Timing Chain Tensioner
 

Hi Everybody
I have a 2011 HHR with the 2.2 motor and I think I have to replace the chain tensioner. If I use the vehicle everyday, I hear no noise when starting the car. If the car sits for a couple days, I hear a noise coming from the engine that lasts for 2 to 3 seconds. I've been reading up on which one to purchase and how to install. My question is, do you really have to remove the valve cover to extend the plunge. Some say the plunger extends when you start the car. Some say you have to extend plunger before starting the car. Which one is true? Does anyone know how the replacement is explained in the GM Service Manual? I have no GM Manual for the car.
Thanks for any help
Dano

If you purchased the same one I did for my 06 2.2, it's automatic and will set itself.

Just got the same one in for my daughters 06 Cobalt, will install it soon. Price on those has dropped over the years.

All 2011 have the "updated" part. What is going on is that the adjuster can't adjust the chain any farther. A new adjuster is not the real fix, you might be lucky but don't count on it.

I do have the updated adjuster, was thinking it failed or worn out. Sounds like i need to replace more then the adjuster. Is it a hard job to replace chain ,gears and guides?
Thanks Again

I just went through the same exercise with my 2009 2.2L VVT HHR. I got the same noise for the first few seconds and replaced the original tensioner, which was of the new design. Since I only have 51,000 miles, I wrongly figured that there is no way that the timing chain/guides could be worn this soon. I pulled the valve cover, replaced the tensioner, hit it to set the tension, which did not appear to be loose after tensioning. Replaced all of the gaskets and seals and buttoned things up. It did absolutely nothing for the rattling noise at cold start up. I guess that running Mobile 1 since new is not the answer for a long life with the 2.2L engine. :confused:

you forgot time... a lot of time for someone doing it their first time lol
other things to consider doing at the same time
oil change
coolant flush
some have mentioned in other threads that it isnt a bad idea to replace the balance chain at the same time, considering your right there already.

Unfortunately I was just focused on changing out the tensioner and didn't look for other issues. Is a broken front guide a common occurrence? I did notice that the chain was tight after I tapped the new tensioner.

In the video that you posted it says non-VVT engines. Since my 2009 2.2L is the Ecotec VVT engine is there anything else I should look at and is the procedure the same for changing out all of the timing chain accessories?
I have no problem doing the complete timing chain kit and I see that the Cloyes kit is recommended as being like the OEM. After 51,000 miles if the OEM has failed on my engine I'm wondering if I want to replace it with the same OEM quality parts. Does anyone make a timing chain kit with BETTER then OEM parts for the VVT engine?

I pulled the top off of the engine again and the front guide is fine and there is no slack in the timing chain. Basically it looks like what I would expect on a 51,000 mile engine. As I mentioned, I did change the tensioner yesterday even tho I had the new type in 2009, just to be safe. It did not make any difference to the rattling noise I get at start up. Does anyone else have any suggestions on where to look now. There are no OBDII codes and the engine is running great. My only complaint is the rattling noise at start up.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...5d3af002c5.jpg

Look at:
flex pipe
air cleaner bracket & rubber isolators
Have somebody else start it while you have the hood open to see if you can narrow down, maybe with a mechanic's stethoscope.
fuse box bracket

Took Air cleaner off and started engine cold, using a stethoscope. The flex pipe is new 3000 miles ago. It is definitely a metallic sound but it is light, not like a rod knock. 2-3 seconds and it is gone and will not show up again until the next cold start. I even tried a new ACDelco oil filter to make sure that it was not draining. Serpentine belt and tensioner look good and I would think that if they were the issue both cold or warm starts would be the same. A cold start seems to be when the engine is cold and it has sat for at least 30 minutes, which is why I changed the oil filter. If the engine is warm from a drive, then it has to wait for the engine to cool down before the noise will come back. Don't know how to check the oil pump. Can an OBDII read the oil pressure?

The oil does drain out of the filter, that's gravity.

Could be the balance shaft /tensioner. There's an inspection cover for the water pump that you can pull to check tension. https://www.yourcobalt.com/forums/ma...tensioner.html

That is interesting and my HHR is in that production range. I have a new Gates serpentine belt that I carry around so maybe I'll just put it on and see how things go. The noise is definitely coming from that end of the engine.

I've got the belt and I just ordered a new tensioner. The belt has been changed before but the tensioner is original so it is probably due anyway. I've run in to enough things that don't really make sense and since we are not talking about a major operation or a lot of money, I'll change them out and see if it works. I've learned that I can pull the valve cover off now in about 20 minutes so I see no excuse for anyone trying to change the timing chain tensioner without pulling the cover to insure that it has extended, as well as checking the guides for wear and damage. I appreciate all of the help and when the tensioner comes in and I get it installed, I will post the results.
Thanks to all that offered help. :thumb:

I changed out the serpentine belt and installed a new tensioner for it. Not a fun job but no special tools were needed. I used a standard 3/8" breaker bar and a ratchet strap to hold the tensioner while I put the serpentine belt on. It made no difference to the start-up rattling. I did pull of the inspection cover and the other chain is tight.
I listened again to the sound while the wife started the engine this morning. It sounds like valve clatter at the top of the engine for just a second or two and then it stops. To me it has a stronger sound than perhaps a loose chain would have. As the picture showed, and my physical inspection verified, the chain is not loose and the guides do not appear to be worn. As mentioned, I had also changed the timing chain tensioner.
This is the VVT engine. Is there anything in the valve train that is unique to this engine that could cause a cold start-up rattle after only 51,000 miles?
My next trial is to possible start the engine with the valve cover off to get a visual inspection on start up. Not sure how much oil would fly around. :lol:

I should add that right after the noise was verified, I shut the engine down. A minute or two later I tried starting the engine again cold and no rattle. I am guessing it is something that rattles when the lubricating oil drains out of the area.

