Camshaft Position Actuator Solenoid Valve Replacement (w. pics) - P0010/11 P0013/14
#511
First of all, I did read the entire post and multiple posts to this and other boards.
Second, this does seem to be a common issue otherwise there would not be so much information on it without any real solutions. All the posts that I have read on this and other sites are identical. Problems appears. Battery disconnected. Problem Disappears. A few days/weeks later problem reappears. Parts replaced. Problem disappears. A few days/weeks later problem reappears. And so on and so on.
I have worked in the technical service industry for years and know when you see issues like this with identical symptoms their is most likely a root cause that no one wants to investigate. This should be in Chevy's court . Or does Chevy just want me to take to their dealership and have them throw $1000 worth of parts and labor at an issue for which they have no answer.
Second, this does seem to be a common issue otherwise there would not be so much information on it without any real solutions. All the posts that I have read on this and other sites are identical. Problems appears. Battery disconnected. Problem Disappears. A few days/weeks later problem reappears. Parts replaced. Problem disappears. A few days/weeks later problem reappears. And so on and so on.
I have worked in the technical service industry for years and know when you see issues like this with identical symptoms their is most likely a root cause that no one wants to investigate. This should be in Chevy's court . Or does Chevy just want me to take to their dealership and have them throw $1000 worth of parts and labor at an issue for which they have no answer.
We have moved the components that we can away from heat and tried to get air flow on components that can't be moved. On trucks with compressed air systems we have had great success using a 5psi small stream of air on sensors and solenoids. Some equipment we use high speed blowers to cool components.
The basic design of these engines puts the cam actuator solenoids and the coils in the valley on the top of the engine. Heat rises so that becomes a very hot area. Then GM, in their infinite wisdom, made a plastic air cleaner housing that incorporates an engine cover that doesn't allow the heat to escape basically cooking the components. They can try to find wire insulation that won't break down in the heat but it usually requires increasing the size of the component and there isn't always room to do that.
#512
Since he never came back after various suggestions were given, and he gave no response to several questions and suggestions.............. nor responded to what the "fix" was.......................
There is no "root cause" - from what we have seen they fail due to oil contamination jamming up the screen, the solenoid burns out/dies eventually due to wear (just like door lock solenoids, and other relays), or the wiring is damaged due to improper maintenance. The original "root cause" reference he made, really surprised me when he stated he was a technical service person, yet could not understand the codes/light being cleared by disconnecting the battery for a bit which was mentioned MANY times in the thread (after saying he had read the entire thread).
Anyways, would be interesting to see if cooler air would make a difference at all.
There is no "root cause" - from what we have seen they fail due to oil contamination jamming up the screen, the solenoid burns out/dies eventually due to wear (just like door lock solenoids, and other relays), or the wiring is damaged due to improper maintenance. The original "root cause" reference he made, really surprised me when he stated he was a technical service person, yet could not understand the codes/light being cleared by disconnecting the battery for a bit which was mentioned MANY times in the thread (after saying he had read the entire thread).
Anyways, would be interesting to see if cooler air would make a difference at all.
#513
How far back did go to find that one?
No real solution? What is this thread about?
Pretty simple reason for the battery disconnect to only work for a while: that clears ALL of the OBDII monitors, they take time to re run completely.
People need to learn that turning the CEL of does not fix anything. It also will not get you past an emissions test.
No real solution? What is this thread about?
Pretty simple reason for the battery disconnect to only work for a while: that clears ALL of the OBDII monitors, they take time to re run completely.
People need to learn that turning the CEL of does not fix anything. It also will not get you past an emissions test.
#514
This forum rocks. My 2006 2.4 HHR (67K miles) had the check engine light come on about 2 weeks ago. Pulled the codes today and they are the P0013/P0014. As it happens, it started shifting really hard from first to second today. So I will be using the information from this thread to replace both the exhaust and intake solenoids. One thing I have not read in these 52 pages is whether anyone else hears a clunk when shifting from Park to Reverse or Park to Drive with this condition? That was the first noticeable symptom other than the check engine light and was followed by the hard shifting. After arriving home and starting it again later, there was no clunk between Park and Drive and no hard shifting.
#515
This forum rocks. My 2006 2.4 HHR (67K miles) had the check engine light come on about 2 weeks ago. Pulled the codes today and they are the P0013/P0014. As it happens, it started shifting really hard from first to second today. So I will be using the information from this thread to replace both the exhaust and intake solenoids. One thing I have not read in these 52 pages is whether anyone else hears a clunk when shifting from Park to Reverse or Park to Drive with this condition? That was the first noticeable symptom other than the check engine light and was followed by the hard shifting. After arriving home and starting it again later, there was no clunk between Park and Drive and no hard shifting.
The trans shifts hard because when there are some trouble codes the ECM and trans controller adjust some of the operating setting to keep other things from being damaged by a faulty sensor that may be giving some misinformation
Example. When there is a fault code (not all codes) the transmission will ramp up the line pressure to lock in the clutches tighter to guard against slipping when the engine is not preforming correctly. That's why the shifting gets hard and it bangs into gear
#516
This forum rocks. My 2006 2.4 HHR (67K miles) had the check engine light come on about 2 weeks ago. Pulled the codes today and they are the P0013/P0014. As it happens, it started shifting really hard from first to second today. So I will be using the information from this thread to replace both the exhaust and intake solenoids. One thing I have not read in these 52 pages is whether anyone else hears a clunk when shifting from Park to Reverse or Park to Drive with this condition? That was the first noticeable symptom other than the check engine light and was followed by the hard shifting. After arriving home and starting it again later, there was no clunk between Park and Drive and no hard shifting.
#517
Oh, one other thing - some members have found that the solenoids get "clogged" in the oil passages - likely caused by infrequent oil changes. An oil/filter change alone MAY alleviate the problem and clean out the solenoids - but I'd still go with changing them out, and do a fresh oil and filter change just to show your HHR that you love it. :)
#518
Yesterday I saved a clueless mechanic with this thread.
When I walked in to deliver (4(?) qts of 10W40(?) and a filter) for a 2008 2.2L HHR Panel he was trying to find the exhaust camshaft position sensor. I asked him why, he said he had P0010 and P011 and he read that it was the sensor(?) and that the oil "getting thin" was the problem.
I did direct him to the Intake Solenoid and tried to explain about dirty oil. I don't know why he thought shorting it by a qt was a good idea.
His boss told me "you just got him fired on his first day". To be fair; it's a big truck shop.
When I walked in to deliver (4(?) qts of 10W40(?) and a filter) for a 2008 2.2L HHR Panel he was trying to find the exhaust camshaft position sensor. I asked him why, he said he had P0010 and P011 and he read that it was the sensor(?) and that the oil "getting thin" was the problem.
I did direct him to the Intake Solenoid and tried to explain about dirty oil. I don't know why he thought shorting it by a qt was a good idea.
His boss told me "you just got him fired on his first day". To be fair; it's a big truck shop.
#520
Another win for Whopper's tutorial and my HHR. I did not threaten the best time but got both the intake and exhaust solenoids replaced, changed the air filter and followed up with an oil and filter change. All seems well. I got the gray clips out with no problem but still struggled to get the connectors off the top.