any update on the issue?

 

The car is at the second dealer this weekend. The problem seems worse after the car sits for a few days so I'm leaving it there and going back on Tuesday to take the shop manager for a test drive. The shop won't actually work on the car until I can replicate the problem. Will let you know what I find out.

 

So, of course the car wouldn't act up for the second dealer, even on a 30 minute test drive. I now have a scan tool and am going to start some data analysis...

 

good luck. So far...We've datalogged my car numerous times (Vince from Trifecta) and he can't find anything wrong with mine.....

Let us know what you find out with the datalogging

 

Will do, I've got a good set of unfaulted data, now I just need to get a set when the fault comes in. The scanner I have records past data when you start the recording so I'm going to try and catch a fault when it comes it.

 

I just data logged my hhr ss auto this weekend, trying a number of settings in a number of configurations.

I haven't sent the data logs to Vince yet to review, but in driving I came to these conclusions.

What I learned (and keep in mind this is my car as all HHR's seem to act a little differently).

Highway onramp to high speed, tranission set to I, wot, pulled 20 to a peark of 25/26 pounds on the boost guage up to 105 to 107 mph, don't think I got much into 3rd gear.

Had the comp mode on and traction control set to off.

Did this numerous times with the same result.

Then did a standing start set ti drive gear and traction control on, comp mode off. Just foot to the floor.

Noticed a lot of variation in boost which felt like surge, but the change in boost always came around the auto gear changes.

Then did a 5mph rolling start, comp on, traction control off, transmission set to I. Started out with throttle down though slightly feather to not light up the tires, pulled 25 lbs solid in boost, chirped the tires from 1st to 2nd and ran it up to 85/90 mph before shutting own.

All solid.

So I think and this is just a guess, that a lot of the surge and issues we see with the gms1 doesn't always come from the gms1, it comes from "torque management" or better put, save the transmission warranty.

In I the car is more solid in spirited driving.

Now if you really want a thrill, just leave it in L (first) never touch the gear level and nail it. The gear changes are abrupt, the power comes on strong and almost violent, but it's a heck of a thrill.

IMO

 

I agree with a standing start with the car in "I". The 1st to 2nd shift is very sloppy, slipping and stuttering all over the place. With it in "D" you just go. I mostly use "I" for engine braking at speed and "point and shoot" driving on the highway. Ask Vince to select "Performance" mode in the transmission area of the ECU. I'm not sure how that will effect a Trifecta tune but in HPT it makes Comp mode very interesting. Let's just say you never leave the torque band. He can also tweak shift points there and torque converter lockup along with many other things. Most HHR's are 5 speeds so there is little help out there for Auto tuning. There is a whole section in HPT that is Trans and Trans Diagnostics specific that just isn't there for the others. Click on the tabs in a 5 speed HPT tune and you just get a blank box beacuse a gear box is just that, a gear box.

 

Uhh. Most HHR's are NOT 5 speeds.

 

Good point.
Most HHR SS's on the tuner boards are 5 speeds.

 

I am positive, well almost positive that a lot of the issues with the gms1 on these cars comes from the "torque management" of the ecm protecting the drivetrain.

From a roll, i as long as you don't light up the tires and then grab traction, it's as smooth, fast and linear.

From a standing start, if you watch the boost gauge, mine goes from 25 lbs, to almost shut off at 12 pounds then bounces back to twenty then slams up to 25 then it changes gears and it drops to under 20.

In other words it's like the computer can't react fast enough to protect the drive train and is always turning it down then turning it back up.

Weird feeling.

Also I have two locations and one has my HHR SS the other my EVO 8.

If I come from driving the EVO 8 the HHR feels bog slow, but only because the EVO doesn't ever, ever do anything to stop you from going fast and the EVO is an explosive ride.

The HHR goes almost as fast but wants to do it in a more controlled process and that damn computer always wants to get in the way.

IMO