Hi everyone, new guy here but am having almost the very same problems as the OP who started this thread. Went to the parts store before finding this thread and got a MotoRad thermostat. Will be going back to see if they have a AC Delco stat. I'm in a small (3500 pop.) town in the middle of Kansas and the summer temps often get to 100 degrees and more.
My question- do I need a flat paper/cork type of gasket on the two metal mating surfaces of the thermostat, or use that RV blue seal stuff in a tube, or is the seal ring that goes around the edge of the thermostat all that is need for a leak free seal?
Dealer says there is really nothing they can do as it is running just like the 'book' says is right. i'll post the info from their manuals that they made a copy of for me later. I'm trying to get a lot done in a short time today and plan to work on our 06 HHR tomorrow morning. Will check back in thru the day as time allows.
Thanks,
Mike

 

Just the rubber O-ring.
Temp should be around 190F cruising, the fan should turn on at about 217F or when the def or a/c is on, the fan should stay on until the temp gets down to 180F (the rating of the t-stat).

This info is all over the place on this forum. We don't need the dealers printout. What we need is your read outs.

And since we really don't know if your problem has anything to do with this thread, I moved this to a new thread.

 

Resist the urge to try another brand, go with the AC Delco 131-158 thermostat, it opens at the correct time to meet the ECM’s parameters, and comes with its own oring, no sealant or gasket required

RockAuto has them listed and provides a 5 percent discount.

 

I, for one, would like to see what the dealer printed out for you. If you now feel uncomfortabler posting it, you can just PM me the copy.
Thanks

 

Just wondering, but when was last time you had the Dexcool antifreeze changed ?

Every 5 years is when it is due, if it's close to time & you are swapping T-stats anyhow.

Be a good time to refresh the coolant system.

 

Ok, let me try and start over rather than tagging on to someone else's thread.

I'm Mike and a senior citizen and i'm not the best with computers. I tend to read more than post. I'm not the best at typing what i'm thinking. I'm not trying to offend anyone, just looking for help, answers or possible solutions to a particular problem. I also have a terrible time trying to do searches. Don't know what I do wrong with multiple word searches, example 'engine overheating.' I get everything with engine and everything with overheating, and loads of other threads that don't have anything with either word. So, i'm limited to one word searches. So, I may not find some of the things others refer to. Moving on...

We recently purchased this HHR, 2006 LT model with the 2.2 engine. The HHR was in great condition and very low mileage. My wife has to drive app 30 miles one way to work on a 2 lane blacktop road that is in good condition. I was driving it a couple weekends ago and bumped one of the buttons on the steering wheel while setting the cruse control. It changed the digital readout for various indicators. I was trying to get it back to the MPG readout and came across the coolant temperature display and became worried. It was reading 220-222. It was about 89 degrees outside and we were on relative flat ground running about 65mph. I could not tell if the radiator fan was running or not. I found a place to pull over and the temp climbed to 238 and was still climbing slowly and the fan finally came on at about 242. But it only ran briefly. It did not cool it down to 180 or 200 or even 210. Got back on the road and the temp came down to 218. The engine was running very smoothly and was getting 30.4 MPG. Turning the AC off only made a 2 degree difference.

This last weekend I was going to change out the thermostat, and I did find a AC Delco thermostat, but was having a real bad time trying to turn the radiator drain plug. I was getting fearful of breaking it. So, I thought I would backup my troubleshooting and start with burping the engine. I didn't see any bubbles the first try. But I did find the coolant overflow hose from the radiator cap to the overflow bottle had a bad kink in it. Got a new hose and routed it so that kink would not happen again. That minor repair really didn't make any noticeable change and I didn't expect it would.

My wife called when she got to work this morning and reported it was 218 out on the highway and climbed to 230 in town. She said she couldn't hear if the fan was running because it was raining when she got to work.

We did contact the dealer last week and they 'checked it out' and said everything was working as it should and there was nothing they could do. I do know that the newer cars/engines run hotter, but this seems a lot hotter that what I would expect. We did get an extended drivetrain warentee SP? when we purchased the HHR. So we should be covered it things go south. Now, I was wondering if a good tuning shop could change when the cooling fan comes on and if that might help in my situation. I'm still going to try and get the HHR up higher and maybe remove a couple of the plastic panels so I can get a little better access to that drain plug and then do a thermostat replacement and DexCool change to see if that helps with this overheating issue.

I would greatly appreciate all comments and suggestions with this situation.

Thanks
Mike

 

Hey Mike, just an FYI for you.
If you have the AC or defrost turned on, the cooling fan should be running. When the AC compressor is engaged, the fan is supposed to run all the time regardless of the engine temperature.
Based on your description, it's sounds like your's isn't doing that ?

 

You don't need to drain anything to change the t-stat.

You can get a tool made for the radiator drain at the local big box store.

The fan is supposed to come on at about 217F, if it doesn't there is something wrong with the fan.

The fan should be always on when the a/c is on or the defroster is on.

Thermostats keep the temp UP, not down. A 180F t-stat keeps the temp above 180F.

Proper operation is : Warms up to 180F in about 4 minutes, fan comes on about 217F turns off at about 180F. Highway temp should be around 180F-199F. Sitting still it will go higher.

For searching; try changing "Threads" to "Posts" in the drop down.

There is a link in my sig to a Owner Manual.

 

Please explain how you don't drain anything to change the thermostat?
Please post info about the tool for the radiator drain valve.
Thanks

 

You remove the 2 bolts holding the t-stat cover then pull the cover off. Maybe a half pint of coolant will escape.

Tool:
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds


If you do screw the drain up they are a stocked item https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...dSearch=358379


This is the printout they probably gave, from the Service Manual; The "off" specs seem to be wrong, should be 82C/180F