Ah yes, the stuck thermostat angle, should have though of that. My apologies, shouldn't type when I'm on cold medicine, my thinker has been out of whack all day.

Hey sailorsgirl2001,

It's a bummer to hear of the difficulties that you’ve experienced with your HHR. I see that in your update you stated that you’ve taken your vehicle to your dealership for further assistance. Please feel free to follow up with us when you hear from the dealership. If you have other questions or concerns we’re here to help! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Kristen A.
Chevrolet Customer Care

No, the check engine light was never on.

I spoke with the service department late yesterday afternoon & do not have a clear diagnosis yet. They found a bent connection & made the repair. I was told there were some codes in history, but was not told which ones. I mentioned the possibility of the thermostat being part of the problem, but not sure it is under consideration. I hope to get better answers today, since this is day 3 at the dealer. Thanks again for all of your help & suggestions.

If the thermostat is jammed open, the Check Engine light will come on sometimes (but not necessarily). Here is the typical scenario:
- start the car from cold (like first thing in the morning once it has cooled right down) - and the gauges work initially
- drive for a short distance - then the gauges blank out
- get to your destination with blank gauges after a 5 mile drive and shut the car off
- 15-30 minutes later you jump back in the car, start the engine and the displays are working again!!!! :)

This is due to the fact that when restarted after that 15-30 minute shutdown, the engine is partially warmed up, and actually reaches it's full warm-up status within the time frame the computer is monitoring for.

The service department called. Their diagnosis is as follows: Unable to duplicate the problem after making the repair to the bent connector, replacing the remote because they feel it has a faulty circuit board & that is what caused the remote start to fail. They have not physically checked the thermostat & don't think that is the problem. Even though there was a history code for the Engine Coolant sensor, they don't feel it needs replaced. They are keeping it for the rest of today to try to duplicate the problem & ordering the new remote.

As I've stated before, I'm NOT a mechanic & I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about cars. However, I really don't think the remote is the cause of the problem. I guess I'm going to have to just have trust in their ability & competence in this matter. I will not be a happy camper if I have to go back in again with the same problem.

The remote could have a bad circuit board. Never experienced that on an HHR but we went through that with my son's Dodge Intrepid. One remote worked just fine but the other would make the alarm act up and cause the horn to blow until you unlocked and relocked the door with the key.

Hey Sailorsgirl2001,

We understand how frustrating this may be, and we would be happy to add any additional assistance with the dealership if necessary. Please feel free to send us a private message with your VIN, current mileage, contact information and the dealership you are working with. Looking forward to your reply, and seeing any further updates you may share later.

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care

Then I wouldn't take no for an answer... If you feel the Temp Sensor with a code stored is bad, then tell them their ignorance is not bliss. You want it fixed, and fixed right.

I'm fine with getting a new remote. One hasn't worked in months, so I'm getting both replaced under the extended warranty.
First, I was told they were able to duplicate the problem 3 times by jiggling some wires which resulted in finding the bent connector. They have been unable to duplicate the problem since then. Yesterday, they called & asked if I would allow the service tech to drive my car to his home in NC & back to VA in the morning to see if he could get it to act up. I said no & suggested the car be driven locally around the are of the dealer. This has certainly been the most interesting experience I have ever had with dealer, that's for sure.

lol taking it across state lines for a "check" ? That's a new one on me. Good answer on that one...