Well - actually you are disagreeing with me, so let's call a spade a spade shall we. It's alright to disagree.

Like I said, I've pulled lots of CGS intakes off - and the MAF sensors have been dry and clean on all of them so far. I don't think that is what caused him to throw a code. Much more likely it was an over-rev that triggered the fuel shutoff resulting in a misfire. Or a bad plug.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

 

Looks like a valve retainer failed, they are pulling the head today. I might get the car back at the end of the week.
On a different note, I turned in the rental car seeing the dealer will not cover the cost of insurance on the car, so for the past 4 days I have had it, I ran up a bill of roughly $125 for insurance alone on the rental. Though totally my call on insurance, I will not drive a rental without it seeing I have had someone hit me in a rental, and I got screwed by my insurance company for the bill because the driver didn't have insurance and ran.
I am so glad the this whole ordeal is costing me money...

 

Damn, doesn't look like anyone even came close to your problem. Good luck.

 

That's the same way I felt when a tiny rock (smaller than a dime), took out my AC condenser. Not having a lower grille to protect it cost me $800.

We live and learn...

Glad to hear they found the problem; hope you get it repaired quickly.

 

I guess I better get around to putting something on the front to keep that from happening.

JimZ, you still have any of that leftover mesh you used? I think I better take you up on your offer and put that on seeing how easily this car breaks...

 

There should not be a problem with the insurance covering the rental car itself, and it sounds to me like someone is taking advantage of you. Is the dealer charging you these insurance costs?

I have worked in the insurance industry off and on over the past 25 years and some of what you are saying just doesn't sound right. So...let me see if I understand the whole deal.

In the past, you were involved in an accident while in a rental car. The other car left the scene and you were stuck with a wrecked rental car. Your insurance company refused to pay for the damage and you got stuck with the bill. Sound about right?

Well...in all my years in the insurance business, I was taught that the insurance you carry on your vehicle carries over to a temporary substitute vehicle...subject to the same terms and conditions as the vehicle listed on your policy, which for whatever reason, is not being driven. So...if you carry full coverage that should cover the temporary vehicle, subject to your deductibles on comp/collision. Generally, any additional coverage you purchase from a dealer or rental car agency covers the gap and makes it a zero deductible. It can also cover you for damages to the temporary substitute, in the event you carry no comp or collision on the vehicle it is replacing.

So, in my opinion, the $30 a day you are being charged seems a bit steep, and maybe unnecessary, as your primary policy should cover the rental anyway. Since you are not sure when you will actually get your HHR back, you might want to call your insurance agent, or even the Department for your state and get clarification on how it works in your particular state.

If you would like, I would be happy to do some online research for you. All I would need is the state where you live and the name of your insurance company. Just let me know and I'm on it.

 

Most insurance policies will extend the coverage you carry on your regular vehicle to a rental if your regular car is out of service. So if you carry full coverage, which I assume most do on a new vehicle, there would be no need to pay the ridiculously high insurance the rental companies offer. You might also want to check if any of your credit cards offer rental car insurance. A lot of gold and platinum cards do and most corporate cards as well. Although I think that kind of coverage is only third party liability and not collision/comp.

edit..opps duped some of what deb said above...

 

When I was hit in the rental a few years ago I lived in NM at the time, and being a poor college student, I had the basic requirement of liability only, which didn't include uninsured driver. That's how the got me. Seeing there was no one for them to go after, the motorist or insurance, it was called an uninsured driver case. I was told "not covered, so sorry, see you later."

I have had State Farm since I started driving and my parents for the past 30 some odd years, so I have been around the block with them. At the moment I have full coverage with everything on it, including rental car. I called them this morning, and they stated that my policy would cover whatever could happen to the car I rent, but they would not cover the cost of the rental itself seeing this is a warranty deal with Chevy, not a claim through them. The dealer stated they will only cover the cost of the car itself which is roughly $25/day. They do not cover anything other than the cost of renting the car, no insurance or anything else what so ever. I asked Enterprise what the cost of the bumper to bumper and liability was costing me per day on top of the car, and that came out to $27 and change per day. So I turned in the car, and paid the $130 or so for the insurance that I have already used for the past 4 days.

As for you going to bat for me, I really, REALLY, appreciate the offer, thank you very much, but I see no real solution other than taking off the insurance from Enterprise, and hope nothing happens to the car, or don't rent a car. At this moment in my financial life, I can not afford anything extra, especially a $500 deductible. So I just turned in the car, called my boss, told him I am taking a few personal days, and will see if I can snag a ride from someone at the office that lives near by.

 

HHR is still at the dealer, hopefully getting it back today or tomorrow, but I got a bit more information out of them as to problems.
Seems that when they pulled the head, they found a bad valve guide, one of the valve retainer pieces was broken, and the big one, the head was warped. They resurfaced and rebuilt the head, and are supposed to have it ready for me today, if not tomorrow morning. I know I didn't cause an Al head to warp, and I know the intake had nothing to do with that, so the intake is going right back on after I get it back.
It's been one long strange trip indeed...

 

Sounds just like a bad head job from the factory. I had a 1979 Trans Am that blew a head gasket with only 300-miles on it!

(*I know what you're thinking! But I was on the way to work at 5 in the morning - still half asleep.)

N-E-Wayz, sometimes you get a bad one...hope they get you back on the road soon!