TVCCS

I found some threads on this but no posts about what the solution is...have an intermittent fast metallic rattle in the drivers door...sounds like spring coils...very fast repeat....every few minutes. Only lasts 1-2 seconds but annoying. Was in having a broken door lock switch replaced at a dealer the other day but forgot to ask...they would have likely charged me an additional $100 diagnostic fee even with the door panel off.

Funny how I haven't gotten a dealer survey yet for that visit...service adviser insisted no control arm bushings were available through GM...then only the rear one...his parts department confirmed otherwise. And that control arms were the only fix for suspension rattles to the tune of a $1000 repair. The TSB on steering column rattles was useless per this adviser. SoCal Chevy dealers have been unbelievably bad so far at $150 an hour.

donbrew

Do you have a GM warranty? That is the only reason to bother with them. There are no locksmiths or body shops or people who own screwdrivers for hire in your city? Door lock replacement is NOT a GM dealer speciality!

The lower control arms usually only need the rear bushing, but the front one is available. You actually save on labor by getting the assembly that includes both bushings and the ball joint.

Rattle in door is a take it apart and look thing, it is not difficult to do. There are a few youtubes.

Oldblue

Rear LCA bushings, Moog K200792, ball joints Moog K80567, front bushing Moog K200361 ( but rarely needs replacing)
As for that noise, it could be a dropped bolt, loose arm rest , window regulator.

TVCCS

Thanks for the replies...since the exact issue had been raised before by more than one person in years past, I was hoping someone might have found a specific answer about this specific rattle. I don't have the tool handy (yet) to pop the clips without potentially breaking them and/or the panel, and just picked up a T-30 bit - other videos say it's a T-27.

I decided to let the dealer do the door lock switch since I was there (after a nearly two hour drive) and they "only" wanted 0.5 labor - I'd gotten a quote of $350 from my closest Chevy dealer to replace one door lock switch and one rear view mirror map light bulb - I kid you not.

I'm going through the suspension in detail this afternoon with an independent GM mechanic I've been pointed to in my area, and will replace whatever actually needs replacing at 19k miles...more from dry rot/age than use at this mileage, but I've now seen a ton of reports of people replacing suspension components well under 50k. I've had the car looked at twice already and no one has yet seen anything broken, but I have the usual HHR clunk over bumps at low speed, and one or more rattles up in the steering column.

I've worked with GM dealers for decades and run an owners group for another GM car myself, but I've never seen the gross incompetence I've seen from the Chevy dealers in Orange County/Los Angeles in the past week or so. I recently leased a Buick for my g/f and they've at least been tolerable so far.

donbrew

Not many people ever look at the LCA bushing, or know what to look at. 80% chance yours are bad along with sway bar bushings and links.

I never heard of a door rattle complaint. You don't have a flat screwdriver or a plastic putty knife? The only trick is to get as close to tab A as you can to pop it out of slot B. I don't know what size torx other than "the one that fits".

There are only a couple of things in the door; window, lock, speaker and electrical connectors.

There is a link in my sig to a TSB about diagnosing front end noises.

TVCCS

My other group is for the Cadillac Catera on Yahoo...I actually drafted GM a bulletin more than 10 years ago working with dealers about LCA bushing issues in those cars which was a huge issue - there was a fix in Europe available for the like Opel Omega's that Cadillac in the US either didn't know about or pretended not to. I know more about that subject than almost anyone on the planet, unfortunately, so believe me, I'm going to look extra hard at the LCA bushings on this car this afternoon.

That being said, there's no way in hell they should have gone bad on a car being driven on Burbank roads by a little old lady less than 2000 miles a year...literally. I've seen the listings for the Moog parts (thank you very much) on Rock Auto and the forums here...if I have to do it I'll likely swap the control arms out entirely along with the tie rod ends, stabilizer bushings, and stabilizer links. On a car with 19k miles. The Catera looks good by comparison...woof. Thanks again for the assistance.

Here's one of the places referencing the exact door rattle I'm having - found on a Google Search yesterday:

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...-rattle-20952/

I also just bought a new mini socket kit that has both a T27 and a T30 so I have the right tool, hopefully. I also just picked up a work light at Harbor Freight and should have gotten the Panel Pry Tools as they have the right ones...doh! I've seen panels broken with the wrong tools and I don't want to break these.

Thanks again.

Oldblue

If it's only the LCA rear bushing then just replace those , it makes no sense to throw parts at it. The OEM rubber bushing can and has dried out and deteriorated with age

donbrew

Post #4 seems to be the only solution. Rattles in doors are not a HHR specific problem.

There are only a few things inside the door that are not welded.

Could be the almost useless felt around the windows or the rubber gasket around the door.

Are we going to start rewriting Jan & Dean songs now? Burbank isn't far from Pasadena.

J W Davis

I have found "tools" left behind from previous repairs in doors that really drove people nuts with rattles...you never know.