Hello, I have a 2006 HHR that has been experiencing problems lately. The car has approximately 122,000mi on it. I do not have any type of warranty on the vehicle.

My car has had problems that I believe to be related to the fuel delivery system. A few days ago I drove the car a few miles (it started up just fine) and while I was idling at a stop sign the car shut off. I had the radio on and it kept playing but I noticed that when I went to accelerate, nothing happened which prompted me to turn the key and shut the engine off. I waited a few seconds, turned the key on, and the car cranked right back up. I drove less than a mile and made it to red light, where the same thing occurred: the car, while idling, cut off, but cranked right back up. At this point I turned around and went home.

The next day I tried to diagnose the problem. My first inclination was that there was a problem with the fuel delivery system, either the fuel pump or something in the fuel pump assembly was going bad, or there was a problem on the computer/electrical end that prevented the message from being sent to the fuel pump.

So I checked the fuse box and there were no blown or loose fuses. I accessed the throttle body and cleaned the butterfly latch that flips open with an appropriate cleaning product from autozone. There was some black gunk but nothing that seemed unreasonable for the age/miles driven of the vehicle.

I then started the car (after having put the hose back on the throttle body) and it cranked up first try. I let it run for a bit and it idled just fine for a couple minutes. I then pressed on the accelerator while in park to increase the Rpms for several seconds (to simulate the conditions that led to the failure) and voila, after letting it return to idle the engine shut off. When trying to restart the engine, it would not crank up, I could hear the engine trying to turnover but it would not start, and I do not believe the starter, battery (which is new) or alternator to be the issue. I tried spraying more throttle body cleaner through the latch on the front of the engine, then I cranked it up and it started but immediately cut off. I believe this indicates that it isn't getting fuel.


At this point I am looking for advice on how to further diagnose the problem. I think that local auto parts stores sell fuel pressure readers that I could attach somewhere and it would be able to tell me what amount of fuel pressure the engine is receiving. If it is low or nonexistent that may indicate a fuel pump problem. But I don't know where I would attach one of these devices.

Could someone please help me? I need to get this car to a reliable/working condition soon, and I don't have lots of money to throw at a dealer or mechanic. I have seen that fuel pump assemblies for this vehicle are pricey at 200-300 and require dropping the fuel tank to access, so I really need your help to make sure that is the problem before committing to such a repair.

Please help, and thank you in advance for any insights you might have.

 

Welcome to the site

There are mutable things that can cause you problem. Checking the fuel pressures is not a bad place to start. You should be able to rent a fuel pressure gauge from a part store.

The fuel pressure gauge threads onto a port on the fuel rail. Here is a picture. The port is under the cap in the pic.

WARNING! DO NOT HOOK UP OR DISCONNECT GAUGE FROM PORT WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Beware when you hook up the gauge some fuel under pressure may be released.

 

Is it that black screw cap on what appears to be a cylinder Lucky?

 

That's the fuel rail test port Kev.
It's a schrader type valve to plug in a gauge for testing purposes.

 

While you're at the parts store getting that gauge have them pull any codes write them down like they appear like P####, and not the verbal explanation the counter dude gives you!
Post those codes up here, and let's go from there

 

That's what I was trying to confirm. I wasn't sure, and I wasn't sure if the OP would know either..

 

Sorry about that Kev. I kind of misread your post and thought you didn't know what it was.

Anyhow. To update Lucky's photo for him(don't think he minds), I circled the test port.

 

That works for me. Thanks.

 

If a loaner is not available from Advance/AutoZone/O'Reilly they cost about $20 at Harbor Freight, not the $40-$50 at those stores. But, people have been known to use the "no hassle" return policy at Advance/AutoZone/O'Reilly liberally.