I just purchased my 2009 HHR Panel a few weeks ago and found out tonight that when I step on my brake pedal the lights on the dash below the radio go on and then go off when I take my foot off the pedal ???? Also I also learned that the rear taillights are not working ? Brake lights and signal lights work but no tail lights ??? I will investigate the tail light bulbs tomorrow during the day. This was the first time I took the HHR out at night. Are there problems with the HHR electrical systems ??? Thank you to anyone that may have some info to share with me.

 

The filaments for tails may have tanked.

Don't know about the on/off.

Nothing typical wrong with the system. I suspect that somebody has messed with the wiring, maybe an after-market alarm or cruise control.

The wiring is not like your father's Oldsmobile. Most of it goes through the BCM (computer).

 

Hey Thankyou Don for the quick reply. I appreciate that so much :-) so I will look at the tail light bulbs / filaments today to hopefully have lights in the rear while driving at night. I was wondering why someone flashed me on the freeway as my wife and I were on our way home from a movie. Thank God I have a white HHR otherwise the guy that was speeding last night could have easily rear ended me. I see no physical changes with after market cruise control. The Alarm I am not aware of. I did not get a Key FOB with the car. Just one key. So the Dash Light Issue is strange. That does not make sense. You are probably right on about someone has been messing with the electrical. Now to figure out how to solve the problem ???

 

2009 models don't all have remote start, check the label on your glovebox door for code AP3 that means "with Remote Start".

You would have to dig around the wiring looking for splices etc. One possibility is wiring something to the wrong ground, so that when that item is energized the ground goes live. Like a miswired LED; LEDs are switches, when they are lit that means the switch is "on". If you wire it like an incandescent light it will cause problems in a circuit.

 

And look for cuts in the tail light wiring where somebody may have scotch lock spliced in a resistor for LED

 

Thank You again for your help .... I took my HHR to my GURU Mechanic :-) and he found the problem. It was wired incorrectly and had a blown fuse ... the feed back ( circuit looking for a ground ) caused the dash lights to react with the brake pedal .... Weird but OK :-) now everything works like NEW .... Even my console light by the shifter was on :-) Dash looks great with all the lights on :-) so I am back in business .... running lights - signal and brake lights work perfect .... Yaaaa hoooo :-) electrical stuff drives me nuts so I am thankful to have guys like you offering suggestions and now the what I thought was a nightmare just was a bit of a bad dream ... LOL have a great day ...

 

Hey thanks for your suggestion .... My problem has been solved by my Awesome Mechanic. Took him less than 30 minutes :-) I am a Happy Camper ... Have a great day!

 

So it was a wire harness issue back near the brake lights?

 

Yes OLDBLUE :-) it was the harness ..... and my mechanic laughed when he saw the Mickey Mouse work done by someone .... Who knows who ? They even taped it with cheap masking tape ... LOL and those yellow twist wiring caps used on home electrical .... LOL anyway ... Now it was done by a PRO and I am sure I will never have an issue in that area again :-)
I only have one more thing to do to make the rear lighting perfect and that is order two NEW back up Light Lenses with the housing / w bulbs and have those wired in as well. One works but the other one was caked with this red stuff all over it. A Glue of some sort. I have no idea what that was all about ? Anyway .... Hopefully there are not any more surprises waiting for me .... I love this HHR and have a lot of plans for her in the future. Thank You for your reply and comment :-) looks like this is a great place to be as a proud owner of the HHR :-)

 

It is!!