will be just chilling today, maybe now that I see Sam's post, Bar B que some steaks tonight!!

 

Yup, steaks sound wonderful Oldblue, but they're off limits until my wife's new permanent crowns are put in.

So I'll just think "steaky" thoughts and go back to waxing the four wheeled wheeled critter in the garage, if the phone stops ringing that is.

It's like a comedy version of the Karate Kid...."Wax On" - phone rings, thirty minutes later I get to the "Wax Off" part.

 

adjusted the rear drum brakes, swapped out the ralley rims and baby moons for the winter rims, and went for a cruise for coffee with some other hot rodders !

 

Ok so I see that EVERYONE on here seems to have the key stuck in the ignition problem. It happened to me last night with my 2006 HHR so the car shut off and wouldn't go into the steering lock position so I just left it overnight. Well this morning no battery.... so I can't open the hatch. I hooked my battery charger to the jump start ports under the hood to activate the trunk hatch and then put my charger on the car all day to get the battery charged back up.

Now for the fix! after calling GM they gave me the "too bad so sad story"... this is my first Chevy.... well after being on these forums I see that almost everyone has the key stuck in the ignition problem and the problem stems from the micro switch on the shifter.. well the owners manual says to depress the switch under the steering wheel to release the key..... Ok so either pay 189.00 for a new and revised plastic shifter plus install by the dealer = 500.00 or just bypass it all together. I Decided to bypass it.... I took the three machine screws that cover the steering column housing off and dropped the bottom housing off, revealing the push in bypass switch. Well since it is made to bypass... I bypassed it. I took a light spring and pushed in the button and hooked it around the button and hooked the other end of the spring to the zip tie that holds the switch to the column. Then I took some electrical tape and taped it around the switch for a secondary backup should the spring fail..... problem solved for a 5 cent spring.....and some electrical tape.... should work fine now! forget the dealer!

 

Well I've always said there are two kinds of HHR owners, those who've had the stuck key problem, and those who haven't had their keys get stuck yet.

As for me today, I restrained myself from "bump drafting" a left lane hog on I-77 South, it was so tempting....but propelling a Hyundai Accent down the highway is frowned upon by the Highway Patrol.

 

I took the wife out last night, parked the HHR on the street, and when we returned she noted there was debris in front of the car on the road, as I walked around the front I noted it to be parts possibly from an accident or something.
As I looked for traffic, I noted my drivers door mirror was the source of these parts, apparently somebody was not paying attention and smacked into the door mirror and corrected enough to not damage the door or front fender sheet metal.
I made a police report and was informed I have to replace the mirror and prove I have corrected this safety item.

 

We have had a recent cold snap (for this time of year in Virginia) & it killed the original battery in my 2011 1LT. Easy & clean swap-out!

 

OldBlue, that really sucks. Hope she's all fixed up! And if you're ever up for a coffee, let me know, ill go for the run to your neck of the woods.

 

I just put a new battery in a couple days ago. The old one was five years old. Fixed my unlocking problem. Sometimes I would have to hit unlock twice to get it to go all the way up. The new battery fixed that.

 

I replaced my #2 (after cat) O2 sensor. Took all of 30 minutes including driving (the other car) to the Advance store both ways to get the socket & return it. The wave form is much steadier, I am hoping for better MPG.

BTW, Advance wanted around $61-$90 for the sensor, I got one on Ebay for $20 shipped. Thinking about the #1, Ebay $15 Advance $96.