2.2 vs 2.4 differences

draymond2draymond2 Member Posts: 134
in Chevrolet
I'm possibly considering buying a used HHR.

Other than the obvious, can someone explain the differences in the 2 engines. Does the 2.4 require premium fuel?
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Comments

  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    No premium fuel for those two engines. Both highly regarded engines in the auto industry and race track.
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    Premium is suggested for the 2.4, if lower grade is used you just have to watch for knocking, many do use lower grade.
  • draymond2draymond2 Member Posts: 134
    Defeats the purpose of buying for fuel economy if you have to pay more for the gas :confuse:
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    There is always that fine line between econ anf pep too. I have a 2.4 but coming from a truck getting 24.5 in city driving by being a lttle careful is great yet I have that 179HP if needed. I have used both prem. and reg. and see no difference in mpg and just a very slight bit of power and that is questionalble.Running it normal, not being careful pulling away from lights etc. driving like the gas is cheap (it is) gives me about 22+
  • draymond2draymond2 Member Posts: 134
    I don't have a lead foot and when I test drove a 2.4 and wasn't overly impressed with the pick up. Just wondering if anyone has drove both for comparison?
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    If you need to be impressed than get the SS and it comes with the 2.0 which is a little smaller yet. :shades:
  • lacolaco Member Posts: 28
    The 2.2 develops 149HP vs 170 something for the 2.4. Premium fuel is suggested for the 2.4, 87 octane for the 2.2. I have a 2.2 with a five speed, and have never felt it was underpowered, but perhaps having a manual transmission helps more than I think it does. I would certainly buy the same setup again if I were in the market today.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    You may want to try chevyhhr.net as they are a huge forum site and will have all your answers and some you didn't even know you wanted to ask. :shades:
  • crdavecrdave Member Posts: 3
    This is a bit off topic, but our car(Homer- the wife hates the name!) has the 2.4 and gives lots of power for its size. In Canada we have a 10% ethanol blend and a chain called Mohawk/ Husky that sells 90 octane for the same price as 87. In my Scout, the performance difference is very noticeable. I try to use the 90 blend whenever I go on long distances with heavy grades. Even around town it helps on hills leading home, however, not enough to offset the discounts I get at the local Superstore Gas Bar in the Scout that is- the HHR gets the best at all times, unless there is no option when traveling; then you must take what you can get.
  • poncho167poncho167 Member Posts: 1,178
    With the knock sensors the timing is automatically adjusted to prevent that. I haven't heard any knocking in a new car for years.
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    I was referring to what is stated in manual, I know many run 87 octane and haven't reported any troubles.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I am driving a 2009 HHR now as a rental while my car is in the shop for warranty work and it has the 2.2 engine. With 149HP, this must be the same engine Saturn uses as the HHR drives a lot like our old VUE did.
  • huffmanshhr1huffmanshhr1 Member Posts: 14
    Since we got our car 4 months ago, I can promise you this ....you WILL motice a harder feel and the knocking mentioned if you do not put premium fuel in the 2.4. as it details in the manual.
    I did not realize this when I first bought it and was complaining ab my mpg. After i fixed the error, my mpg is now where it supposed to be , even better . So you are not really paying more if your gas milage increases. If you do the math, it comes out right. i dont have any figures in front of me and I appologize for that,.but im on the rn this morning! But all in all, using the premium has not been a problem or cost us any more.

    god luck
  • cmyrecmyre Member Posts: 4
    The diff between the 2 are Hp ratings and the 2.4 Does reqiure Premium Fuel . Look in your owners manual, we found out the hard way . The engine started to ping and act like it was missing so I called the Dealer and asked the service manger about this and was asked what grade of gas we were using . We started putting Super iin it and the problem went away.
  • laserbluelaserblue Member Posts: 313
    My HHR is a 2010 LT with the 2.4 L engine and I never filled it with premium gasoline always regular but "Top Tier Gasoline" if possible.
    It has 26,000 miles on it, went on a cross country trip (2 adults) with cargo area fully loaded (back seat down), got 32.2779 m/p/g max. (prairies @ 70-75 m/p/h.) and 27.9989 m/p/g min. (rockies @ 65-70 m/p/h. ).
    Never heard a pinking sound what so ever.
    Premium gas is "Recommended" but not "Required" (owner's manual).
    Big difference between those 2 words.
  • laserbluelaserblue Member Posts: 313
    Following my last "Reply" to (cmyre).

