Bad news on the HHR SS front. My poor baby has a couple things wrong with it. 1) Dealer said I need a new cam actuator. That, they said, is $279+tax. 2) Dealer said my wastegate isn't working and they need to replace the whole turbo. Turbo is $1,300, $2,800 with labor.

Has anyone had to deal with either of these? I'm so depressed!!

Loreen

 

Granted I dont own a SS,, but I do no how some dealers and repair shop work. Have to upsell. My wifes Mazda 3 a dealer said it needed a tranny flush at 40000 miles cause the fluid was burnt. However I knew that the synthetic fluid Mazda uses always has a burnt smell to it.
My advice get a second opinion. there are plenty of ss people here that will help you diagnose wether or not you truely need any of that.

Give us some more info on the car. How many miles, anything weird going on while driving, etc.

Just looked up your other post. It is high milage at 130000. im not trying to scare but with the milage a turbo rebuild could be in need.

 

Have they referenced any diagnostic codes when telling you such? I'm curious to see how their tech came to these conclusions, as I feel the turbocharger replacement might be a bit fetched especially with that labor.

 

Am I reading that correctly? $1500 in labor? HOLY CRUD. That should be about 15 or more hours worth of labor and I know it does not take 15 hours to replace a turbo even if it is on the back side of the motor. Heck I could do a motor swap in less then 15 hours. Changing the waterpump on these cars doesn't even pay 15 hours labor not even close and you have to remove the exhaust mani to do it. <--Well atleast you did on the early 2000 ecotec's.

 

i had the Wastegate Actuator fail on my first SS.. dealer replaced the whole Turbo, but i was still under warrenty..

Are u getting any Codes? and I agree get a second opinion!
here is my post:
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...light=actuator

pics are no longer there but i can dredge them up if you'd like

 

Unfortunately, the warranty is long over. Yes, the labor cost is no joke. I'm going to have to figure something out. Maybe do the job myself (With my husband's help). I'm still depressed!

 

If anyone has any suggestions or tips on changing the turbo, please let me know.

 

I think that they are over charging because I do not see how this would take 15 hours to change. Perhaps they are charging $300-$500 per labor hour. Take it to another dealer and get a second opinion.

BTW what is the car doing that made them look at the wastegate anyways? Are you having boost spikes or something? Is it stuck open and you can't make much boost?

 

There is a TSB out appearantly for the wastegtes, is it because they tried adjusting your wastegate already that they think it needs to be replaced?

New TSB wastegate

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Service Information
2009 Chevrolet Cobalt | Cobalt, G5 (VIN A) Service Manual | View All Bulletins | Document ID: 2312877
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#09-06-93-004: Intermittent MIL/Check Engine Light On, DTC P0299 or P0234 Set (Adjust Turbocharger Wastegate Actuator) - (Jul 21, 2009)


Subject: Intermittent MIL/Check Engine Light On, DTC P0299 or P0234 Set (Adjust Turbocharger Wastegate Actuator)


Models: 2008-2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR

2008-2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP

2008-2009 Saturn SKY Redline

2008-2009 Opel GT

2008 Daewoo G2X

with Engine RPO LNF and LDK (Europe)

Please Refer to GMVIS




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Condition
Some customers may comment that the SES light is on. Upon inspection, you may find DTC P0299 (Turbocharger Engine Underboost) or P0234 (Turbocharger Engine Overboost) set.

Cause
This condition may be caused by a mis-adjusted wastegate.

Correction
Note: The wastegate adjustment is sometimes a very fine process. When adjusting the wastegate, only small adjustments should be made. Loosen one nut at a time and only adjust the nut one turn at a time; then tighten the other nut against the shaft and test drive to verify. This may have to be performed several times to achieve the desired boost level. To ensure proper adjustment, the vehicle should be at full operating temperature when testing. The vehicle will be very hot and may need to cool between adjustments. Too large of an adjustment can cause repeat DTCs.

Adjust the turbocharger wastegate. Refer to Turbocharger Wastegate Actuator Adjustment in SI.

Troubleshooting Tips for DTC P0299 - Turbocharger Engine Underboost
To increase boost, adjust the nuts (in) towards the actuator; in essence making the shaft shorter.

Troubleshooting Tips for DTC P0234 - Turbocharger Engine Overboost
To reduce boost, adjust the nuts (out) towards the end of the shaft; in essence making the shaft longer.

 

Replacing the turbo is closer to 5.5 hours labor. Call another shop for a second opinion.