Chevy HHR suddenly not starting, cranks fine, runs great.
clayman999
Member Posts: 1
Yesterday my wife filled up with gas on the way to the airport. She said they when she got back in the car she had to turn the key twice before it would start.
Last night I would get in the car (2007 HHR 2.2 LT) and the car would crank like normal but never fire.
I messed with the gas peddle a bit while trying to start it and got it to start a couple of times. Also I tried to hook jumpers up to my truck even though the battery seems fine and it did not seem to make a difference.
Once running it ran great. I noticed that the check engine light did come on after I got it started that first time. When I would turn the engine off if I tried to restart imediately there was not a problem but if I wait a few minutes it was like starting the whole process over again.
Its a mystery to me as to why it can be so hard to start and require me to try 5 or 10 times but then run great once it actually starts.
Some other info is that it has not had a problem before, the gas was down to about 40 miles left when my wife filled it up, and the gas cap had not been put back on correctly.
From scouring the internet I see that if the gas cap is not securely tightened with alreast 3 clicks it can cause the engine light to come on.
I checked the fuses as well to make sure they were all plugged in well.
Also it seems like it might be the fuel pump in that it might not be priming the engine correctly. (that is my uneducated guess)
I do normally hear a little hum when I try to start the car and believe I was hearing it last night as well.
If the fuel pump was out would the car start at all and if so run so well? I added fuel cleaner to the gas last night and drove about 30 miles without any problems.
Just wont start. I appreciate any ideas??
Last night I would get in the car (2007 HHR 2.2 LT) and the car would crank like normal but never fire.
I messed with the gas peddle a bit while trying to start it and got it to start a couple of times. Also I tried to hook jumpers up to my truck even though the battery seems fine and it did not seem to make a difference.
Once running it ran great. I noticed that the check engine light did come on after I got it started that first time. When I would turn the engine off if I tried to restart imediately there was not a problem but if I wait a few minutes it was like starting the whole process over again.
Its a mystery to me as to why it can be so hard to start and require me to try 5 or 10 times but then run great once it actually starts.
Some other info is that it has not had a problem before, the gas was down to about 40 miles left when my wife filled it up, and the gas cap had not been put back on correctly.
From scouring the internet I see that if the gas cap is not securely tightened with alreast 3 clicks it can cause the engine light to come on.
I checked the fuses as well to make sure they were all plugged in well.
Also it seems like it might be the fuel pump in that it might not be priming the engine correctly. (that is my uneducated guess)
I do normally hear a little hum when I try to start the car and believe I was hearing it last night as well.
If the fuel pump was out would the car start at all and if so run so well? I added fuel cleaner to the gas last night and drove about 30 miles without any problems.
Just wont start. I appreciate any ideas??
0
Comments
i had a problem with my engine light coming on periodically and then just going off....I told the dealer ,twice, exactly what happened(because we are currently under bumper to bumper warranty-so I dont miss ANYTHING that may be wrong lol) and I missed the appointments because it went back off and didnt feel like sitting there half the day for nothing. Point being that if they knew about the gas cap causing it if not put back on correctly , dont you think they would have mentioned it??
We did associate it with getting gas, or running low....but didnt know what the deal was.
Thanks for the information!!!:) I know now that we were right and it really wasnt a big deal.
i apologize for the problems you are experiencing with your vehicle. Please keep me posted if the fuse block does not fix the problem.
Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service
then the next time i try it might start normally, but it might also do the same keep on cranking issue.
once it starts it runs fine, really starting to worry my wife as she drives almost daily early in the morning.
Might be the problem.
thank god that i am a ase certified master mechanic that has own shop.
i has now been a year that i owned this junk pile.
so far besides the noises,clanking,i replaced,brakes,rotors,tires,ignition switch,turnsignal switch,air bag light on and off,rear drums,other misc problems.
called gm corperat and they basicly told me to get lost!!!!
I will never buy or any of my customers or friend,family,to buy a gm product !!
no wonder why they are bankrupt,with service like this!!!
I have gone over my wife's 07 HHR with a fine tooth comb and can not find any reason for the problem .... until tonight.
I was looking thru a forum not in here and have found the same issue with a person who might have figured it out. He has an 07 as well and his mechanic installed a second ground wire from the engine block to a shock tower. His mechanic had found a ground drop in the system and once he added the extra, it went away and the car started.
This makes sense due to my checking. I was checking my current from the battery to the relay box, I was getting maximum voltage to the relays but had a slight flux in power that I blew off has a poor meter connection. Tomorrow I will be checking all the ground connections again and looking at adding an additional ground cable off the block.
My story, if you are interested...
