bully219

I feel really stupid for asking this, but is there an air filter under that large plastic cover on top of the engine? If so, how do u get to it? I didn't see any clips, or really anything to provide access . I have an 09 lt 2.2.

843de

Not a stupid question at all, try this link and it should answer everything for you.


https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...ghlight=filter

Greybeard999

Yes there is an air filter in there.... bytch to get at.

Disconnect the tube going to the fender, the tube going to the intake and the MAF sensor. The air filter housing is held in place with rubber grommets So it just pulls up and out..... sounds easy, it's not.

Once it's out you have to take it to your work bench, flip it over and remove a bunch of screws to access the filter. Once that is done reverse the procedure and you are good to go.....


I'm not lying........ GM really wants you to take it to the stealer for service.

843de

Not as bad as the first two or three years they had Chevettes where you disposed of the whole housing to change the filter, such brilliance. Some days you gotta wonder what they're going to think up next, and how they're going to screw it up in the process.

87silver

There's really no stupid questions when trying to address things in new cars that we all have grown up thinking were simple.

Wait until you want to change the headlight bulbs. You'll think that you're asking another stupid question, but again, it's the engineers who are, not the owner.

J W Davis

I agree, there are no stupid questions, just no common sense in design.

bk94si

I just checked mine for the first time. It wasn't that bad except I don't know why they needed so many screws on the cover. If you loosen the 2 hose clamps, the hose just slip off. You don't really have to disconnect the MAF, just flip the whole thing over. The only trouble I had was lining everything up to snap it back down.

sleeper

Once air filter housing is removed, I have wiped the studs that the rubber grometts go over with a thin layer of grease.

Next removal is much easier..

bully219

Thanks for the link, n ur right, no common sense in the design. I already had to replace a head light, I never seen a worse design....except for maybe the air filter now! And I just chased down the correct socket for the oil filter, I worry bout what's next. Nothing simple on this car.

One more question, how often r u guys changing the air filter? Every xxxxxx miles?

843de

Every 10k for me, maybe too often but they're cheap compared to the cost of an engine. I know that some areas of the HHR's design could be better thought out, but if it was easy, wouldn't everybody be doing it? HHR owners are kind of like the owners of British cars who take a perverse pride in their electrical systems that burst into flames, or their engines that never need an oil change because the oil runs out before it gets dirty.