I have tried everything, and from what I looked at, there is nothing mechanical to use a crook lock tool with. So After not seeing this board, searching the web and calling dealers, all I got for info so far is that they rust up inside.

One dealership mechanic told me he did a similar vehicle, and when he hit the unit to break it apart to get to the mechanical area, it actually worked. He took it apart, and salt water looked like it was the culprit, the insides were bound up.

So I got an inside door panel from a crashed HHR complete. Now I cut a hole in the left side of existing pane,l with dremel plastic cutoff wheel and needle nose pliers. I can see the unit.

Does anyone Know the next best step to open the door?

Thanks
Jimmy

 

grab the "coat hanger" wire from the handle to the latch and yank it.

I'll bet the problem actually turns out to be the latch needed some white grease on it a year ago. I just had to do that last week.

 

Sometimes lubing the latch wont be enough, but hope it works.
The problem could also be the door actuator, basically a black box that is just replaced by the dealer if you go to them.
There was a post on here somewhere about taking apart the door actuator and replacing the motor, also freeing up the internal parts.

 

Hi, OK I went back to look, and found that the exterior handle was not going all the way down, and the rod was bending. So I took a long socket extension, and gave it a rap down on the mechanisms yellow connector, where the rod and connector meet. After a few raps while pushing on the door, it popped open.

I am also going to form a tool to do this from outside Glass, in case this ever happens again.


Here is a link to instruction.

2008 Chevrolet HHR repair locked out door.

Now I have to find a good place to get parts.

 

Thanks guys, it was not the latch it was in the actuator, it was jammed pretty good.

Donbrew, the wire from the handle pushes down when the handle comes up to open, while trying to force down it was bending on me. It was first thing i tried. It was stuck pretty good. The latch itself works fluidly with no problem.

Thanks again for your help.

 

Well, I was having trouble getting my outside handle to open the door, the handle was very hard to pull, I was afraid I'd break the handle.

A dab of white grease on the latch part in your last photo totally fixed that for me.