The Brake Fix Is In
02-11-2009, 01:34 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-06-2008
Location: Grand Haven, MI
Posts: 1,761
yehaw!
02-12-2009, 02:59 PM
#32
Founding Member
Join Date: 11-23-2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 8,210
What we found
Has anyone else had the pump installed and also have the stage 1 kit?
The reason I ask is the kit we installed does not work with this vehicle due to the Stage 1 kit. The ecm will not command the pump to come on. TAC is working on a fix. sheeet.
The reason I ask is the kit we installed does not work with this vehicle due to the Stage 1 kit. The ecm will not command the pump to come on. TAC is working on a fix. sheeet.
02-12-2009, 03:27 PM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-11-2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 113
I'm going to ask the dealer about the Brake fix when it goes in for an oil change this week. I'd like to get the Stage kit but it doesn't make any sense to consider making it faster until I know that it will be able to stop ok!
I've already had one issue with the brakes that caused a fender bender. My HHR is an Automatic that never had the latest code applied. It does have the latest code now and I haven't felt the issue again. Even so I still don't completely trust the brakes and want to get the vacuum pump installed. Perhaps then they will be reliable and consistent. As delivered the brakes on these were flawed and if they would have had this pump from the beginning at least one accident would have been avoided. When I experienced it I can honestly say that the stopping power was worst than a car with 4 wheel manual drum brakes. It happened to me once but it was at the worst possible time. The part that upsets me the most is that these were supposed to have the best brakes of all the HHR's. During the summer when I bought it they worked well. Leaving work on a cooler evening after sitting in the parking lot all day long is a different story. I really hope GM mails out letters and make sure the fix gets installed on all the automatic HHR SS vehicles. I was lucky in that no one was injured. Someone else may not be so fortunate.
My advice to anyone with an Automatic without the upgrade would be to drive the vehicle with the assumption that the brakes will not work as expected and leave a few more car lengths between you and other vehicles more than you've had to in other vehicles just in case....
I really want to ensure the brake issue is completely put to rest because in all other aspects the HHR SS seems to be the best vehicle I have ever owned. I bought it as my daily driver to get back and forth to work. The Utility and fun factor is a huge plus. It just has to be safe or none of the rest matters. I just hope this will take care of the problem for good.
I've already had one issue with the brakes that caused a fender bender. My HHR is an Automatic that never had the latest code applied. It does have the latest code now and I haven't felt the issue again. Even so I still don't completely trust the brakes and want to get the vacuum pump installed. Perhaps then they will be reliable and consistent. As delivered the brakes on these were flawed and if they would have had this pump from the beginning at least one accident would have been avoided. When I experienced it I can honestly say that the stopping power was worst than a car with 4 wheel manual drum brakes. It happened to me once but it was at the worst possible time. The part that upsets me the most is that these were supposed to have the best brakes of all the HHR's. During the summer when I bought it they worked well. Leaving work on a cooler evening after sitting in the parking lot all day long is a different story. I really hope GM mails out letters and make sure the fix gets installed on all the automatic HHR SS vehicles. I was lucky in that no one was injured. Someone else may not be so fortunate.
My advice to anyone with an Automatic without the upgrade would be to drive the vehicle with the assumption that the brakes will not work as expected and leave a few more car lengths between you and other vehicles more than you've had to in other vehicles just in case....
I really want to ensure the brake issue is completely put to rest because in all other aspects the HHR SS seems to be the best vehicle I have ever owned. I bought it as my daily driver to get back and forth to work. The Utility and fun factor is a huge plus. It just has to be safe or none of the rest matters. I just hope this will take care of the problem for good.
02-14-2009, 03:22 AM
#34
Member
Join Date: 03-30-2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 78
Damn, knew there had to be the catch.
My dealer ordered the pump and applicable parts, so they should be here sometime next week. Likely the first and maybe only they will have to install one of these...same with the turbo kit.
The plan was to get the turbo upgrade in a couple months when Spring sprung, but will have to hold out on that until said TAC fix is good to go.
Safety is more important than speed.
Thanks for the update.
02-14-2009, 01:59 PM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-23-2006
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Posts: 155
Those that have had the vacuum pump installed have you noticed a differance in performance, or anything else? Does the vacuum pump take another belt and pulley to operate? Just wondering before I take mine for the fix.
02-14-2009, 03:17 PM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
Should be no perfromance differeance. I think the pump may be electric.
I hope the dealer does not give me any hassle Monday. This is the first time I had it in for anything.
I told them of the TSB and that I have not brought it in till they did have a TSB since there was little they could do to fix it till then.
