New 2010 HHR SS Owner
 

I’ve been lurking the past couple of years. We have a 2009 LS we got 2 years ago with 198k. It now has 206,600. Replaced LCAs shocks and struts, added backup cam, runs good.

we just picked up an 2010 black SS that came from IA. 130k. Automatic.

It has the digital boost display. The knob is a little touchy. When u turn it to the right it doesn’t alway go to the next screen. Sometimes it goes backwards. any fixes for that?

when just parked and the car is on, and you step on the gas pedal, I hear what sounds like liquid flowing through pipes from the dash area. Is that normalish?

when I go over bumps, sounds like I’m hitting boulders. Do you think it’s shocks, or shocks and sway bar bushings? LCAs? All? I had the car up on a lift, and the lca rear bushings didn’t look busted, but I have not done the wheel check test yet. How do I know if have the “Fe5” suspension?

im not sure the total history of maintenance done to the car except oil change from the place I got it.

any recommendations on prevention maintenance I should do? The engine seems to pull pretty good, it does feel slightly sluggish when you first step in the gas hard.

I don’t hear any rattling from the timing chain or anything. I will post pics of the HHR boys soon. I will be selling the 09 LS soon.

there are now 5 HHRs on my street lol. And 2 are mine.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Hitting boulders, could be LCA’s, check to see if the Po replaced them with stamped steel cobalt incorrect parts
The LCA’s must be aluminium and these are the replacement ball joints
https://www.overthetopperformance.co...LNF_p_295.html

GM LCA’s are obsolete so replace the rear bushings with Moog K201285 bushings

thanks Oldblue for the quick reply. They are the aluminum ones. Of OG or not I’m not sure. I should have taken pics while it was up on the lift.

on the LS, when I would brake, I would hear the clunk from the LCAs. I tried the brake while driving to see if the steering wheel jiggled, but it didn’t.

I’ll have to get some pics for you guys. I would assume they would be needing replaced by now though.

All SS have the FE5 suspension. Combined with the 45 series tires,makes for a somewhat harsh ride. You should pull the ball joi ts out of the steering knuckles and measure the ball joint stud with digital calipers.

The should measure 20.5 mm not 19mm

19.6 mm

Yes. Use it. The contacts get a little oxidized from disuse.

Air in the system needs to be purged. You'll get better cooling too. Keep the coolant recovery tank at the proper level. There should be little loss with time.

Signs of deferred maintenance and/or inept repairs. Could signal engine issues too. Drive it gently and sparingly until you address everything.

For the suspension noise, you need to get under there and find what's wrong. Rear lower control arm bushings are often overlooked even by "professionals." But the most horrifying mistake is installing LCA's with the wrong ball joints make for non-SS. The shanks are too small and don't just make noise but ruin the knuckles, which are now discontinued and all but unobtainable.

All the important suspention parts are SS specific. DO NOT TRUST PARTS PEDDLERS' LISTINGS. Virtually all of them list the wrong parts and say they "fit" SS (or FE5.) They, and the Cobalt community, and the HHR community, all make the mistake of assuming the an RPO code means the exact same thing across years and models. Cobalt 2008-2010 FE5 is not the same as earlier Cobalt FE5, and 2008-2010 Cobalt SS "(LNF") share several parts with HHR SS, and much confusion ensues.

Try to determine if it's been modded with lowering springs. Try to preserve OEM springs. Check the rear springs carefully. They get broken where it's hard to see. If you lower it, make it minimal.

If oil changes were neglected, the gunk can screw up the chain and VVT systems. There is no guaranty that you'll get a noise warning with a chain problem. Pull the valve cover and look everything over. While you're there, make sure it has AC Delco 41-108 (iridium) plugs. Do a compression check. Change the oil, but first consider some degunking measures like Seafoam, depending on what you saw inside. Change the oil at least twice as often as the DIC indicates.

The Dexcool should be changed every 5 years.

Burbling in the waterfall area indicates air in the coolant. look at the level under the pressure cap, the recovery tank is not a good indicator. The recovery tank g=has a mark for cold fill way down the side where there is an indent very hard to see, only about a pint when cold about 2/3 full when hot. A bad pressure cap can inhibit the back and forth exchange in the tank.
Air in the coolant can come from a blown head gasket that lets exhaust gasses into the coolant forcing the liquid out then when cooling is supposed to draw liquid back in the gasses don't contract as much as water so suction is not created.

Thanks for all the info. I will checking over things this weekend.

Burp the coolant system

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...-system-60614/

If you haven’t already changed the Dexcool Or don’t know when or if the Po changed it.
Dexcool should be changed every 5 years.