I discovered a problem with my '11 HHR. The fan (intake) comes on when the car is started up. I took it in for servicing, thought problem was fixed, but it came right back on at the dealer. I asked them about this, and they they gave me a weak explanation that this was a feature of the car. I explained the the fan control is an accessory just like radio and A/C, and shouldn't come on with the car. The salesman asked me to not make waves and give them a bad review, and I'll get a free gas card!!
Any help here?

 

I'd suggest to them a new use for that gas card........

 

The car has an engine cooling fan and a blower motor fan.
What is a (intake) fan ?

 

IF you mean the blower; does it run even when the switch is turned to the "OFF" position?

 

I don't know what an intake fan is either.

If your talking about the cooling fan on the radiator it will come on when you start the car if the engine is hot or if you have the air conditioner turned on or if you have the heater set to defrost the main cooling fan will also probably run as the air conditioner is set up to run when the defroster is going.

This is normal.

Now if your engine is cold {or at ambient air temp and its not like 200 degrees outside} and the air conditioner in the car is shut off the main cooling fan should not start running until the engine gets up to temp and it may not even then for a while if your just standing still watching it. You would probably have to drive it around a bit first.

If your talking about the blower motor for the heating/cooling system,... if that comes on when you turn the key and you do not have the knob on the waterfall {dash} turned to where it should go on something else is wrong.

 

Somebody else has been having a similar problem recurring annually, he says New resistor fixes it for a while.

 

I don't know what in intake fan is either, but here's my best explanation:
As an HHR owner, there are two "buttons" on the dash. One on the left has a symbol for air coming in, the other on the right for Recirculation.Ok. Now when i turn the key on and start car, the Intake (on the left) comes on. Not a problem, Except when its HOT outside. It brings hot air inside the cabin. You may say, "well turn on the A/C to cool car off". OK. What if I don't want to use the A/C. I should be able to push that accessory and turn it off, but it doesn't. I push the Recirculate button, which stops air coming in, but its' either one or the other of these buttons remaining "on" . Sound familiar?

 

Aha, now I get it.

The switches you're referring to chimanb are functioning normally. When the vehicle is started it automatically defaults to the "Fresh Air" setting AKA the left switch. To completely stop air from entering the vehicle, turn the fan speed selector knob fully to the left, that's the "Off" position.

The "Fresh Air"/"Recirculate" switches only toggle back and forth, there is no "Off" position available. Hope this helps.

 

You should really read your owners manual for a full description.

But, in simple terms, that little light tells you what mode it's in. NOT that the fan is on. The fan control is the round knob between those 2 buttons.
The light turns on any time the key is turned on. No way to turn it off. It's not an on/off switch but an either/or switch.
Either Left for outside or fresh air.Or Right for recirculated air.

There will be slight airflow when the car is moving and the setting is on outside air. It's the way it's designed to have flow through cabin ventilation.

Sounds to me like it's working as designed.

 

Hey Mike. I think we did it again.