bursjon

Got in my 06 HHR Spring Edition today and noticed a Check engine light. So I imediatly pulled it up the drivway and pulled the codes. "P0171 Bank to lean."
Now i have not had a chance to do any looking under the car becasue i was on my way to work. That's where i am now actually, but anyway, What are the most common causes of this. BTW yesterday going from park to any gear seemed really harsh and when driving when it shifts from 1st to 2nd under light acceleration it has a VERY slight clunk, seems to not be as bad under moderat to heavy accel. I plan on checking the Tranny fluid here next chance i get but any help would be great. Also once and a while once the car gets up to full temp i notice a rough idle almost feels like a misfire.

P.S, i have done a search at the top but most results apply to models with Traction Control, I don't think mine does as i have never seen a light or a button to disable it. No the odd part is my HHR came with a 5speed auto, Now don't go balistic and say they didn't make it or it is after market but if i put my VIN into a lookup it says 5 speed automatic, i thought that was odd but i've even counted one day and it does have 5 gears.


Hoping i didn't purchas a Lemon.....

whopper

No, the stock ones only came with a 4 speed automatic, or 5 speed manual.

Re: p0171 - the articles you found with your search are valid, even if you don't have traction control. The hard shifting most likely is a result of the code being thrown - and will clear once you fix the cause of the p0171.

Mileage? You may want to consider having the trans serviced (flush and fill) if the mileage isn't too high - but leave it till you resolve the p0171.

As you probably noticed in the results of your search, the cause of the p0171 can vary quite widely, from fuel pump not supplying enough pressure, a leak in the exhaust between the manifold and the first cat (commonly called the flex pipe, which is a known point of failure right at the flex accordion metal), perhaps just the evap purge solenoid etc..

So, check for the exhaust pipe leak at the flex itself, and perhaps try a fuel pressure gauge to monitor the running and holding pressure.

Others will chip in with more areas that can be suspect.

black Tara

If I were you I would take it to a Chevrolet dealership to get all your questions answered, especially the 5 speed automatic, i know I would be interested in what they have to say.
Tim

bursjon

@Whopper, I knew that someone would question the 5 speed auto lol. Anyway. Yes i did see the posts about the flex pipe and the fuel pump. I'm hoping it's just the flex pipe as the pump can be pricey. Im at 120,000KM 74564Miles ish, thinking it is such low milage i would hope that theres nothing wrong mechanicly depending on how the owner drove it i guess.

@black Tara
Ya i thought the same thing when i saw the AD for the car. I was like "HUH?!?! a 5 speed auto??? must be a mistake, once i searched up the vin sure enough it said 5 S auto LOL, anyway, i wonder how much it will cost to take it to a dealer, probably a pretty penny.

Thanks for your suggestions guys. I will keep this thread updated with what happens.

I still have to replace the steering column...I feel like my wallet is getting lighter.

whopper

Even the flex pipe can get a bit pricey - but I got mine replaced at a muffler shop for something like $350 with an aftermarket pipe which included a new cat, a few years ago. It should be pretty easy to diagnose by feeling for an exhaust leak with your hand (being careful not to burn yourself of course). Having someone cover the tail pipe also helps.

The dealer will probably start out with a $85 diagnostic fee before even starting the repair. But that may be your best bet if you don't have the time/tools to diagnose it yourself.

firemangeorge

It's a 4 speed automatic. The last "shift" you feel isn't a 5th gear. It's just the torque converter locking up.
Normal operation of a auto trans w/ lock up converter.

ChevroletCustomerService

Hey bursjon,

I know you're likely looking to do this yourself, but if this is something you'd like to take to your local Chevrolet dealership, I'd be happy to direct your information to our Canadian team, who would be able to assist you best. Please PM us with your contact info, VIN, and preferred Chevrolet dealership's name if that's something you'd like us to do.

Let us know if we can assist you with that, or if you have any further questions!

Regards,

Geoff G.
Chevrolet Customer Care

donbrew

The hard shifting comes because of the CEL being actice.

Oldblue

I'm thinking flex pipe also, and or maybe Evap valve

bursjon

Ok lady's and germs, pull up a chair and get your popcorn because this is going to be good.

I have gotten the problem fixed. Now I know you're all dying to know how I fixed it, no I have to make a confession. There was a pending code that I did not see until i plugged in a different code reader, there was a pending code for a misfire on cylinder1. So that got me thinking, well..... if i got a running lean code AND a misfire, that got me thinking. If it was misfiring that would cause a lean code to go off, so I went down to NAPA picked up some plugs, changed them, cleared the codes and Voilą no more codes, or CEL. I'm glad that this was a simple fix. I took it for a drive and took it through the gears to clean the exhaust out . pulled it back up checked and no codes.

WOOHOO. Now I have my car starter back. I noticed that if there is a code the factory starter don't worky no more. Just wanted to tell everyone my story.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!