Yesterday I had a problem. I took off from work and had to make a stop about 1/4 mile from there on my way home. The temp was -17F at the time. When I got done about 15 min later my HHR wouldn't start. After about half a dozen attempts in about three minutes it started, but was running very poorly. It sounded as if it were missing. I drove the rest of the way home (about 2 miles) with the check engine light flashing. After parking the car in the garage for about an hour, I went out to see if it would start and it fired right up.

Later that night I made about a 10 mile trip with no problem. The car sat out in the cold (-22) for about an hour. Again, it started with no problem. But now the check engine light is on all the time.

I'm going to try and get to a shop today and see if they can read the code. This is the first "problem" that I've had with my HHR and I'm a little concerned. I really don't want to be stranded somewhere in these temps.

 

yeah that definitely is not a good predicament.

It's cold here as well, but not quite as cold as North Dakota, but mine has never seemed to have trouble starting in it. Right before christmas we were in the -15 - 0 degree area for awhile and all of my driving is short trips.

I think a few other people have had this problem on the forum though

 

You probably need a new battery and some Heet in the tank.

 

Water/moisture/condensation in the fuel system?

We are in Indiana, and our HHR sits outside. Not one problem with it starting, even though temps are well below 0.

 

it's a balmy -3 in lafayette right now with a "feels like" of -20. I should go out and work on my tan!

 

No problems today! The check engine light even went out I think that I will give it a bit more warm up time and add some heet to the tank.

I don't think that it's the battery as when I turn it over, it cranks like normal. But if it happens again.......

 

It will have a stored code........you should take it in and have the code read

 

Your gremlin jumped on me... Mine started fine this morning when it was 2F inside the garage, and at lunchtime after sitting in -17 to -13F weather all morning, still OK, but on returning from lunch I got exactly the same - several extended cranks with no firing (notice that the ECU keeps cranking for a couple of seconds even if you let go of the key?), then rough running, check engine light flashing and a REDUCED POWER warning on the DIC. Started OK after work, but with the CEL still on steady, went to the dealer, service writer said what amounted to 'go away and see if it clears itself' (techs had all gone at 4.30). After a couple more start the CEL went out, and it's running OK, so the gremlin is now hibernating waiting to wreak its havoc at the most inconvenient time...

 

-15 here in elkhart, in hhr ss sits outside has not started all day and sitting uder about 6 inches of snow just used the remote starter and it fired right up

 

doing good at -22 here