I bought my 2011 HHR last Thursday. Today, coming to work, I must have driven over a little tree branch in the street near my office. I didn't see it, but I felt something and heard a "pop." The low tire pressure warning came on within seconds and I pulled off onto a side street and watched the tire completely deflate within a minute or two. I pulled out the pristine jack and compact spare and proceeded to remove the tire (in my dress clothes, sweating until I was soaked through of course!) When I got it off, I found a piece of tree branch sticking out of the inside sidewall, about 3/4 inch in diameter. That tire was toast.

So crazy, I can't even remember the last time I had to change a tire. It's literally been decades. I've had a few leaks from punctures that I could pump up and drive to the tire store, but never catastrophic damage like this. My last car (a MINI Cooper S) didn't even have a spare, just an inflation kit, and I drove it far and wide in the hinterlands, out of cell phone range, never worrying about a flat. So, this damage would have put the MINI out of commission. I'm liking my new HHR more and more, even with this little set back.

I bought a used tire (same brand and model) with about the same tread for $10 and the tire store mounted and balanced it (and retrained the TPMS -- the system said the left rear was flat when it was the right rear) for $20, so I feel like I got off pretty well.

 

Sorry to hear about your problem.
You might want to reacclimate your TPMS system to show the correct
tire-location. The procedure is in the owners manual.

 

The joys of road hazzard rulette, glad all is repaired and back running

 

Thanks, I saw that in the manual. The tire place was kind enough to do it for me without charge. However, they did fill the remounted tire to 37 psi. Not sure what that's all about since the door placard says 30 lbs. In fact, when I bought the car, they were set at 37 lbs all around. Am I missing something? I reduced them all to 32 lbs cold, which still looks to be a little high.

 

37 is too high. 30-32 cold, should be the recommended range.

 

Seems most tire places like to use about a 35psi fill for tires.

 

Plus that's what the recommended PSI is on my door jamb placard..

'08 w/ 17"s