Odd Starting Issue after a "Check Charge System" warning.
 

I apologize for a first post being a request, but I'm kind of in an odd situation, and in need of assistance. So here goes:

So I was borrowing my mother's HHR today as my Explorer needs work and I didn't want to drive it long distances (I was going to head out to school to pick up my degree). On the way home from town (before the trip), I was forced into a small puddle (maybe 2x2 and a few inches deep) by an oncoming car.

After hitting the puddle, I heard the car gain an odd-sounding whine, as if the belts were slipping, but not squealing. I figured I just got some water on them, and parked the car (This was about when the indicator flashed). A few hours later, I went to leave and it wouldn't crank, or even return the key to me.

So after a good amount of Googling I found this forum, and did some searching here, too. I've picked up some useful information, but nothing that corrected the problem. I've gone through every relay and fuse that seemed relevant in the under hood box and the interior box. I've even swapped comparable fuses without check-windows, in the hopes of stumbling upon something.

I tried jumping it using the under hood points, to no avail, but upon jumping it from the back of the car where the battery connects, it started fine. As soon as I disconnected the cables, though, the car died. To me, this implied that the alternator had somehow been damaged by the water (how is that even possible from such a small amount of water?).

Still, I tried a trickle charger to test the battery. When trying to charge it, the charge showed a fault. The charger would work fine on my Explorer, so I pulled the battery and...it works fine once disconnected, too. Somehow, there's something inline that isn't allowing the battery to "communicate" with the rest of the system. There's a fuse right next to the battery terminal, so I pulled that and replaced it with a similar fuse from the front block (only 40a, though) hoping it would prove the fuse to be bad, even though it looks good from the top. Alas, this doesn't appear to be the case.

So my question is, where else could the issue lie? I can't think of any other fuse or relay to check. Am I missing one somewhere?

Sorry for the rambling. I appreciate any help or ideas you guys may have. Thank you for your time.

Welcome to the site.
Here's my cent: the connector to the alternator is very small and the wires are very short. Water may have got into it, especially if work has been done in that area in the past.
Also check the red wire connection at the fuse box and the starter, they could be loose.

Thank you for the welcome.

Apparently, the garage got it working. They're saying it was the battery, which doesn't seem possible. I will ask for more detail later, but I'm absolutely befuddled by how a battery could cause all those issues, but if it works, then I guess it's all that matters.

:welcome8: to the forum!

Actually you'd be surprised at the oddball behavior an HHR can, and will, exhibit with an electrical issue or wonky battery.

HHR's are jam packed with tons of fairly fragile and very precise electronics, and those electronics are not tolerant of low battery voltages, failing alternators, or loose connections.

We've seen a few that were just driving owners and techs crazy until they found that "one little thing" that was wrong.

Being a 2006 HHR, if that was the original battery, the problem was likely with the battery as per the shop that replaced it. They are a pretty small battery to start with, and the HHR gets very picky over battery voltage and cranking capacity as the battery wears out.

Keep an eye on it though - even new batteries can fail (as several owners have found out lately).

That puddle sounds like it got the serpentine belt wet and it started to slip (but not squeal) - if it's the original belt it likely needs replacing or at least checked for wear. BTW, the belt might look good (no cracks etc) but can be worn out if the grooves are below a certain depth, and are not deep enough to get a good grip on the pulleys.

Excellent point on the belt whopper, and if it's the original, the time to replace it is now.

er.....:cool:............ my new belt is still in the storage above the spare............. I promise I will get to it before long. Really........

Me too, maybe manana. (don't speak or type Spanish):smile:

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, guys.

So the car only lasted a day. It wasn't the battery after all. Turns out it was the alternator, so it should be done in a day or two. Hopefully it won't be too expensive. Neither one of us has much cash at the moment. It doesn't look like much fun to get to, but I've definitely replaced worse, so they shouldn't charge too much....I hope.

It's good that my logic was in the right direction, but after all this I'd have rather been way off. :P

Dang - well best of luck on getting the alt changed out. If you are looking to save a few $'s, you can always ask your shop to try some of the auto wreckers - they usually will give some sort of warranty as well.

Keep us posted on it if you can - we like to hear the final outcome as it often can help others.

Good luck on it.