    These are the "Top Tier Fuel" (recommended) for the 2.4 L engine in the HHR. Stay away from "Ethenol" gasoline (even if it's only 10%) for better m/p/g.

    TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:

    76 Petro-Canada
    Aloha Petroleum Phillips 66
    Chevron QuikTrip
    Chevron Canada Rebel Oil
    Conoco Road Ranger
    CountryMark Severson Oil
    Entec Stations Shell
    Esso Shell Canada
    Exxon Sunoco Canada
    Kwik Trip / Kwik Star Texaco
    MFA Oil Co. The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
    Mileage Stations Tri-Par Oil Co.
    Mobil Turkey Hill Minit Markets
    U.S. Oil
  • lulu76lulu76 Member Posts: 12
    I didn't realize about the premium gasoline until I read these threads here. As I mentioned before, my best friend used to be an engineer at Exxon/Mobil and he told me never to use the higher octane gas until your car "needed" it because once you start using it, you will have problems if you ever go back to 87. After reading these threads on fuel economy, I noticed my car was missing a little when I accelerated going up hills. (Never had any knocking or any other acceleration issues. Just on hills.) I asked him about it, and he told me to check my manual and if the manufacturer "recommended" higher octane gas to put what it said in there and never change back. I put 93 octane in on my last tank, and I am already noticing an increase in MPG of a few miles, not to mention no more acceleration issues.

    Also, to touch on what the last poster said, my co-worker's husband is a GM master mechanic at a Chevy dealership, and he said it matters less what octane of gas you put in and more of where you are getting your gas. He said it is more important to get high quality gas and avoid the cheaper gas stations.

    I never bought a Cavalier with the 2.4L engine, but I can't imagine having an HHR with a 2.2L. It just seems like with the greater curb weight it makes sense to have a little bigger engine for more pick-up.
  • coz_11coz_11 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 LT2 that has the 2.4 and is closing in on 100,000 miles. Other than the heater fan "bird chirp" that every GM car I have owned in the last 20 years has had I have no complaints.

    Costco for gas and get 26-28 in everyday use, about 30-32 on the interstate.

    I like it so much I am hunting for a low mile 2011 so I can keep one around for a lot longer. :)
  • laserbluelaserblue Member Posts: 313
    Pretty much the same m/p/g here with my 2010 2.4L with 25,000 miles on.
    To bad the last production line are the 2011 models.
    Probably it was to good G.M. had to stop building them?
    Looking towards the new Chevrolet Trax or the Sonic "Hatchback" but only in 2015/16 otherwise it would have been another HHR.
  • ShawnchevymanShawnchevyman Member Posts: 4
    draymond2 said:
    I'm possibly considering buying a used HHR. Other than the obvious, can someone explain the differences in the 2 engines. Does the 2.4 require premium fuel?

  • ShawnchevymanShawnchevyman Member Posts: 4
    I personally have owned a few 2.2 ecotec's in cobalts and a 03 Cavaliers and 05 LS sport Cavalier and a  couple Malibu with the 2.4 there isn't much difference in them unless they are different year models but with that said  u can exchange 1from the other  as long as if it car is a 2.2 and u put a 2.4 in it car use it vehicles original fuel injectors and plastic intake and ur throttle body and ur oxygen sensors  this is the only things you need to do as long as you have the same sensors on the head well 05-06 doesn't have them 07-10 do have so u want to get the same year model ecotec thru those years  but cobalt,g5,g6,Malibu and some Saturn cars are the same as long as you use what I have said and both engines have same amount of sensors but  2011 and up equinox are totally different than the other ecotec's  they have a extra fuel pump on the engine and the fuel injectors have over 150 psi and the others have about 60 psi but they will enertchange with one another 
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