TheBraveOutside

Hey guys... I have a 2011 HHR. The emblem on the hatch started falling apart in the car wash last week and I'm not finding specific instruction on how to change out the emblem. It looks like total crap. It looks like it's moldy (the plastic facing fell off and the water jet pummeled the foil until it wore off huge black splotches).

I saw a guy on YouTube do an emblem swap on a Trailblazer, but I can't find anything on any other model. That one was all adhesive. The emblem I bought from eBay looks like it has little pegs in it in addition to adhesive. What is the best way to remove the old one?

It's coming in the mail in about a week and I was wondering if anyone could give me a few tips to make my HHR not look so ghetto?

donbrew

It is stuck on with double sided tape. Cut it off with some dental floss or the like>

New ones are available from GM or try eBay/Amazon etc.

Casa Del Gatos

Heat gun or blow dryer to soften the adhesive tape, then like Donbrew said - dental floss to cut through it. Some people say fishing line will work, but it is so much weaker than dental floss it is ridiculous.

Once it is off, Goo Gone to get off the residue.
You can always mask and paint the old one until the replacement comes.

TheBraveOutside

It's only held on by the adhesive? What a relief. I was afraid it might be more complicated. That will be relatively easy then. Thanks for your quick replies and advice... blow dryer and dental floss. I have both on hand. Sounds good to me.

TheBraveOutside

I successfully replaced the emblem on my wife's HHR today. Unfortunately, it being so cold in New England right now I got easily frustrated with the hair dryer/dental floss method. It just wasn't working. I had to 4-ply the floss to prevent it from breaking on me, but I didn't make any headway. After 10 minutes, my hands smelled like mint, I was holding a pink hair dryer hooked up to an orange utility extension cord and I had dental floss hanging off the back of the car. It looked like I made it 1mm in. No bueno.

So I looked around my garage and I'd be embarrassed to say it if it didn't work -- I legit used a stray jigsaw blade to carefully hack through the adhesive. I melted one corner with the hair dryer to sufficiently get underneath with the serrated blade. Scary-sounding, right? I pulled the blade outward towards me to prevent it from coming into contact with the actual paint. Then I slowly and methodically cut through the adhesive and was able to yank it free. A couple of scratches underneath where the emblem goes over, so it wasn't a problem. No damage to visible areas (I can't believe it, actually). Then I was able to scrape the remaining adhesive off with my thumbnail. Took me all of 5 minutes to do that. I slapped the new emblem on. Good as effing new!

Silverfox

You did Good. I am still chuckling to myself.

Next time try a fairly thin bladed putty knife.

You start at one end to get an entry, then work the knife side to side rocking it with a pushing pressure motion to cut thru the adhesive.

I have done 8 of the rears and once you get the hang of this method it works ok.

Anyhow ...Good Job

Silverfox

sleeper

I have had good success using fishing line.