Brakes or Transmission Locked Up
 

Been a very long time since I posted. The '07 HHR has 128,000 miles and generally runs well. However, today something very strange happened to my wife. She was at a store at lunchtime and went to leave - drove about 30 feet and the car came to a sudden halt - she describes it like the brakes or transmission (automatic) locked up. She backed up, went forward and it did it again. Third time was a charm and it ran fine.


She called me from work at 5:00 to say that it did it again twice. Couple of security guards heard it and they said it sounded like she had hit a brick wall. I had her back up a couple of times and go forward and it was fine. I drove to her work and we traded cars and it ran perfectly for me.


We had driven back from Cleveland the previous day with absolutely no problems. Without it happening to me, I can't tell any of you if it is tranny or brake related, but my suspicions are brakes, as she said it only happens when hitting the brakes. She did say that once when it happened the dashboard lights flashed (?). For the record, I am awaiting the repair of the ignition and it is on back-order. Last couple of weeks the key has started to act up just a bit when turning it to start. Related?


Any ideas? Happened to any of you?


Thanks!

I only suggest this because it happened to me; somebody set the parking brake and nobody noticed.

My first guess - and it is purely a guess - is some sort of malfunction involving the ABS system. I own a 2007 HHR LS, but I do not have ABS, and it has a manual transmission. Sudden halts of forward motion on vehicles so equipped would be unlikely.

My 2011 did something like that to me at 30,000 miles,but the secound time it broke the transmission. Had to have a total rebuild

The fact that she had to back up and then go forward is not a good sign. Sounds like something broke off and is wedging itself against a rotating part. Going in reverse may be dislodging it temporarily.

I definitely wouldn't drive it until fixed. Locking up a wheel or wheels on the highway would result in an exciting ride.

Two things I could think of: the park pawl (keeps car from rolling when tranny is in park) in the tranny is engaging or maybe a rear brake shoe had the friction material break off and wedge between the shoe steel backing and the drum.

Steve

Hi Neighbor (Jamestown, NY here) - Drove it gingerly all day and runs perfectly other than the typical warped rotors. I am bringing it in for inspection tomorrow and will have it checked out including removal of all four tires. Will have ABS looked into as well. Keep you informed.. Thanks all....

On my '06 the W shaped spring in the passengers side rear brake broke. The folks who traded the car in had just had all the brakes done. It had been fine until the wheel locked up. The first time I was able to just back up and the hunk of spring evidently move out of the way enough that I was able to get home.

After it happened the second time I replaced all the hardware and shoes on both side.

The rear brake adjusters were solid as a rock and I don't see how the dealer was able to assemble it with them so far out in adjustment with the new shoes they put on. I suppose they may have hammered them apart enough to run them in a ways to reassemble it.

I put some silver bearing anti seize on the new adjusters before I put them in.

Steve - You win the prize!!!!!


It finally happened to me on my way to the repair shop and it very much felt like the FRONT brakes were grabbing. Told my guy to remove all of the wheels and check all of the brakes. Much to my surprise the REAR right back shoe lining had broken off and sometimes it would wedge between the front lining and the brake and cause a total lockup of that wheel. I saved it for my wife so she can feel confident that the problem is solved. Can you imagine that happening at 70 mph???


Thanks for everyone's help in pointing me in the right direction.


Hope all is well with everyone on the forum. I've gotten a little off track with regards to posting. I imagine many have traded in their HHRs and of course, many new members have joined. I still love mine - Cappuccino Frost Premier Edition '07. Starting to show some rust inside the doors - gotta get on that. Looking for some gray/black nice HHR floormats - will post on classifieds. To this day I still get heads turning on my HHR.

left click on your handle anywhere you see it, if you get a dropdown choose "my profile", otherwise it takes you there; in "my profile" choose "statistics" then choose either all post by you or all threads you started.