Snodrvr

I've been having a problem with my 2006 HHR, I had to drive home through a pretty bad storm. There was a pretty big puddle I went through on the highway, and about ten minutes later the Traction control light came on (Not the DIC message indicating low traction, but the yellow warning light that indicates the system has malfunctioned.). Shortly after that the service engine soon light came on. It wasn't until I got in my neighborhood that I noticed the transmission (automatic BTW) was kicking whenever it shifted gears. I even noticed the whole car lurched when I shifted it from Drive to park and vice versa. The next morning, I started the car and everything worked normally.

Since then, The Traction control and service engine lights have been coming on randomly. Sometimes it's one, sometime's it's both, sometime's one comes on first and the other later on. The only fix I've found is to turn the car off, and even that doesn't always work. I drove 600 miles on vacation without a problem, only to have the lights come on in the hotel parking lot.

I've noticed a lot of posts on this forum from people with similar problems, but most seem to mention the Power Steering, which I'm not having a problem with (yet). Any suggestions?

sleeper

Was the yellow light flashing ?

-md- HHR

In older GM's when the intake air temp sensor went bad.....the vehicle would act just as you described.

Greybeard999

I'm getting the feeling that the T/C light and hard shift is the HHR's "limp mode" as they used to call it. Caused by many different malfunctions....

If you could get a code it would help narrow it down.

Snodrvr

The yellow light was solid on both the service engine soon and the traction control light. As far as an error code I had my mechanic take a look last week while it was in for an oil change. At the time, neither of the lights would come on, but he said the computer had logged an error code that indicated a problem with the hydraulic camshaft. I didn't think to ask him for the exact number of the error code.

He thought that the problem could have been caused by dirt in the oil which the oil change would fix. His theory was that if the oil change didn't fix it they would need to tear the motor down and take a look. If possible, I'd like to avoid that route.


(PS: I agree on the limp mode, that would explain a great many things, I'll try and get the error code for you.)

Greybeard999

Possibly the camshaft position solinoids.... there's a "how to" here...... https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-tutorial-library-21/camshaft-position-actuator-solenoid-valve-replacement-w-pics-p0010-11-p0013-14-a-28779/
Doesn't need a tear down to fix either......

It is one of the more common problems that cause those symptoms.... get the codes first if you can. That will verify it.