According to the one source, Chevrolet is recommending that their mechanics replace the cam phasers and then clean or replace the actuators. This is fine for a dealership where the mechanic can just throw parts at a problem until the noise goes away. For me, following those GM recommendations would cost me $300 in parts plus lost time for my labor. My thinking right now is that noise in the cam phaser can only cause wear in the cam phaser itself. Maybe I would be just as well off ignoring the noise until it affects the driveability of the HHR. Any comments, pro or con, with just ignoring the noise issue until the engine stumbles?

From the TSB:
Condition/Concern:
In rare instances a technician may comment they hear a short, sharp rattle noise from the front of the engine on start up.

Recommendation/Instructions:
If the noise is from the front accessory drive area, inspect the engine belt. We have seen concerns with engine belts causing a loud ticking type noise. If found, verify power steering pulley outer edge is aligned flush with shaft and repair as needed. If pulley alignment is correct replace the engine belt.

If the noise is still present and is very short and sharp in duration (2-5 seconds) This may be an issue with the cam phasers not parking properly. Once the noise is verified as the phasers, they must be replaced. If the cam phasers are replaced, remove the CMP actuator solenoids to inspect for debris. If debris is found clean and inspect for torn or loose screens and replace if necessary.

Note: If debris is found in the solenoids and phasers change the oil and filter before returning to service, in some instances it may be necessary to change the oil/filter multiple times with a test drive in between each. The filter and solenoids can be inspected afterwards to ensure no additional debris is present.
Here is the quote from the TSB:

The $300 is for both the cam phasers and the actuators. Actually it will probably be more for the parts if I go with ACDelco at about $109 each for the phasers and $35 each for the actuators plus tax and shipping.
I do agree that ignoring a noise is never a good idea. I also do all of my own work on my private airplane and nothing gets your attention quicker than a strange noise. The difference is that I have to deal with gravity in the plane vrs a minor inconvenience with the HHR. I hate throwing parts at a problem until it goes away but there doesn't seem to be a way to determine which one or if both cam phasers is bad. Maybe there is a way but at a dealership, it saves time(and money) to just replace the part, charge the customer, and move on to the next project. Replacing the bolt seems like a good idea.

When a cam phaser starts screwing up doesn't it throw a code? I have no codes at this time.

When I opened the engine, that was the first time it have ever been opened. I guess it is always possible that a bolt was not torqued properly at the factory on both the crank and cams. . Timing change, as well as all internal parts are original with 51,000 miles and I just recently changed the timing chain tensioner. The one I took out was the new style with no apparent problems.

What TSB? I don't see one on the subject.

Have you ruled out injectors?

It is this one. See post #110
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...11/#post417434

According to the thread referenced in post #19 the belt tensioner was to blame.

I guess you could test by removing the belt and start the motor, 2-5 seconds without the alternator or AC won't hurt anything.

Just changed both the belt and the tensioner Saturday. No change which is why I am on to the valve phasers.

I would not be spending my angst on it.

Oldblue mentioned the oil pump a week ago. I'm guessing that you're using the proper viscosity oil.

I picked the HHR up with almost 5000 miles on it and have been using Mobile 1, 5W-30 since then. Now at 51,000 miles the engine is clean inside as you can see in the picture above.

I got all of my parts together and decided to jump in to the project this past weekend. I ordered the Cloyes Timing chain kit(Made in Taiwan), my Mehle gasket kit(Made in Vietnam), my MOCA Cam Phasers and control solenoids (Made in China) and a new Balance chain tensioner(Made in Germany). There were also new GM crankshaft bolts and cam phaser bolts(Made in Mexico). I also installed the one piece bolt assembly to hold the black chain guide. I'm not sure where it was made.
The replacement of these parts is about a 6 hour job and is best done by someone with tiny arms and small hands, which I do not have. Naturally I had to pull of the serpentine belt and tensioner that I install a week or so ago. I did have to place a scissors jack and block of wood under the engine to support it when I removed the front engine mount. I used the jack that came with the HHR. Since I did not reassemble and test the engine after adding each one of the various parts, I cannot say exactly what part stopped the cold start clattering. Suffice it to say that it is gone. Getting the timing marks aligned is a pretty straight forward operation as long as you make sure that all of the slack is out of the chain between the intake cam and the crank. The hardest part of the entire job was to properly torque the new crankshaft bolt. Unless you have the vehicle on a lift, it is difficult to swing a torque wrench and breaker bar to get the proper torque. I had previously changed the timing belt tensioner with no success so I had to take it out, remove the spring clip and reset it before installation. No big deal but I found that a small pair of needle nose pliers worked better at removing the spring clip than my actual spring clip pliers. All things considered, the job is done and the rattle at start up is gone.
I wish I could say if there was a single part that cured the problem but I can't do that. At 51,000 original miles I probably took out some perfectly good parts but since it is a little difficult to take things apart, I changed any item I suspected MAY cause a start up rattle. Thanks to everyone for your help.

Mission accomplished, glad it's fixed!