Remford

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong forum. If so, I gratefully encourage the moderators to move it to the appropriate topic.

Is anyone aware of any aftermarket climate control kits which may be suitable for the HHR? And further looking a potential gift horse squarely in the teeth, if there is whose controls might compliment the HHR interior (or otherwise be relatively benign in its implementation) I'd be even more grateful to know about it. Dual zone (though I can't imagine one without some pretty serious mechanical intrusion upon the existing air duct "plumbing") would be sheer Nirvana. Heck, I'd even consider migrating to a single DIN audio system to provide space for the controls.

Since my wife and I obtained our current personal use vehicles that came with climate control as a standard feature and most rentals I drive when traveling on business seem to have it, I hadn't fully appreciated how much I came to enjoy it. Furthermore, in combination with the added benefit of remote start, having the car being able to self-acclimate on horribly hot/cold days would seem to be inherently complimentary.

Thanks in advance for any useful guidance!

Remmie

SandyBeach

I've never had a car with that option but my minivan did offer the ability to limit airflow from each vent along with changing the direction of the flow. When we travel, I'm often on the side with direct sunlight so my son would close his vents a little. This allowed more air to come my way without turning the temp cooler or the blower to a higher speed. This is something Chevy could add for little additional cost.

cc732

Back in the day.....My '77 Malibu Classic coupe was ordered without A/C. It had pull-out controls for the outside air vents for Left & Right on the bottom centre dash and lower "kick panels" for the floor vents.
If I can find a picture, I'll forward it.
In the meantime, your HHR airflow controls aren't gimmicky like fancy Buicks, Caddys and such.
I find it satisfactory in the widely variable climate of SE/Mich/SOnt.Great Lakes jungle I live in. By keeping the fan speed higher, the de-humidifying action of the A/C is more efficient. A definite plus in the humid months. In the winter, the defroster/defogger will work better, also.
Be sure to change the cabin filter behind the glove box. It's easy to do.


Clare

ewg53

I have the Auto Climate Control feature on my Infiniti G20 and I love it. I know this feature comes on the Malibu Max but I don't know if it would fit in the same area of the HHR. It seems ashame since the HHR does come with remote start but you have to remember to turn on your Heater or AC before you leave the vehicle.

jx3

I thought the HHRs and all other vehicles had this particular funtction. If I'm in the HHR solo, the passenger side vents are completly closed, forcing a nice cool breeze on my face.

jx3

When parking and exiting the HHR, the A/C controls are in the same position as while driving, so when I start the car (by remote or key) the air is already on. The only problem is that the HHR defaults to outside air instead of recirculated air.

ewg53

I think we are not seeing what Auto Climate Control is, on My G20 I set it at 72 degrees and if the outside temp is hotter than that it turns on the A/C if it is colder than that it turns on the Heater. All you do is set it once and it does the work to keep you inside temp to the degree you set it. So I don't have to remember to turn it off or on .

Dave W

This is what Ford calls EATC, Electronic Automatic Temperature Control. I scavanged an EATC system from a high-end Explorer and installed it in my Ranger Pick-up. Not a project for the faint of heart. It required modifing and changing the control inside the blower to digital, installing outside air, inside air, and sunload sensors and about a zillion splices. In the winter it also checks the water temp from the on board computer and will not start the blower until heat is present. I would definatly install in the HHR if such a system were availible.

SandyBeach

Jay, I was talking about reducing the airflow without changing the direction. The HHR vents only have one control, the outside vent louvers. Yes, closing one vent will push more air to the others.

The bottom line is we already have a ton of great options in the HHR. Many of these same items, like the power seat, were expensive add-ons in my minivan. I'm happy with what I got!

Remford

Well, not really, as the topic is about the possibility of adding an electronic climate control system. But I digress.

Indeed, from Dave Wimmer's experience and observations, it's probably one heckuvan undertaking. With these kinds of features technologies becoming more ubiquitous in other vehicles and the technologies they depend on become decreasingly "whiz bang", it would sure be nice if this was offered, even as a feature option, in more vehicles, specifically those that occupy the more modest slots in the product lineup.

Not only is it a boon for establishing a target temperature used in conjuction with the remote start, but it's definitely a feature that lends a MUCH more sophisticated and refined (and comfortable) driving environment. It also helps resolve the great "Temperature Knob" battles and "Vent Wars" when I prefer MY area to be a comfortable 64 degrees while my wife prefers 72 or so.

Who knows? Maybe, at some point, I'll feel intrepid enough to see if there's a subcompact out there from which I can rob a smaller CC sytem to stuff behind the HHR console. For the foreseeable future, however, it doesn't sound like something I'm going to be likely to try with a brand new vehicle and in the absence of a specific "kit" for making it so.

I'm grateful to all who have shared so much great information. Maybe there's more knowledge out there to be shared. If so, I'd love to see that too!

With thanks,

Remmie