I need help!!! Left for vacation last night and the HHR threw a code. First I noticed was a slight surge at idle, no CEL light at this time. Next I noticed that the fuel mileage was not even close to the 30+ that I am used to with highway travel. I was avg. around 22 or 23. The CEL light finally came on and I had the code run that is where I got the P2196. This indicates an oxygen sensor. It was calling on bank 1 misfire, and I am told this is the upstream O2 sensor. Of course, no one has it in stock. I am told the car is too new to have that sensor fail. The other symptom is the car jerks on deceleration and acceleration. It seemed to get progressively worse as we drove last night.

Has anyone else had a similar problem?
Any ideas on how to attack this issue?

My car is a 2009 HHR SS with the stage 1 kit installed, just under 65k miles.
Thanks for any ideas.

Tex

 

Get it to a dealership? If it's an 09, you should have your 5yr/100,000 mile powertrain warranty left. Hopefully you get the help you need either from here (Except ChevroletCustomerService) and or the Dealership. Good luck Bud.

 

Kev. You might want to try your math again. 09's started coming out in late 2008.
(see where I'm going with this )
He'll be lucky if he has any 5yr/100k coverage left.

For the code P2196. Yes, it points to O2 sensor 1 getting a bad reading. But, it does not mean it's a bad sensor and nothing else.
The O2 sensor could be giving a bad reading because of a vacuum leak, low fuel pressure or something.
The computer only sets that code because it "sees" a bad reading from the O2 sensor. Doesn't always mean the O2 sensor is bad.
A little more diagnostics should be done first.

 

P2196 O2 Sensor Signal Biased/Stuck Rich (Bank 2 Sensor 1) DTC

My wild guess from you description is either you recently changed your air filter and forgot to plug the MAF back in (not sure if that applies to SS) or you have an after market air filter with too muck oil on it.

 

My car was rear-ended, and is technically a salvage vehicle. It is my understanding that as a result GM gets out of the warranty even though it has nothing to do with the price of tea in China. Fireman George can you elaborate on how I can check for vacuum leaks? I have stripped off the air box and visually inspected the vacuum lines and wiring connectors ect....Everything looks to be in great shape. Nothing that looks even remotely like it is weathered or anything short of new really.
I had the codes read by 2 different scanners. Both made comments that there was reporting running too rich on Bank 1. I was assuming that bank 1 was the number 1 cylinder, but that does not make sense for the O2 sensor as that would effect all cylinders equally. So I was leaning towards a leaking injector or short on the injector wiring/ground. I pulled the spark plugs and all 4 are very black. It appears all cylinders are running way too rich, which would support the Oxygen Sensor theory. And judging from the ****ty mileage I was getting it was way tooo rich. Besides a stuck injector spews gas out the tailpipe, and I don't have that issue, although the tail pipe is darker than the ace of spades.
If I unplug the O2 sensor and run it would that tell me anything? Is that a bad idea? I was thinking I would switch the coil packs and spark plugs to see if that changes the bank that the misfire is being reported in. Is that a good idea.
I cannot get a O2 sensor until the day we are leaving to go home and as I am not sure if that is the problem that makes me way nervous as I would be out of time to trouble shoot the issue.
Thanks

 

OK, ignore the link I provided that explains what is going on.
Please just throw money at Advance Auto.

 

DOnbrew, Thanks I had missed the link just looking at your response it did not make a lot of sense. I have reviewed the link. I have not changed anything on the car recently and that includes the airfilter. My airfilter does not appear to be aftermarket or have been oiled in any way. Did you have any answer to any of my questions? Your last posts seems to have a pissy connotation. I am not sure how I offended you, I certainly was not trying to do so. The link you provided is great for general information. I was hoping to get some information that was more specifically related to the HHR SS model. Generally I have found that is I have a problem with a car many others have had the same issue. The link does discuss resetting the PCM which is not a bad idea, but unlikely to be a long term solution, it may get me back home. It also talks about A/F sensors which I have not heard discussed in relation to the SS. Does anyone know if my car has any A/F sensors?

 

A/F sensor also known as broad (wide) spectrum O2 sensor. SS has one, as far as I know.

Did you have any answer to any of my questions? - yes.:
Has anyone else had a similar problem? - Probably, that's what I based my wild guess on.

Any ideas on how to attack this issue? - Read the link, it is pretty detailed. If you don't like that one, you could google "p2196" and get several others, that was just the first I saw.

OBDII codes are not usually specific to models or brands, OBDII is a government mandated minimum specification, with a few extra numbers thrown in by manufacturers.

You did not offend me, you just ignored the help that I tried to provide by googling for you. I offered something a lot more substantial than "Both made comments that there was reporting running too rich on Bank 1" , like actual facts and troubleshooting procedures.

 

All right so here is the update. I purchase a new upstream O2 sensor and installed. I pulled the ECM fuse and reset the PCM. The car ran perfect on a 15 to 20 min test drive. Mileage was back up, the CEL light stayed off, and all other symptoms were gone. Started the car to leave on the trip home. The CEL light stayed on, and has been on since, non the less the car seems to run perfect. I took it to the local auto parts store here at home and had the code ran. It is showing codes p0100 and p0113, both of which appear to be MAF sensor related. I had checked the MAF previously and it was not at all dirty looking, so I am stumped as to why this code is now popping and why it was not before. We cleared the codes hoping the computer had not adjusted to the new O2 sensor, but that only lasted a few days, and now the CEL is back on.

 

I'm sorry.

Did you remove the air filter housing while changing the O2 sensor? If you did that would mean that you disconnected the MAF sensor, did you remember to plug it back in? Did you touch the metal parts of the MAF sensor, did you clean it with something other than MAF sensor cleaner?

Do yourself a favor and actually use Google and/or the OBD-Codes OBD-II Trouble Codes - DTC Codes Car Repair website (or any other similar site). If you do you will understand why the codes pop up when they do and why, it is way too complicated to get into here there are books on the subject.