Hello,
. I own two HHR's. My 2009 LS 2.2L that I drove for 439,000 miles I put in storage. Hurricane IAN put 24 inches of water on the car. The motor has not water in it. The inside of got about 16 inches of water. I have stripped the interior due to mold. When I put jumper cables on the car the gauges come on and the radio. The windows work. The door lock are reversed. I'm getting power to the throttle body and cooling fan. I have fuel. I can't get the starter to kick. The fuel gauge shows empty. I need help.

 

to the forums!

I don't suppose you have comprehensive insurance?

 

If the water got that high in the cabin the BCM got soaked. I don't know how the door locks could get reversed without messing with wires. The BCM controls the starting system.
A new BCM would need to be programmed.
There are other modules that got soaked; the SDM (airbag brain), the lateral acceleration (yaw) sensor, the side impact sensor, the passenger sensor etc. maybe others.
The shift interlock system also got submerged.

There is a little chance that further drying out will help, but there is probably some corrosion on switches and relays and connectors.

 

You could try a spray cleaner for electrical contacts , clean the ground wires, replace the soaked starter!

a couple of members have classified ads to part out their HHRs maybe they’ll have some parts you’re gonna need, make sure the neutral safety switch on top of the transmission is dried out!

 

Do yourself a favor and let it go. You will have nothing but problems with it. Things that work now will not in short order. That water has only started to do damage it will continue to do damage well into the future unless you were to stripe that thing naked and go through it all.

 

Unfortunately yes, salt water is not friendly to copper , electronics, aluminum, cast iron, sheet metal…..

 

It probably is cheaper to buy another HHR. And, hey, maybe with fewer miles! I'd say you got your money's worth, a few times over.

Hopefully, it is insured.

 

I wanted to thank you all. I have stripped the interior. Seems like she will be parts for my 2007. Wonder how much an old school 350 carbureted conversion would cost. I'd rather do it myself.

 

Sad… another one bites the dust!! I don’t think putting everything electronic into a bowl of rice would help!
Hmm! Maybe!

 

My 2007

My 2009 before IAN. She won't be going to the junkyard. I will find a way to get her back on the road.