Well new fuel pump seems to be dead now, fuse charred. Putting in a new pump tomorrow. I wish it would start so I could drive it into the river.

 

I wouldn't put in another new fuel pump until you find out whats "killing" them.

 

X 2, that's NOT the problem.. It is a result of the real problem..

 

Checked all my wiring, it's fine. Really don't know what else could cause it just to stop working. I've been digging around on here on similar problems and it seems HHR's have crappy electrical systems... My charging system is not weak by any means. I have a 320A Alternator on and 4 Group 31 AGM Batteries in my car currently and keeping voltage is not a issue for me at all... All my batteries rest at 13.2V.....

 

The part of your problem that is a mystery to me is the gas smell in the engine bay. If the fuel pump is quitting there should not be an overwhelming gas smell as there should be "NO GAS". Others have already pointed this out and it's true...no pump no gas. If this was an old car I would say your carb float was sticking sometimes. This was causing the engine to quit and give a 'gas smell' in engine bay. Carrying this old car theory to your problem: is there a sensor or some other electronic device that controls the gas/air mixture that is fed through the throttle body into the engine and there must be but I do not know what it would be called? If there is, this part may be your problem. I do not know enough about these engines to offer a correct solution but I can offer this logical possible cause.

 

The HHR engines are Multi-Port injected on the 2.2/2.4, and Direct Injected on the 2.0 liter. All the throttle body does is control the amount of air entering the intake, fuel is either injected into the intake runners or cylinders directly depending on the engine.

Raw fuel smells under the hood would suggest to me that there is a fuel leak or possibly an injector that is "hung" open and leaking.

At this point Eric its time to cut your losses and swallow some pride, instead of throwing fuel pumps at it, take it to your dealer or a competent tech and have them do a diagnostic check. It'll cost you, but it will work out cheaper in the end to find the problem and address it correctly.

 

See I knew some knowledgeable person would answer up with a fix or the correct way to proceed to remedy your problem.

 

Well my flex pipe that I was going to go get fixed today, it pretty much hanging on by a little bit at all. The gas smell only arises RIGHT when it stops working, almost as if it's just cycling through and exhausting out my lack of an exhaust, other than that, no smell. I also wonder if my exhaust leak is throwing off my O2 sensors making it run poorly. I would take it in to a dealer, but I personally don't trust the one up here and my therapy co-pay literally just pretty much wiped me clean.

 

im just taking a wild guess here and i might be wrong,, my other car has a ASD fuse, if the veh.is in an accident (rear ended ) it will shut down the fuel pump and unlock the doors(elec).
eric b stated the HHR has rear end damage ???

 

Great Avatar.