Just a note in case anyone ever has this problem. My 2008 HHR began having braking issues at around 4500 miles. The brakes felt spongy with a lot of give and it took much longer to brake. Apparently the engine belt grabbed hold of the power brake vacuum hose and ripped it out. That's what the dealer told me. Worst part about it is the hose is on backorder for about 1 1/2 months. At least they gave me a loaner but it's an Aveo.

 

If the power brake booster vacuum hose had been dislodged it should have produced a hard pedal and greatly reduced braking about 4 or 5 presses of the pedal after the hose was dislodged. Same effect as pumping the pedal with the engine off-- after several pumps of the pedal, the brake booster is exhausted of vacuum and the pedal goes stiff.

The serpentine belt comes nowhere near the brake booster vacuum hose, I think there's no way the belt could dislodge the hose even with a catastrophic failure of the belt. The belt is on the passenger side of the motor, the booster vacuum hose runs from the driver side of intake to the brake booster which is also on the driver side. Unless Chevy radically changed the locations for 2008,2009.

 

Jeez... Like Lone Ranger said, the belt is on the passenger side of the engine and the vac hose to the power brake booster is on the driver side.

What your dealer told you is TOTAL BS!!! There are NO vacuum hoses on the belt side of the engine!

As far as parts being on "back order"... Now that GM is on the brink of bankruptcy, they evidently no longer stock ANY parts. G'dang shame, as that policy will surely put them there.

 

I guess I'll need to check it out. I haven't actually seen anything myself and it's been sitting in the shop. Hopefully he knew what he was talking about. Maybe he spoke incorrectly. It didn't even cross my mind without power braking the brake should become harder. I guess that's what happens when you just rely on someone else instead of actually thinking it through.

 

If it happened the way they said it happened, that is one magical belt.

 

A lot like this election!

" That's what happens when you just rely on someone else instead of actually thinking it through."

 

I cast my ballot today as an early voter !

 

Quiji board and repaired using the OEM left handed metric crescent wrench.