first...let me say

thank you ChevyHHR.net users!

so, I stop to get gas, and when I get back on the car, there's no "key in ignition" chime.

Hummm

on the road I go...turn up radio....nothing
use turn signals...indicator blinks, but no "click-click-click"

hummmm.....

play with radio some more....nothing.

light bulb goes on in my head

"remember when users of ChevyHHR.net discussed loose fuses in the under-hood fuse box?"

I get home...a little bummed that after only two weeks of ownership, my beloved HHR has to go to the dealer(warranty). But no...I dont go to the dealer unless it is some high-dollar item that is covered under warranty. if it's something I can do for low-cost...screw it. My time is more valuable...let me check it out first.

I pop the hood, open the fuse box cover, and start pressing fuses and relays. I counted 10 that I was able to press in...one of them being large window fuse #4...BCM....body control module...aka...the ruler of sounds.

key in "chime...chime..."
radio on "la-la-la..."music to my ears.

Thank you...all of you...I am happy again.

 

And to think that there are those that think that won't ever happen
Glad to hear it was a easy fix atleast and you back on the road.

 

Last Saturday when I brought my brand new 08 2LT home, the first thing I did was push those fuses down to play it safe.

 

And some here claim that "the loose fuses" is nothing but myth!!

 

I never doubted it for a second...I also never checked them

all together now people:

"I believe"

 

well good for you! Is this loose fuse issue gonna be part of the schedueled maintenence? I dont own an hhr (yet) but i was wondering, can you glue a piece of plastic thats cut to fit the inside cover of the fusebox..so as to put a little extra downwards pressure on the fuses and stop them from wriggling loose?

 

from what I can tell...it's not gravity...it's not downforce on the fuses(or lack there of). It's the mounting method of the fuse box location in combination with the fact that the fuses just slide in to the clips. Not much holds them in. Just the prongs.

You could take the time to remove each fuse and relay and apply dielectric grease to all the fuse openings(like Mercedes benz does) which works like a gummy/slightly sticky adhesive that prevents corrosives/moisture.

I am going to take a good hard look at the fuse box mount and see if I can add some rubber grommets to the mounting location to absorb shock/vibration. This is what is done in race applications for many ignition components...vibration and electrical components dont agree with each other.

Dont let the fuse issue prevent you(or anyone else) from considering these cars...If all it takes is popping the cover off and pressing down on them every once in a while, I'll take it. Sure beats many other manufacturer's known "issues"...i.e. Ford's Mercon III vs Mercon V tranny fluid debacle of the late 90's.

My HHR is a 06 2LT with over 33k miles. For all I know, this might be the first time this has happened to this car. I just bought it used from a dealer 2 weeks ago...besides, the driveway to the gas station has a pretty big curb, and I was pulling in quicker than usual...I cant blame anyone but myself-knowing ahead of time about the fuse issue, and not doing anything about it is my fault.

 

Sounds like a job for Mythbusters

 

This thread doesn't prove anything.

When you turned the car off to check the fuses, you power-cycled the BCM. This is akin to restarting a computer after a lockup. My car has done the same thing once or twice before and has always corrected itself after a power cycle. Never even had to touch the under-hood fuse box.

If it makes you feel better to do it, great. Just remember that when you're replacing a fuse panel because you broke all the contacts from years of pressing the fuses in too far just for a "checkup".

 

The better word to use is "seated" vs loose. I checked mine, 200km, and yes, some were not fully seated. It reminded me of IC chips in sockets. They have "legs" that fit in to sockets. I am simply in the habit of gently pressing these "chips" to seat them and often I find them not fully seated although the device works fine. My guess is you would find these "loose" fuses and relays in many fuse blocks and HHR owners are just a fussy lot ;-)