I have been lurking for a bit, but looks like a have a bad reason to join and post.

My wife was driving her HHR the other day, got about 5 miles from home and it died. We pulled it back home with the Suburban.

The starter would run, but it would not crank the engine. I figured the starter was bad, so I replaced it. It still will not crank or start. It's not loose, the Bendix Gear is not skipping across or off the flywheel. I checked the relays, checked any codes with a scan tool (grasping now, I know) and cannot find anything. The battery is fine. It simply spins but will not engage with the engine. I am out of ideas. Anyone got any good ones before I tow it to a shop in shameful defeat?

Oh, I forgot. It's a 2011 automatic with 75xxx miles.

 

Hi Will, to the forums!

Maybe it's turning the crankshaft only. The timing chain may have broken. Remove the valve cover and have a look. Do not crank the engine over anymore! Hopefully, catastrophic damage has not already happened.

Timing chain issues are usually preceded by a check engine light. Many people tend to ignore the CEL, a very bad idea!

 

See if you can turn it at the crank pulley.

 

I was going to do this today, but the pulley does not match up with the hole in the wheel well. I can see it, but it is about 1/2" too low to get a socket on.

 

While it is spinning the starter also seems to be slow. I will check the wires going to it for voltage drop in the morning. I have read a few things about that on here and I am wondering if it is turning too slow to throw out the Bendix Gear.

 

To get to the harmonic balancer bolt(21mm) you have to remove plastic splash shield

 

Ah, thanks. The bolt I saw did seem a bit too far forward. Sorry, this is my first experience with this vehicle.

 

That bolt is the serpentine belt tensioner a 15 mm . If it’s low in the oblong hole, the upper engine mount needs to be replaced

 

I will look into that once this is solved. Thanks. This engine has already been more trouble than my 08 Cobalt. I had it for 10 years and 265,000 miles with never a day of trouble until my younger brother tried to wrap it around a tree. Nobody hurt, except my car.

 

Yikes, I hope he walked away from that one. Nasty impact damage