MikeX

Well, you are going to have to really take that puppy out for a good long test drive when you get her back. I wouldn't even say I was accepting it when I went to pick it up. I would say, OK, I'm going out for a 1 hour test drive and report back. Be polite - but anal-retentive about the whole thing.

Just out of curiosity - Do you get back a car that shows zero miles, like a new car???

TxSkyPilot

I asked that. It's illegal even for a dealer to zero the miles (perhaps impossible in the DIC). So I'll have a car with 300 miles on it and an engine with 0.

I think taking it out for an hour or two would be a very, very good idea. I hope to get it back Wednesday morning.

dan-d

Generally speaking the heat relationship between the tranny and engine are for the most part independant from one another. The only thing they may have in common is a tranny cooling tank located in the radiator housing. Since I have a manual I don't know if the HHR uses a tank cooler located in the radiator or if it has it's own cooler. But even if it's located in the radiator, the engine cooling part of the radiator has little effect on the tranny cooling part.

dan-d

All this talk about heat has got me to pay attention to mine. I've been watching mine a lot lately and here are the results. Our ambient temps here in central Florida have been in the upper 90's lately. The operating temps in my HHR (according to the DIC) stay between 194 and 196 no matter what the driving conditions are. My engine is completely stock as is the exhaust and intake systems.

Snoopy

Thanks, Dan...

I appreciate your time for this answer.

I'm still wondering why "the guys" said to change the trans. fluid when the temp.'s exceeded 220.

This info came from a guy who pulled a 6500# boat with an older truck. He changed his tranny fluid after every run to the lake (if you have been to Arizona, you know how much torture that is). He went slightly over 200,000 miles before a rebuild.

But, I guess, according to info on a link someone else supplied, the excess temp.'s could be cumulative.

Snoopy

Hey.... if they are a good dealer, they would extend your warranty for the "lost" time.

I had a similar situation a few years back and my dealer (with GM approval) added 27 days to my warranty. Didn't matter though. My out of warranty mileage came first.

Oh, and I do not believe it is ILLIGAL for a dealer to zero out the mileage (at least not in AZ. maybe in TX). as long as the original mileage is disclosed at the time of sale. I have done this at least once also....custom El Camino.....with full digital instumentation.

Just a thought for you..

dan-d

He's probably using his engine temp as a guide to guage his tranny temp. Even though the temps between the two systems won't be the same, it's pretty good reasoning that when one goes up so does the other, and the tranny temps would even be higher than normal when towing. So it's alway's good to establish some sort of guideline to use as a routine for tranny fluid replacement. By using a routine tranny fluid cycle you can expect your tranny to last a good long time.

TomsHHR

All the Trans temp answers are good, and all I may add is your Trans temp will depend on the load during driving. Idle putting around town would let it run cooler than the engine. On the other hand, doing the hard launches, High speed runs or pulling a trailer give the water cooled engine a edge on the transmission.

wwoooHHHoooo Post 350.... only 1/16th of 'CH's Posts'

TxSkyPilot

<rant mode on>

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I was supposed to get the HHR back today. No dice. Get this, the computer and parts they were going to order on Monday and have overnighted so they could be installed on Tuesday... They still didn't have them today (Wednesday)! The excuse: "Must have got lost in the mail." Yeah, or some incompetent SA didn't order them yet. My beautiful new HHR with now a new engine has sat in a service bay at the dealer longer than I have had it. Meanwhile, I've made my first payment and paid insurance. This is getting old!

</rant mode off>

courthousedeb

Geez Louise...I think GM should offer to at least pay your car payment, since you not having the vehicle is through no fault of your own. Yea right...like they will really do that. Hope you get your car back real soon.