The wifes car is never abused and one day we were going to Big Bear and I noticed the temp was at 245.Long story short took to dealer and they replaced the thermostat.I asked them to do a block test and they did not and gave us the car back.HHR still drinking coollant,took back and now it needs a new head.week goes by and they now decided to put a new engine in it.Bummer because car only has 30,000 miles on it.Anyone experience this problem and had to have the engine replaced?

 

My 09 will get to about 215 to 220 when sitting at a long tarffic light. Never 245.
Im assuming this is all covered under warranty. Sucks that your wagon is in the shop but at least you got a new engine and the dealer is taking care of it.

 

Unfortunately, when it got that hot, the engine was cooked for the lack of a better term.

HHR engines are susceptible to head cracking if overheated, that holds true of all aluminum intensive engines.

And yes, other folks here have had the same thing happen to them, but thankfully...its not a common occurrence.

 

We really enjoy this car and it gets 32 mpg on the freeway.I;ve bought several GM trucks throughout the years and only had minor problems.The dealer is taking care of the problem and has treated us fairly for any issues,even though we didn't purchase from them.
Thanks for your replys.

Steve

 

Its really a relief when you have a dealer that is helpful and fair.

 

I doubt 240F 'cooked it'.

IMHO the head gasket failed causing the overheat. The lack of lubrication caused metal to metal contact as the coolant does not lubricate and thus the need for replacement.


Many high horsepower cars spike at the 240 to 260 range without any motor damage.

 

After the engine is fully warmed up and the thermostat is open, the temperature you see in the DIC is the temperature of the coolant that has already been cooled in the radiator. The temperature of the coolant leaving the engine block and going into the radiator is much hotter than that. If the coolant going back into the engine is 245 degrees, there is a problem developing that needs immediate attention.

 

I agree and when it got to 245 I pulled over and checked the recovery tank and it was empty,so I filled it with dex cool and still got hot.The dealer was the next stop.











http://www.stevecoxracing.com

 

I am glad to read the dealership has not given you any grief with this. Please, don't hesitate to share updates with us when you get the HHR back.

I hope you are able to still enjoy the holiday weekend.

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

Thank you for your comments.The dealer called us yesterday to inform us that the new engine was delivered and that they would have our HHR finished by the end of next week.