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Problems/Service/RepairsIf you have a problem with your HHR, want a tip on repairing or performing a particular service to you HHR here is the place to post!
You own a 2009 the MY starts around June of 2008. You can affirm the model year by using the VIN decoder I posted. (position #10 in you VIN; a 9 indicates 2009, a 8 indicates 2008)
Actually, I bet you have a 2LT, that is also in the VIN. Position 5/5 A2 is for LT, A5 is for 2LT. Assuming you have auto trans..
The 2.4L engine, and VVT versions of the others, have always had the "new" tensioner.
Start engine, stop engine, pressure should read 50-60 PSI, if it drops more than 5 PSI in 1 minute you need a new pump. Should never be zero.
So I put the fuel pressure tester back on in the middle of the day and watched it drop for 15 minutes. It dropped 4 PSI, so that part is fine, but it does drop to 0 overnight, and when it is turned to On in the morning, it only gets to 20. EDIT: Ok I just read that you said 1 minute so it is not leaking fuel at an alarming rate at all. I am waiting to see how it is tomorrow but the next step is just replace the fuel and vapor lines.
Originally Posted by donbrew
f you put plugs for a turbo that may be the prob...
Yesterday was quite the ordeal. I pulled a spark plug to see just how stupid I was that day, and it was the right one and looked great except the threads were totally trashed. With oil. I put it back in, thought for a while, and then pulled them all.
It looks like I still have clean combustion for the most part, better than some oily plugs I've seen. But I pulled the valve cover off and replaced my valve cover gasket and the o rings on the spark plug holes and screws and etc. to stop that leak. It wasn't a very bad one. (edit: Typo)
So then I put all new plugs in now that they won't be leaked on, put it all back together and parked it. It only was parked for 4 hours before I got up this morning so the verdict will be in tomorrow.
Last edited by 11_madi_11; Aug 31, 2018 at 10:34 AM.
Reason: Typo And second edit I misread something (obviously my largest character flaw)
You own a 2009 the MY starts around June of 2008. You can affirm the model year by using the VIN decoder I posted. (position #10 in you VIN; a 9 indicates 2009, a 8 indicates 2008)
Actually, I bet you have a 2LT, that is also in the VIN. Position 5/5 A2 is for LT, A5 is for 2LT. Assuming you have auto trans..
The 2.4L engine, and VVT versions of the others, have always had the "new" tensioner.
I pulled my title out of the files yesterday to see if it happened to say anything I missed, and the title says 2008. The vin has placeholders 08 too, but I will look at the vin again and see if it is a 2LT. The title said body style UT.
But that's intersting about the tensioner, I bet that is the case for all these mysterious updated parts.
edit: Also when I get off work at the end of the weekend, I'm going to call the dealership or someone and see if they can pull the build date. I can't find it on the door, the sticker is gone.
Different states use different abbreviations. GM qualifies the HHR as a "Light Duty Truck/Multi-purpose Passenger Vehicle" for C.A.F.E. purposes; they needed to reduce the MPG for that category.
Designations on titles don't mean much, they put down whatever they are told on the application.
That #2 plug looks a little oily. Maybe the rings are having trouble. A Seafoam top clean might help (put 2-3 oz in each cylinder, let sit overnight). #3 might have some coolant on it. Where they all seated tightly?
Oh no, where could coolant enter the system? I put a full new set of gaskets on but I didn't look anywhere for coolant. The weird thing is the seemingly clean combustion. But yes they were seated correctly and all that. Never got an engine code about it either. Could really use my car's help telling me what is up :)
Yes that is page 5-5 that I was talking about. It says right there plain as day, 91 or higher is recommended, 87 or higher is sludgy and will cause spark knock, and lower than 87 causes heavy knocking. Choose as you will, and to each their own!
Coolant gets in by a bad head gasket. Check the coolant level in the bottle as well as under the cap.
#3 looks like a coolant leak. Steam cleaned inside the chamber and steam being pushed out past the plug ( the orange stain on the insulator). #2 may be from oil getting past the O-ring on the valve cover and pooling around the plug.
