I just bought another real nice 2011 1LT 2.4L HHR. I drove it home today Approx. 100 miles and everything looked to be working fine.
Pulled into my driveway and went to open the garage when I noticed what sounded like a rear air conditioner unit running.
I looked around knowing I don't have one and listened carefully to see where it might be comming from.
Got outside and listened but could not really here the noise with the car running so I shut it off and .. Noise Gone.
Let it sit for a moment and just turned the key to the on positon and just very briefly heard the noise and then it quit.
It sounds to me like the fuel pump, but I wondered if anybody here has had a pump replaced for "noise issues" under bumper to bumper Warranty ???
If you did, was it a hassle to get it done??
This is really quiet noisy at idle.

SF

 

Sounds like the first owner, or regular driver, had a habit of running with a low fuel level in the tank. The pumps are liguid cooled by the fuel in the tank, too much time spent near empty will overheat them and cause premature failure.

You will need to have your dealer listen to the pump and perform the appropriate diagnostics, but it's covered under the powertrain warranty.

Based on your description of the noise, and they do "sing" when they're failing, I'd imagine you'll have it replaced quickly with little hassle.

Noisy pump aside, congrats on your new to you HHR!

 

Congrats on your new ride, I'd run it over to the dealer of choice or seeing as you just bought it the place of purchase and point out the issue of the noisy fuel pump and don't fill it up but just a few bucks worth of fuel till it gets fixed.

 

Thanks Mike,

Thats kinda what I figured might be the case. I always fill up at approx. 1/2 tank.
One thing though .. there is no whine to the noise that I can detect. It just sounds like a fan noise on med to high speed. Maybe with a slight rumble.

This car has approx. 20,000 miles on it and will give me an alternative to driving the 2LT all the time. One thing I really noticed right off the bat was the ride difference in the suspensions.
I have owned 4 other 2011/2010 1LT's but never had the opportunity to compare by driving a 2lt for 6 months and then jumping into this 1LT.
My 2LT has also had the 17" tires and wheels replaced with 16's with 30lbs. of air to boot.

This 1LT has what looks to be a new set of OEM 215/55R/16 Firestone Affinitys on it.
After driving on several different brands/types of 16" and 17" tires I was shocked to find them rather pleasant and a part of my satisfaction in the overall ride/handling qualities. I think for now I will leave them on and see if I change my mind as we approach our winter season. 100 miles is not a real test.
I think with a rear Turbo sway bar the 1 LT suspension will be my final choice.

Also this car seems to have noticeable better throttle response then my 2LT. Just the difference in cars and the way they have been driven I guess. It has no noticeable Mods so I think everything is just stock.

I have another issue but will post as a different problem.
SF

 

UPDATE with good news ... for me.

Shortly after diagnosing the what sounded like a noisy fuel pump issue and taking it to a GM dealer for possible replacement. They said a replacement could not guarantee it would be fixed from the noise.

So I decided to first try something on my own.

I ran the fuel down to 1/8 tank and then added a double dose of,

Bell Mix-I-Go Commercial Grade
Gas and Ethanol Treatment

Then filled the tank and started driving normal.

When I got down to 1/4 tank I added another single dose and refilled the tank again.

I have now driven approx 6000 miles and the noise is totally gone. It quit about a week after I first added the Bell product.

Maybe I'm smarter then the Tech I talked to ??? Ya think

SF

 

Awesome, Cheers!

 

After 9 Years and only 35,000 Miles I think our '06 has developed this same problem. A low pitched "Hum" that seems to come from the back of the car somewhere. Trouble is it's sort of intermittent and probably won't make a sound if I take it to the dealer. It's easier to hear while sitting inside than it is standing outside trying to pinpoint the sound.