My first experience with vapor lock was when I was driving long distance on a highway. I stopped for gas, then a little later stopped at a rest stop, turned off the car, took care of the necessary bathroom needs, came out and got nothing when I turned the key. I called for a tow right away so I would not have to wait too long, and then I checked a number of things - yes, the battery cables were tightly connected and not corroded, all fuses were good, but it still was silent when I turned the key. I then removed the gas cap, and the car started right up. I called and cancelled the tow, and then drove the rest of the way home, problem solved.
Almost the same with my car. Take it to work, on really hot days, I come out and the car won't start. I have it towed to the dealership, by the time they look at it, it starts. Has happened 3 times already, the garage can't fix it because the car starts for them so they can't get any codes. I hate this car, I can't go anywhere with it because it may not start.
2010 HHR
Hello kbalcom,
I'm sorry you've experienced several occurrences of your HHR not starting. If you would send your full name, address, phone, VIN and the name of the dealership you wish to work with to socialmedia@gm.com (Attn: Marlea), I‘ll do my best to look into your concern further.
Marlea W.
GM Customer Care
Not experiencing any electrical problems.
Just now need to crack the key twice as though I am pumping fuel.
Anyone research the cracked fuel pump problem?
I'm very interested in how to fix this problem. So far answers have ranged from complete fuel system replacement to add a wire to the ground. There's got to be a common reason with a common solution.
Help !
When filling the gas tank it is letting fuel or fuel vapor into the intake manifold and the car is essentially doing the same thing as what would happen decades ago with vapor lock on a carbureted vehicle. When you have this issue the fuel gauge may also read incorrectly as the tank may start to collapse as it can't properly vent with change in fuel volume and air temperature. Since displaced air pressure can't get out of the tank when you're at the gas station refilling (as the emission system is redesigned to be a closed system and capture any fuel vapor) it can also cause a problem where the gas station pump keeps shutting off (i.e. overflow shutoff keeps kicking in).
There are two evaporative emission solenoid/valves that can cause similar issues, the one connected to the intake manifold which is the most common as well as one on the charcoal vapor recovery/capture canister at the rear of the car near the fuel tank/rear axle area. It may or may not set an emission systems check engine code, but if set and you had a good dealer tech and were still under the extended emission system warranty was normally covered (the emission warranty can vary by state requirements so check with your dealer).
If you have a simple socket set and can remove one bolt and disconnect/reconnect the electrical connect and a vacuum line, both parts are very easy to install and fairly cheap. As of the date of this post the canister vent valve (rear of car) is ~$30 and canister purge valve (intake manifold) is around $25 at AutoZone and the last time I purchased one of these their house-brand (Duralast) solenoid/valve is was using the same supplier as GM and even had the GM part number on it.
They're a common part used on many GM vehicles and most part stores should carry them. If you search for Cobalt, HHR or Ecotec "hard start after filling gas" you should find more info and pictures/videos on how to change them.
Once again, thank you very much
Nova
Also, turn the key to "on" (don't crank it) and have someone stand by the gas filler cap and listen for the noise of the fuel pump going on for a few seconds. If no noise at all, start there, checking fuses and relays for the fuel pump.
If you have spark and the fuel pump is working, you still might have a low fuel pressure problem. For this, you'll need a fuel pressure gauge hooked up to the fuel rail. Low fuel pressure could be a clogged fuel filter or a bad fuel pressure regulator.
If you have good spark and good fuel pressure, then you have to check for injector pulse using a NOID light. On some cars, you can check for a bad crankshaft position sensor by watching your tachometer when you crank the engine. If the tachometer doesn't register anything, then you might have a bad CKP or something related to it (bad ground on the ECM for isntance).
Careful diagnosis, step by step, is the only way to get the problem solved. Guessing and parts tossing is expensive and often frustrating.
Good luck !
Well, what the actual problem was, is that the fuel module (pump) in the tank is spring loaded. When this is compressed (installed in tank) there is a hose that runs from the check valve to the outlet nipple to the fuel line. This rubber hose had actually worn a hole into it in the tank, letting the fuel pressure bleed off. The "leak" occurred in the tank and could not be seen until I changed out the pump module.
The car now starts fine on the first key try, like it is supposed to. Hope this is helpful to someone out there, and saves a lot of frustration and headaches. Good luck!
I know this is an old post I ran into a problem with an 09 hhr that had a hard start problem Iv done everything to this car from fuel pressure test to evap sensor new injectors I plugged my scanner back into this thing for the tenth time and I happened to notice the alcohol level in the fuel was high over 60 percent I reset the fuel trim back to zero and guess what car runs fine I even tested the fuel in the car it and it was only 10 percent alcohol hope this helps anyone that has this problem