Twice now the abs light and traction control light has come on randomly while driving under normal conditions for unknown reason. When I turn off the car it doesn't come back on. It has happened about 2 months apart. What causes this

 

What causes it ? Usually a Check Engine Light code. It turns off the ABS and TC systems. ( that’s why the lights turn on to let you know those systems are disabled) The system resets at the next key cycle.
Pull the CEL codes. Post them here. Code #’s only. No descriptions.
Also. Post the year, model and engine of your HHR.

 

It’s a 2010 2LT 2.4 litre. The abs light and TC can be caused by loose wire at the front hub abs connection, mine was intermittent for a while until I secured it in the bracket on the front steering knuckle to strut fasteners

 

I'll have to check the wire. I haven't gotten any check engine lights at all. Once it happened at a stop waiting for the light and then today during stop and go traffic. No excessively hard braking or turns involved either time. I don't have a code reader anymore (thieves got ALL my mechanic tools) so I'll have to go to autozone to get codes checked. I should just buy another one.

 

You may have a bad tone ring. These you can spot if you can see them.
This is a broken one here. They do not code all the time.

 

No tone ring on HHHR.
More likely a transient VVT valve failure..

 

Vvt means variable valve timing right? And this transient vvt failure is caused by what?

 

The VVT solenoids can cog up with metal shavings

 

The memory is vague, but I'm pretty sure I once replace a VVT solenoid valve in response to a P0016 or P0017 because the was no noise from the chain case, and it worked. There was zero debris on the screens tho. You gotta deal with that.

(Not necessarily recommending that approach. Just what happened.)

 

So this all this to say that the abs and TCS lights may be coming on occasionally due to my timing belt wearing out and causing debris in the vvt solenoid? Or did I miss something?

Next question is how difficult us it to replace the belt (my research is that the 2010 2.4l has a belt and not chain) and how long of a fix is it i.e. 1 hour 2 hour all day?