Oldblue

Tara it's you're volley, I believe!!

tjs616

Hi Guys!

Been pretty busy the past few days, and I haven't made it to the service center, but I hadn't driven the car either. Taking it out today added some more information to the issue. After about 45 minutes on the road driving around town in 110 degree heat a check engine light finally came on but the car was still running 'fine' with the A/C off. I ran a few more short time sensitive errands and then took the car over to Auto Zone to check the code. On the way there, I noticed the temperature gauge was rising slowly. When it got close to the red zone, a message came up on the console that said "Cooling Mode" and I immediately pulled over. I was only about a quarter mile from Auto Zone but I didn't want to risk it. After about 30 min I started it back up, and the temp guage was in the middle, but by the time I got to the other end of the parking lot and parked at Auto Zone it was about 3/4. The guy ran the code for me and said there were several, but they were all P0480. We checked the fuse and found that it was popped. We checked the fan, and turning it manually causes a clunking noise so it appears the rad fan is broken. Driving the 1.5 mi home, the gauge started rising pretty high again and I was thinking of where a safe place would be to pull over if it got to the red line again. I sped up a bit, and the temp thankfully came back down to about half until I was back in my garage.

I do not know if this would cause the shaking I mentioned earlier, or if this is a new problem in addition to and/or caused by the initial problem. I am going to check yelp tonight for a reputable mechanic to take it to.

tjs616

So I had them replace the radiator fan assembly this morning. Now the A/C works without any strange noises and the car is back to old "is this normal?" type shaking and he says everything is fine. I've never had a car where the steering wheel shakes visibly. If I apply light pressure to the steering wheel it makes a loud vibration noise in addition to being able to see it.

I've had so many problems with this car, I am going to start looking into selling it. It only has 65k on it and I don't believe I should be having these types of problems already! We've had to do at least the brakes, tires, radiator fan motor, and maybe some other small things. I know the frame is bent in one place, the steering wheel shakes with no fix from multiple mechanics, and the transmission pan is dented, but not leaking yet. I think it is time to get out!

donbrew

If the frame is bent it belong in a junkyard.
I still don't know what the shake is. Is it while parked, like your description seems to make it?

If it's while driving, the major frame damage done by the abuse to the undercarriage is to blame.

donbrew

But no mention of major damage until the "I'm through with it".

tjs616

Not major damage, I dont think, but damage none the less. There is zero evidence externally that the frame is bent, but the same mechanic that replaced the engine mount twice said there is a place where it is bent that you can see when you're under the car. he described it as almost a crease more than a bend, like someone came down on something pretty hard. It would have to have happened before we got the car, and I have never had any other mechanic say that to me for what its worth. Its just something else I am concerned about long term, but didn't believe it was relevant in this situation so I didn't think to mention it the first time around.

As for the shaking, it is constant, but it is most noticeable while the car is in drive, but stopped at a stop light. Other have said it may have something to do with the idle, but I dont know cars well enough to know for sure if that is a real possibility.

donbrew

A bent frame on a Uni-Body car makes the car JUNK. You also stated a dent in the trans pan. It does not matter who did the damage, the car has been majorly abused. It does not matter that you can't see it, it makes the car unsafe and possibly illegal to sell.

Somebody has really messed the car up.

tjs616

I appreciate the additional information! I took it to Car Max today and they did a full inspection and did not note any mechanical or frame issues. As I mentioned before, I keep paying this guy to fix problems that still exist on both of my vehicles, so it could very well be that he was just trying to get me to pay him more money on something else that he wouldn't actually fix.

2oodoor

Wow some brassy statements there..well regardless if there is unibody damage it could be something binding as in where things mount to the hull. In this case, something to do with the powertrain or accessories that are rubbing because possibly a bracket is bent.
Also I would check the exhaust system isolation, in other words something touching the unibody thats not isolated via rubber mounting like an exhaust hangar.
And I would look for things under the hood that are attached to the motor or trans that are also attached to the firewall or fender wells that arnt flexable or are not using the correct fasteners.

amcford

Try driving a Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, (both small wagons) or a Ford Focus. Turn on a couple of electrical accessories at idle in gear & feel what the car is like. You'll think the HHR is the smoothest running thing you have ever driven.

The Vibe & its Toyota twin the Matrix shake so bad the whole car feels like those old magic finger beds in motels. That is thru the steering wheel, seats, door panels dashboard. I drove a few of those junkpiles before I settled on the HHR, I can't believe reviews praise the Matrix & the Vibe-rator. I laughed out loud the first time I drove a Matrix, the Chevy salesman was with me & was pretty amazed too. I can't believe they ever sold any of those.

The seats, however, were extremely comfortable.