donbrew

You need to get something better than "of some kind". Don't know why a harness would be in play. hellshotrod has several junkers on his lot. A new harness is idiot work.

I think the mechanic must be throwing words against the wall. A bare wire rubbing on a ground could cause lots of problems. once again idiot work.

A soaked sensor connector could cause lots of trouble.

sands.autolit

I'm thinking that a replacement sensor, at the very least, would be a part of that $500 - $700. I'll find out tomorrow when the job is done.
Personally, today's car electrical problems intimidate me. It's just not anything like working on my 1950's - 1960's GM cars, many years ago.
I'm biting the bullet on this repair bill so I can have a pretty much trouble-free and dependable car that I love to drive.
BTW, this repair shop has treated me more than fairly in the past 7 years, and I get 2 years warranty on all parts and labor because they're
an AAA Auto Club-rated repair facility.

sands.autolit

Sadly, I couldn't hear clearly, all that he had to tell me on the phone. There was backround noise on both ends and I had him repeat things to me with only slightly better results.
They're a Napa Auto Care repair shop. I'll have to look on older invoices what they charge per hour on labor. I wanna say it's $95/hr.which is still cheaper than many other places here.
It hurts no matter how you look at it.

donbrew

The only difference in modern electrical systems is that the computer tells you something is wrong. In the old days you could drive around destroying the environment and never know.

It is still wires. The computer is just a diagnostic tool.

BTW, "Napa Auto Care" means that they have signed a contract promising to buy a minimum dollar amount per month from NAPA, in exchange for a discount (that is NOT passed on). They also can order parts online and have immediate delivery. And they get the pretty sign, that never gets taken down by future owners. In other words, it is a cross-marketing scheme of no value to the customer.

Most shops get a wholesale price from NAPA, usually about 10%-20%, then charge the customer at least the retail price. I worked for a guy that charged 2X the retail price.

Oops, I think I'm ranting, again.

hellshotrod

ok my 2 cents i have a 08 2lt thats does the same thing if u know me u know i have had 300 plus hhrs over the years and this is the first i have had with this prob i have changed the trans, the speedo, the battery, the alt, iv done the fuse block clean and grease as well as the bcm,ecm,tcm, cleaned every ground , ground the ecm , reprogramed a bcm, ect and it still has a crazy speedo and shows all kinds of codes and info in the dic , and wont run long enough to get a smog , so i,m gona pull the complete harness out and change it over to a different complete harness ,and controls and keys, its gone be a flaw some were in the wiring i wish u well and i will post what happens when i change this one out , good luck with yours ,

donbrew

I seem to remember a TSB regarding the instrument panel.

sands.autolit

Here's the latest update, and I hope the lasting fix to my Chevy's electrical problems:
My mechanic found oil contamination in the PCM/TCM from a leaking oil pressure switch (sending unit), on the engine block. Yes, it traveled uphill via the wire harness.
He removed the PCM/TCM and cleaned the oil out; then cleaned all electrical pins, connectors and the oil-soaked wire harness. Dielectric grease was used on all the terminals and connectors, and a new oil pressure switch ($26.42) was installed, replacing the leaking one.
So it took three hours labor. But, I haven't paid yet. He wants me to drive the car for a few days to make sure this is "the" fix.
Side note: While my HHR was in his shop, another HHR came in with similar "crazy dash gauges and lights." This time, the oil pressure switch was the first to be examined, and it too was leaking!
One last mention here. I was told if my HHR's symptoms continue after this, possible replacement of the ECM will be necessary due to the oil contamination.
So I hope this helps others here, having similar electrical problems with their HHR's

Cat Man HHR

I use to see a wicking problem with Cat engines with the water temperature sender/sensor. I couldn't believe it when I saw the first one. It too wicked all the way to the ECM.
Here is a video of the problem on a different car. There is no sound when viewing it.

donbrew

I wonder what they were doing for 2.5 hours. Really good coffee.

Cat Man HHR

Missed understanding this.