CAR: 2009 HHR LT

This happened today @ 8am (72degrees out) in a burger king drive through. Put the car in park in order to pay for my meal and was asked to pull forward because the coffee wasn't ready.
I wasn't able to get the car out of park. I was there for around 5 minutes and pissed off some people in the drive through and employees.
I took the keys in/out of the ignition and started the car over and over again before it finally went into a gear.

It did this 3 times total in the parking lot. I would put it into park and it wouldn't leave and I had to repeat starting/stopping the ignition.
As I'm driving home I noticed the door locks would randomly lock and unlock. Sometimes lock 4-5 times in a row and vice versa.
I also noticed that the car wasn't going into 2nd gear most of the time from idle and the same for going back into 1st gear.
No hard shifting.

Haven't done nothing to the car recently except we had flooding for the past 2 days and I've hit a few puddles here and there.
Battery reads 12.7v. I tightened the fuse box bolts even though the box didn't seem loose.

Video showing doors locking/unlocking randomly: https://i.imgur.com/VkanjDu.mp4

CODES: I have a knock sensor code p0325 that I had on/off for around 2 years (replaced the knock sensor twice) & a Yaw sensor code (my service esc light comes on every now and then)

Any ideas? I looked into the shifting solenoid, but it seems that is supposed to throw a code(?).

 

Shifter release could be sticking a spray of WD40 should help.

see post #5

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...-sticks-37727/

 

: welcomewagon: to the forums!

There are 4 bolts inside the underhood fuse block. Use a 7mm tool, loosen them just a bit, then tighten them gorilla tight. Then push all the fuses and relays down to seat them securely.

Then go to a chain auto parts store for a free battery load test and free charging system test.

 

The chrome shifter button engages something in the steering wheel when I squeeze the button.
The brake also engages the plunger thing when pressed.
So it seems these things are working on some level.

I sprayed some WD40 in that area where the plunger thing engages with the brake. It may have made it move a bit more smoothly.

Some videos I took. Not sure what purpose they serve but it shows the plunger thing engaging.
https://imgur.com/2zc79bO
https://imgur.com/an4eGtt

I loosened the bolts and tightened them down very snug. Made sure all the fuses were seated all the way down.
My battery is only 7-8 months old (died last winter). Oreillys said the battery was good still. It was also 12.7volts when I measured it this morning.


It seems this is a sporadic problem as I wasn't able to recreate the issue.
Everything worked as intended.

Any idea what else it could be if the problem was to arise again?
Does a bad transmission solenoid always throw a code? Hate that there's no code going on with this issues.
The issue where it wouldn't go into 2nd gear while driving worries me.

Thanks for getting back with me.

 

Spray the WD40 on the plunger under the shifter.

 

I did that. Hoping that I didn't spray too much WD40. I used the straw with it. I'm keeping the panel trim stuff that houses the shifter off until I can get closure that it's not going to happen again.
Would that cause the trans not to shift into 2nd? It would redline in first and not change any gears for most of the duration when I was driving home.
This is an automatic.

It wasn't doing it anymore when I went to check after RJ and OB made suggestions. I still went ahead and applied the WD40 @ the plunger/lock and also tested the battery @ Oreillys.
I can't fathom why all the sudden it would start doing this. Nothing has happened with the vehicle other than it's been flooding where I live. The only thing I could attribute to it would be a few puddles of water that I hit.

Thanks once again. The 3 of you are really out and about on this forum helping tons of people.

 

Trans not shifting to 2nd gear would be a shift solenoid issue

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/driv...olenoid-61313/

 

Should have a code from a solenoid, and 2 speeds affected. Maybe some water got inti the TCM connector.

 

This may also help