wyzord

I have scoured these pages and have found several links to the issue of the gauges going crazy, and the car shifting hard, and jerking. I have not found any concrete solutions to this problem.

I have a 2006 HHR LT1, and randomly the gauge cluster starts going bonkers, the needles will all dance around, the display will flash different info, the check engine light comes on as well as the traction control and the security indicator. I do not have a ton of money to take it to the dealer for them to drain e dry and still not find the problem.

So, has anyone come across a solution to this problem? Can anyone direct me to where i need to go to get this fixed>

843de

Not so much of a "where to get it fixed" suggestion, but a suggestion on obtaining some important info that can lead to some possible diagnoses.

Take it to your local Autozone/Advance/Napa store and have them pull the codes. Post the codes up here, over the years the folks here have pretty much seen it all, and you'll get some good ideas as to the source of the problems.

One thing to try, open up your under-hood fuse and make sure all the fuses and relays are firmly seated, they do loosen over time and sometime they'll cause all kinds of havoc.

donbrew

The usual thing to check is the seating of the "under hood" fuse box. Make sure the top half is properly mated to the bottom half, and make sure that all of the fuses and relays are properly seated. If you have a clue, you could disconnect every connector that you can and clean them, don't try it that if you don't know.
After that, it's a trip to the dealer's service department or a good electrical system technician.
If you can get to a Autozone/Advance or the like when the CEL is on get a scan, the trouble codes may be of use. More likely it's an electrical connection problem though.

Darn, we did it again!

wyzord

I have tried the fuses multiple times including just the other day. It used to work, not so much anymore. Ive checked the codes and the same codes come up that have been posted in multiple other posts on here.

i have not read before to check the seating of the fuse box, I will check this, but from the posts of the others on here with the same problem it seems to be a much "bigger" issue than simply improperly seated fuses, or the fuse box.

843de

OK, you've pulled the codes already, that's a step in the right direction for sure.

Can you give us the codes that came up?

There is a huge knowledge and experience base here, but not so many mind readers.

Not trying to be a smarta**, but this problem might be one of a couple different component failures, and you don't want to waste time and money chasing down the wrong road.

wyzord

Anyone else that has the crazy gauges has already posted the codes, there is no fix through the codes. I've tried it all. Not expecting anyone to be a mind reader, but understand that I have tried it all.

badassbowtie

I may be telling you stuff you already heard, but here goes

This sounds like a bad ground to me. Its is definitely some sort of electrical gremlin. If I were you I would find where the ground wires are mounted to the frame (I'm not sure on location), and see if any of them are corroded or loose.

Also check to see if the battery connections are tight, and alternator connections are tight.

Almost everyone here has the same make/model and is willing to help. Good Luck with your fix

firemangeorge

No codes in this thread. Sorry, I can't help you.

Snoopy

Agree with fireman....... BUT.......

You need to understand the nature of the codes that have risen. Because you go to a 'quickie" auto parts store it does not guarantee you are getting the correct information. Sure, they provide the correct codes, BUT, they MAY not provide the correct service for the code. The readers they use are limited and GENERALLY provide one avenue to explore. When that fails, you are back for another part. A GM dealers' reader is much more analytical (and more costly because of this) and will provide essentially a flow chart for the technician to follow.....if he/she is trained properly and knows the correct functions, it's really very near a sure thing.

So, what I am mentioning, in a long winded text, is the codes you THOUGHT you addressed correctly, MAY NOT have been addressed correctly. Try posting the codes and your resolution to that code. The members will attempt to help.

You have not mentioned, other than "all" the codes, that you applied parts or service to. If it has been several, you already paid for a dealer visit.

You also have not mentioned how long you owned the vehicle and how long you have encountered the problem.

I will also mention, there is NO CONCRETE evidence to show that loose fuses can occur in the under hood box. In fact, if you study the design of the box and lid, you will see that it can NOT possibly happen. Those owners that state they pushed on the fuses with success of correcting the fault issue, probably pushed hard enough to correct the "defect" in the fuse box (which GM has a TSB and an SI, to help). Doesn't hurt to do it, however. Just remember, that it probably provides a temporary "band-aid" approach to another problem.

Good luck