I have noted we no longer have some of our complainers on here worried about dying or going to court anymore. I hope they got the fix and are happy. I suspect since we are hearing form them that it is a good sign it fixed things.
I hope the TAC can fix the Stage kitr issue with the vacuum pump. I may get them to put mine on if they can give me a good price on install. I looked the instructions over and it really did not look like anything hard or long. The TMap looked to be a little extra work but still not impossible do.
I hope the dealer does not give me any hassle Monday. This is the first time I had it in for anything.
I told them of the TSB and that I have not brought it in till they did have a TSB since there was little they could do to fix it till then.
I have noted we no longer have some of our complainers on here worried about dying or going to court anymore. I hope they got the fix and are happy. I suspect since we are hearing form them that it is a good sign it fixed things.
I hope the TAC can fix the Stage kitr issue with the vacuum pump. I may get them to put mine on if they can give me a good price on install. I looked the instructions over and it really did not look like anything hard or long. The TMap looked to be a little extra work but still not impossible do.
02-14-2009, 04:04 PM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-06-2008
Location: Hilo, HI
Posts: 177
Yeah, hopefully the AT owners are all taken care of. It seems GM has chosen to completely ignore the MTs with the problem. I was so hoping to get the damned thing taken care of as the fix approached. Then found out it was AT-only. I really cannot comprehend the decision-making process that led to this problem in the first place, as well as choosing to ignore the few MTs with the problem. Maybe they are few enough that it's cheaper to do buy-backs than to fix the issue. I am so disgusted with the way GM has handled the issue, and so tired of fighting about the stupid thing that I am out of energy to waste on dealing with it further.
I hadn't bought a US-designed vehicle since the 1980's. After all the problems I had back then, I have been buying Japanese- and German-designed ever since. This was the first US-designed vehicle I have bought in 20 years. I would love to support my fellow countrymen by buying more American-designed, but the fact is that the design quality just completely sucks compared to most German and Japanese. Given the serious problems I have had with this vehicle, combined with the horrible service about fixing those problems, I am done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles. I hate that it comes to that, but I am now stuck with a vehicle with safety problems that won't be fixed, and smells like mildew. I'm done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles that turn out to be crap.
I hadn't bought a US-designed vehicle since the 1980's. After all the problems I had back then, I have been buying Japanese- and German-designed ever since. This was the first US-designed vehicle I have bought in 20 years. I would love to support my fellow countrymen by buying more American-designed, but the fact is that the design quality just completely sucks compared to most German and Japanese. Given the serious problems I have had with this vehicle, combined with the horrible service about fixing those problems, I am done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles. I hate that it comes to that, but I am now stuck with a vehicle with safety problems that won't be fixed, and smells like mildew. I'm done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles that turn out to be crap.
02-15-2009, 07:21 AM
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-05-2008
Location: Akron Ohio
Posts: 5,464
Yeah, hopefully the AT owners are all taken care of. It seems GM has chosen to completely ignore the MTs with the problem. I was so hoping to get the damned thing taken care of as the fix approached. Then found out it was AT-only. I really cannot comprehend the decision-making process that led to this problem in the first place, as well as choosing to ignore the few MTs with the problem. Maybe they are few enough that it's cheaper to do buy-backs than to fix the issue. I am so disgusted with the way GM has handled the issue, and so tired of fighting about the stupid thing that I am out of energy to waste on dealing with it further.
I hadn't bought a US-designed vehicle since the 1980's. After all the problems I had back then, I have been buying Japanese- and German-designed ever since. This was the first US-designed vehicle I have bought in 20 years. I would love to support my fellow countrymen by buying more American-designed, but the fact is that the design quality just completely sucks compared to most German and Japanese. Given the serious problems I have had with this vehicle, combined with the horrible service about fixing those problems, I am done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles. I hate that it comes to that, but I am now stuck with a vehicle with safety problems that won't be fixed, and smells like mildew. I'm done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles that turn out to be crap.
I hadn't bought a US-designed vehicle since the 1980's. After all the problems I had back then, I have been buying Japanese- and German-designed ever since. This was the first US-designed vehicle I have bought in 20 years. I would love to support my fellow countrymen by buying more American-designed, but the fact is that the design quality just completely sucks compared to most German and Japanese. Given the serious problems I have had with this vehicle, combined with the horrible service about fixing those problems, I am done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles. I hate that it comes to that, but I am now stuck with a vehicle with safety problems that won't be fixed, and smells like mildew. I'm done wasting my money on US-designed vehicles that turn out to be crap.
I wonder if the MT may have a different problems since so few others have shown problems?