I was trying to find a way to move the steering column out closer to the driver.
After the dealer replaced my ingnition switch the steering wheel is now further away from me. I was wondering what they could have changed. Any ideas?

 

It's not the tilt adjustment is it that they changed ?

 

Sure they did not just move the seat back and did not get it back to where you had it?

As far as I have seen there is no adjustment on the colum and there is no telescopic.

I have looked as I would love to have the wheel back farther but there is no way to do it..

 

I can only guess that no change occurred between the '06 and '09 model, but I agree with Oneton.....move the tilt adjustment lever on the left lower portion of the steering column. AND adjust the seat, which as suggested by hyper, was moved by the dealer tech (you will probably need to select the correct radio station as well....maybe the mirror).


Note: Info located on Page 3-6 of the 2009 owners manual.

 

I just discovered something strange. My steering wheel is about one inch further away from me then before the dealer put the ingnition switch in. How can this be?
I verified this today by taking the lower dash panel under the steering wheel. With this panel off my steering wheel tilts down all the way like it did before the switch. With this panel in place the wheel won't go down. The switch/steering column hits the lower dash panel now. I had modified the column to tilt down further and had to cut the steering column cover to clear the lower dash panel, now it hits and the wheel will not tilt down all the way. Anybody know why the steering column would be further away now?

 

Seat is always in the full back position. Would anybody be dumb enough not to move the seat back? Really!

 

You say you cut the steering column cover. Did they replace the cover?

 

Every time I think I have seen the limit of dumb it is always surpassed by someone.

I can't see them moving the entire colum forward but just call the dealer and ask if it could have been reassembled forward of the original place.

Most colums I have ever seen or worked on go where they go and you can nor move them forward or aft. The intermediate steering shaft on most cars does permit some movement so if the colum can be moved the shaft will adjust for it. It slides into the other end on many cars and has grease to let it move. I have not looked at the HHR but I just recently changed on on a W body GM car. They have been an issue on them.

Look at your coulum mounts and if they are slotted than that should be the answer to your question.

 

The column is not adjustable. There's only one way to put it in.

 

Had an old girlfriend tell me that last sentence once...