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Problems/Service/RepairsIf you have a problem with your HHR, want a tip on repairing or performing a particular service to you HHR here is the place to post!
So if you all are thinking that it is the battery I will drive the car to get a new battery. I'll have them do the checks. My concern was that the battery is soooo old. How could it not be bad? One way or another I'll find out. I really hope it is just the battery.
You can get a digital copy of your Owner Manual via the link in my sig. You obviously need one.
I can almost guarantee a battery will solve the trans problem. Have them check the charging system after you get the new battery. Most auto parts stores will install and check for free.
Thank you for the owner's manual and the info. I'm glad to know that auto parts store will install the battery. I'll do it Tuesday or Wednesday. What should I expect to hear about the charging system? If bad am I looking at replacing a few more parts or will it be a major repair? Hopefully all will be well.
Cool - have that battery checked out and do leave an update on the situation if you can. Getting 7 years out of a battery these days is doing pretty good, especially in hot climates.
I recently bought a 2011 HHR and had the same problem. My Mechanic (A shop in Magnolia TX) traced it down to a broken wire connector at the VCIM (Onstar Module) located above the right rear tire inside the vehicle accessed through the car jack compartment inside the back door on the passenger side. He was able to reproduce the problem by touching and removing the wire. The break was inside the wire at the connector. He resoldered the connector and problem was solved. I will post again if the problem returns.
Thank you, you reminded me of the exact reason why I ask if people have OnStar when they present this problem. I seldom forget to ask but I had forgotten why I asked. Seems like most don't have OnStar. I think I saw a TSB on the subject.
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.
I beg to differ. NAPA Auto Care shops are able to provide a nationwide warranty through said network. The auto care shops are also able to provide 24 month - 36 month warranty part and labor with no charge to the customer. Napa auto care shops are also required to have been in business for several years and have a good reputation. They are are required to have ASE certified techs. There are more benefits but these are just one one I know off the top of my head. We have been an auto care for 23 years.
So, no contract to buy parts. Have you ever tried to collect on the labor warranty? How often and how much have you collected?
It is not possible for a reputable shop to warranty their own work? Who should pay for labor to replace crappy parts? If you want my business I should not have to worry about it, that's a you problem.
Do the pretty signs ever get taken down after management changes?
Exactly what is the value of ASE certification to the customer? My experience with ASE certified Shops/Technicians leaves me cynical. The most used diagnoses is "it's the computer" second "it's a sensor" very rarely someone comes to the conclusion that the sensor is doing it's job of telling the computer that something is wrong. I don't know how many crankshaft sensors have been thrown at bad timing chains, my guess is a lot.
When I hear of a ASE Technician giving a diagnoses besides the title of an OBD test that his code reader provides I might start believing.
NAPA stands for NationalAutoPartsAssociation, it is an association of warehouses that get bulk discounts from manufacturers (read Cheap Chinese) and distribute the products to franchise stores. The actual store inventory is controlled mostly by the warehouse association. It is a pyramid type business model, where risk and liability is spread around but profits only go uphill (not a bad thing). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAPA_Auto_Parts
Anyway, the question is :"what is the value of a NAPA Auto Care sign to the consumer"? I submit very little. Maybe a lot to the shop owner.
Enough of this necrophilia (this thread died in 2018).
This may be a dead thread but I enjoyed reading it! Good info, and the challenges to conventional thinking are great (referring to NAPA being great or just another business scheme).
My 08 has had some intermittent crazy electrical symptoms so I'm very interested.
From my experience (electronic troubleshooter) bad connections of one kind or another are to blame for these type of symptoms, especially intermittent ones that appear to fix themselves. I've seen a lot of cracked solder joints on circuit boards. These cracks will occur over time caused by temperature fluctuations; expand, contract, expand, contract...eventually the solder cracks and creates an intermittent connection that comes and goes with vibration and temperature swings. Oxidation further erodes the connection until eventually it's completely open.
Getting back to the original problem of whacky gauge behavior, poor idle, no power steering, harsh auto trans shifting. I took the advice of a few YouTube posts and I ran a ground wire from the TCM to the strut tower.
I've now driven 300 trouble-free miles, mostly in-town, and have had no further problems.
Getting back to the original problem of whacky gauge behavior, poor idle, no power steering, harsh auto trans shifting. I took the advice of a few YouTube posts and I ran a ground wire from the TCM to the strut tower.
I've now driven 300 trouble-free miles, mostly in-town, and have had no further problems.
Glad you're now trouble-free. So...do you think the oil saturated sensor was a contributor? Did replacing that fix any symptoms?
10-12-2018, 01:16 AM
