This is my first post and I have been a member for less than a week. I have owned two 2008 HHR LS models in the past and really enjoyed both. I didn't even know the SS model existed until I started searching for another vehicle. Picked up a 2008, 5 speed with 76,000. Really like the car and definitely a little more performance than my other HHR's.

I towed it home on a U Haul transport and it rained all the way from the dealer to home about 240 miles. Then rained all night here. I discovered the passenger floor board soaked the next morning when I went to unload from the trailer. I thought maybe I hadn't shut the door. Vacuumed the water up and dried carpet out. Thought it was good.

Then yesterday we had a heavy rain and afterwards discovered the floor soaked again. Thanks to all of you and post about floor boards being wet. As I said mine is a 2008 so I just breezed through the post about 2006 models and their issue with leaks. I was told by the dealer they had to have the moonroof motor replaced so I read the post about the moonroof drains. Long story short, the front drain tube was not connected on the passenger side. Thank you!

Also knew about the clunking the HHR's seem to have in common up front but didn't know why. Read post about the. Linking and his to fix, so ordered new MOOG anti sway bar links. Thank you again.

I apologize for a long post but wanted to give a little history and most importantly say thank you.
Dave

 

Welcome!

Moved to introductions

There are some helpful links in my sig.

 

Hi Dave, to the forums!!


Yep, don's link for clunks, rattles, etc is a good one! As are the others.

Enjoy that SS!

 

Welcome to the site, enjoy that SS

 

front end clunks are mostly caused by bad sway bar bushings or lower control arm bushings or sway bar links , as for the wet floor u need to pull the wiper arms pull the black cowl cover and u should find that the pass side hole cover has failed or the seam lifted and is letting water into the heater box and is flooding the floor it will also cause the blower motor to fail if u don't fix it u would do best to spray lube into the bairing as it may start to make noise ,good luck there are threads on all this WELCOME !!!

 

Welcome aboard!
I get a bath from my '10 SS after every rain - at first I was thinking that my seal on the sunroof (against wind and rain) was bad... but lately I've been thinking: shouldn't that water be draining rather than bathing?
...another thing for my to-do list!


Best of luck - post some pics!

 

First off, thank you, Dave for the details -- read your post through hoping it would point to what I got from a dealer tech bulletin (as it turned out, Oldblue re-stated the bulletin better), but your leak was moonroof-related (mine's an '08 panel -- no moonroof). The leak is also on the passenger side, but has moved from where it started midway up the kick panel at the door to middle of the A-pillar to the top of the A-pillar trim where it meets the headlining. And here's the thing: it could pour down for 3 days and not leak a drop; next storm, wet carpet. Arrrgh. Options included Onstar, with a stubby antenna centered above the windshield. Anyone heard of those mini-masts leaking or partial failure of windshield seals?

Many thanks in advance!, everyone! -- Beanie

 

Sounds a lot like a failed seal on the windshield, it is applied with a caulking gun.

 

Both the antenna and the top or bottom of the windshield seal have been areas that leak .
A garden hose can help you find those leaks, it could be the door seal , is there cut away material at the side of the windshield? Like a visor was there? Maybe screw holes not sealed!

 

I had the same issue with my 09 ss. My driver side was soaked after every rain. The sunroof drain plug came out of the firewall and was leaking straight into the cabin. Put the drain tube back thru the firewall and sealed it. No more soaked floorboards!