So we finally got the HHR in to the dealer on Friday for it's recall repair and they noted it needed a new serpentine belt and cabin air filter. Hubby did those Friday night.

This morning, my son was driving home on a road with construction and kicked up a rock that apparently hit the transmission pan and now there's a constant drip. Of course it's Sunday so our regular mechanic isn't open

A little poking around and I've learned that we can't easily check the level in this car. So how do we know if there's still enough to drive it safely to the repair shop tomorrow or if we need to have it towed?

Is this a DIY in the driveway kind of thing, or is it just too much hassle? My worry is that if we take it apart and find something more significant, we'll be in a bind.



Since the car is parked at an angle, I'm not sure if the actual leak is where it's dripping of if the fluid is just flowing to the spot.

Any ideas or suggestsion??

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Changing the pan is fairly easy. Checking the fluid level is kinda like checking the fluid level on a rear end. There is a plug to remove to check the level.

 

Here is a post about changing the filter and gasket.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/main...ge-easy-42736/

 

Don't drive it much until it's fixed. Damn those teenagers!

BTW, in order to fix it you will need new fluid. It is going to cost more than $150 for a new pan, new gasket, new filter, new ATF. + labor. Hope that's all that got broke.

 

A little hard to tell from the picture, but that looks to be more than a "rock kicked up".
Not pointing fingers, but it almost appears someone flattened it jumping over some curbing. Notice it appears caved in and scraped over the whole pan.
Definitely gonna need a new pan.

 

Pan looks denting upward to me from the picture angle.

 

Hubby isn't buying the rock story either. He's pretty sure it got driven over a large rock trying to park it off the side of the road at the lake. He's really hoping it's not more serious than the pan.

Tried to take it to pep boys and after some confusion, one of the techs informed me they don't work on cars with sealed tranny. Would have been nice if they could have told me that on the phone. So we brought it home and I'm going to call our regular shop in the morning. Hubby thinks we should probably have it towed since so much fluid is on the ground.

 

SEALED tranny? They are idiots and should be avoided.
All that is involved ( hopefully ) is removing the pan and replacing it and the ATF.
If it was "sealed" there would be no bolts on the pan. The ONLY thing is the absence of a dipstick. There is a fill port and a level control port.

 

He may not have used that term. But basically no dipstick meant they can't work on it. Which is actually fine with me -- the only reason I took it there was that they are open Sunday and I hoped they might be able to get it fixed without needing a tow.

We are had it towed to our regular shop this morning. Fortunately it's just the tranny pan. Still $400 with the pan, reuseable gasket, dex 6, filter, and labor, but could be worse. Hubby was reluctant to tackle it himself since he didn't know if there might be other damage.

 

Sounds like it's under control - let us know if you can, how it all turns out.

and hide the keys from now on