Has the DexCool ever been changed? It has a shelf life of 5 years.
#3 looks like a coolant leak. Steam cleaned inside the chamber and steam being pushed out past the plug ( the orange stain on the insulator).
Don all 4 plugs don't look bad. No build up of carbon or oil on the tips. The stain isn't from coolant on #3, more than likely it was oil passing by the center seal of the valve cover in that hole to cover the base of the plug and oil cooked it.
#3 looks steam cleaned and orange on the insulator too me. Maybe internet color. Suspiciously no carbon, I attribute to a recent change, but that's a lot on the threads for that.
When should I pull them again to check if I fixed the problem? I will check my coolant level on lunch break. Edit: The dexcool is from 2015 and it tested good last winter. Haven't tested it yet for this winter but I can when I'm off at the end of the weekend. Locating that tiny tool once a year is always a pain :)
So it's "tomorrow," the verdict is in... The longer turnover on startup is gone, no rough idle. But fixing that has revealed a new problem. Idk if it's the new plugs, the valve cover being off, taking my solenoids out and putting them back in, or what. I checked all the screws and connections, all seem good. I was VERY delicate and careful NOT to touch my timing chain and very careful NOT to drop dried crap from the leaky seal in the open valve cover, but something had to happen while it was open or maybe the new spark plugs and better seal exacerbated something?
Now on startup, something clangs or clanks once really loud, not immediately but just long enough after startup for me to think "looks like it won't happen today, wow my car is idling so beautifully," and then get ready to shift. Yesterday afternoon it lurched with the noise and this morning it didn't. I turn it over, it starts up quick and easy, is quieter than it was before I replaced valve cover seals and spark plugs, very peaceful, then about 15 seconds in, CLANG, and then it continues to idle as normal. I always let my car sit for a few seconds to let the oil lube everything up nice, and it seems to happen right when that and other little automatic startup activities are finishing up.
It's so loud I jumped the first time I heard it. It's not as loud as a backfire, but it's louder than transmission lash. It's way, way louder and not at all similar to engine ping. I had engine knock on a chevy cavalier once (threw the main bearing, drove it too hard and learned my lesson) and it doesn't sound anything like that. Edit: but I know there are other types of knocks and don't want to rule that out.. Usual engine temp, 1 tick below the halfway mark (is that normal in general).
I've seen the note from GM in a clip from user Chevy Mgr's service manual to stop diagnosing and remediating transmission lash on startup and when shifting from R to D after being parked, I do have that if I don't set my parking brake. At first I thought it was that just louder and worse, but after hearing it again I think it's different. It's also a heck of a lot more metallic, louder, and more violent . I'm really worried it might be the timing chain, I don't know how it would do one loud hit though.
Here is autotribune's description of sounds so we are all on the same page:
"CLANG: A metallic ringing sound like a bell that reverberates briefly. Like the sound of dropping a wrench on the floor.
CLANK: A metallic striking sound that does not reverberate. Like a hammer striking an anvil."
I just pray it makes it one more startup after work today so I can drop it off at my mechanic for an overnight stay. Monday is Labor Day so it's going to be sleeping for a few days and will be nice and cold for replicating. And it gives us 3 days to talk about it!
Here's a few other pics of plug 2. It was the first one I pulled when I was checking the part number. You can really see the goop better and coloring is more realistic.
And here's a few pics of the oil leaking out of the back edge of the valve cover which was a second clue to valve cover grommets.
Edit: one more photo, it's of the spark plug well #4 you can see a layer of oil coming from the edge of the valve cover. It seemed self explanatory at the time.
Could it be the fuel tank popping? Maybe the EVAP system is not working right.
I had a Toyota P/U that when the fuel level got real low the tank would let out a huge bang (FAWUMP) when the pressure changed. A friend had the same thing, so I'm pretty sure that was "normal" in those trucks.
The only reason I can think of for that oil leak is somebody had the cover off for some reason and did not torque it back down. These engines are notoriously oil leak free.
. I'm really worried it might be the timing chain, I don't know how it would do one loud hit though.
