I have a 2006 HHR 2.4 with 188,000 miles and I am getting the P2176 DTC and reduced engine power condition. This only occurs when the temperature is between 0 and 10 degrees outside. It has happened the last 2 winters on 2 different occasions. After the engine warms up I am able to restart and the reduced engine power condition is gone and the car is driveable. The code clears itself and the car is fine until it gets cold again. I was thinking of swapping the throttle body as it appears the cold temps are causing something flaky with the electronics in the TB. Any suggestions? Any best practices and is there any reprogramming required with the swap?

 

Well the grease in the Throttle Body drivetrain has been known to dry up sometimes, so in extremely cold temperatures, the grease in the fragile little gears that open your throttle butterfly might be too stiff to allow proper movement.

The P2176 code is set when the difference between the predicted and the actual throttle position is more than a calibrated amount for more than 1.5 seconds.

A good idea to try before swapping in another Throttle Body, would be to clean your current one, or have it cleaned.

The butterfly might just be getting hung up on a ridge of carbon deposits, and in the very low temps you mentioned, the motor that drives the Throttle Body may not have enough "oomph" to overcome the sticking.

 

Here's a good thread on the throttle body cleaning procedure - https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/main...leaning-48936/

Refrain from moving the butterfly by hand, as some have stripped the gears that operate it, meaning a new TB was needed.

 

Wow Aug 23/ 2006 and still a new member!
X2 on cleaning that throttle body!
I clean mine every Oct 1 just so this won't happen.
Please carefully read that thread Whopper posted!

 

Thanks whopper for referencing that Throttle Body cleaning thread, it was hiding from me earlier.

Yeah I kniw, silly Admin can't find a thread, it's been a loooong week kids.:sad;

So that's what you do every October 1st eh Oldblue, makes my vehicular OCD look mild in comparison.

 

I clean it again on May 1st

 

Thanks for your replies. It has never been cleaned and with the mileage it has, it is probably pretty gunked up. Thanks again!!