I currently have an 2009 HHR SS. When I start it, I get about three seconds of black smoke and then turns to clear. I was wondering if this is normal for the 2.0L Ecotec engines? If anybody could help, or has gone through this, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Black generally indicated a rich condition and excessive carbon build up. In general has this vehicle been modified or the tune adjusted in anyway?

Are you the original owner?

 

Plenty of black soot around the tail pipes but only white exhaust on start up.

 

Just a part of direct injection engines. DI engines fire fuel in faster than older style rail injection systems. So you get a full flow of fuel at start up and in turn get some small amount of unburned fuel going through the system. This will cause some smell and a black smoke.

 

^ That would make sense, I will say on some Turbo cars that are experience blow by on the rings can produce a similar effect, but it will be all the time while driving.

 

Yep the Direct Injection will cause this. Often most people never notice it in a HHR as you can't see back there.

 

That's true..I'm usually driving too fast to look back

 

No, I haven't done any modification to the engine. I am the second owner of the car. Thanks guys for your help and especially Hillsdale HHR. I agree with what you are saying. I am new to having a turbo engine. It has a clicking sound, the alternator is louder than my old 2.2L. Sometimes I think I'm just hearing things.

Do you're Turbo engines make a rattle sound for a second or so after you have started it?

 

The ticking sound is also a part of DI engines. As for the other sound, I'm going to say that it is probably normal and that I just don't realize it anymore.

 

Yeah, any DI engine now a days will tick. Just how they work. A lot of engines have more insulation than ours do so you don't hear it as much.