just got back from taking it to a different chevy garage. They couldn't unlock the radio either. they called GM for advice also. It would start to program, and then it would say error. they tried all kinds of things,like trying to program the different speaker configurations,amp ect. I quess I just bought me a boat anchor. I wouldn't feel good about selling it to anyone.

donbrew

Maybe one has OnStar, the other does not?

Grizzly old man

Back when I was having stereo problems I bought two from vendors on eBay. My local Chevrolet Dealership was unable to get either to work in my car.

I e-mailed GM asking if I needed a HHR specific stereo and they e-mailed me back saying the dealership should have been able to flash any of the family of stereos that were installed in several different GM vehicles like the Saturn or Cobalt and make it work in my HHR.

I ended up with one that the dealer lost the VIN number after failing to get it to work and one that is supposed to be a 6 disk changer like my original stereo, I still have both of them under the kitchen cupboard. I have no clue what I might ever end up doing with them but I might just take the one with no VIN number apart and see if I can somehow get it to just work and play for me.

Every now and then I search the web to see if anyone else in the world has had success.

I ended up finally figuring out that my whole problem was the speakers in my HHR had gone bad, replacing them 'fixed' everything.