I tightened the bolts in the fuse box. They were tight but they turned a little bit more. After tightening it still won't start.

There's 12V at the fuses.

Nobody did anything with the steering column and there were no sparks.

 

UPDATE: I got the HHR started. I replaced the park/neutral switch with a brand new one and installed it on the transmission and the car started. That was with the shift linkage disconnected. I also managed to get the rest of the trim piece off from around the shifter so I could release the interlock solenoid that was preventing me from shifting out of Park. I put the shifter in Neutral and put the transmission in Neutral and connected the shift linkage up. Once everything was tightened down I put the shifter back into Park and was right back to the beginning: the shifter wouldn't move out of Park and the car wouldn't start in Park. I tried manually releasing the shifter and putting it in Reverse and then trying to get the reverse lights to come on but no matter how I adjusted the park/neutral switch I couldn't get the reverse lights to come on while the car was in Reverse.

What am I missing? It seems that the park/neutral switch is still somehow out of adjustment. I even bought the Kent-Moore tool to adjust the switch and used it to install and adjust it and I'm still not having any luck. Is there something more I need to know about adjusting the switch? I'm out of ideas at this point.

 

Is the lock & key icon on the dash lit up? It sounds most like a Passkey3 problem; that locks the key and shifter, usually triggered by a low battery or using an unchipped key.
I am assuming that you are stepping on the brake pedal? Do you hear the click in the dash, that is the other part of the shift inter lock.
Did all of the internal trans wires get reconnected to the correct spots?
Inspect the TCM connector, make sure it is getting power.
There is a recall/extended warranty on the "shifter stuck in park" problem; I think it has an expiration. It replaces the shifter assembly with the 2009-2011 style.

 

I finally had a chance to check out the HHR some more today. I had to work all weekend so I didn't get a chance to do anything more until today. Here's what happens when I get in the car:

When I open the door there are no lights on the dash. The only thing lit up is the odometer. I put my foot on the brake pedal and put the key in the ignition. I turn the key and the doors lock and the bulb check comes on. That's the only time the Security light comes on. The fuel pump turns on and then all the lights go out when the engine would turn over but it doesn't. I can't tell if there's a click coming from the dash because of the other little noises going on. I don't *think* there's a click but I can't tell for sure.

I also tried to put my Tech2 scanner on the car but I couldn't establish any communication with the module.

All of the internal transmission wires got reconnected. I double-checked that during the reassembly process. We only removed the two solenoids on the top and I made sure they both got reconnected. I also double-checked the TCM and the cable is connected firmly. I haven't checked for voltage yet but, during my previous test, when I had the engine running, I put the car in gear and the wheels turned (it was up on jack stands).

Any more information anyone has for troubleshooting this will be greatly appreciated. You're all giving me some great info.

 

Those are all symptoms of "dead battery".

 

Voltage tests of a static battery are near useless. Load testing is the only test to rely on. I still think you need a battery. I've seen a lot of guys waste a lot of money and time chasing faults that do not exist all because of a bad battery.

 

Agreed. And in case it hasn't been mentioned yet, it's a free test! At pretty much any auto parts store. They can test your charging system for free also.

 

If this goes as normal he'll end up getting a battery and it'll fix all his problems and we will never know.

 

I don't work today until 5pm so I'm definitely going to get the battery tested and report back. Even if that's not the fix I'll still report back because I hate threads where the OP never shares what fixed the problem.

 

UPDATE:

Took the battery to AutoZone, had it tested; it failed. Bought a brand new battery, took it home, installed it...

...and the car did the exact same thing as before. Now that we've eliminated the battery being dead what other suggestions do you have?