2010 CHEVROLET HHR overheating

Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter
The vehicle may have an ashtray and cigarette lighter.
To use the lighter, located on the instrument panel
below the climate controls, push it in all the way and
let go. When it is ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice:Holding a cigarette lighter in while it is
heating will not allow the lighter to back away from
the heating element when it is hot. Damage from
overheating may occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be blown. Do not hold a
cigarette lighter in while it is heating. Do not use
equipment exceeding maximum amperage rating
of 15 amperes.
To clean the center console ashtray, remove the entire
ashtray and empty it.
Notice: If papers, pins, or other flammable items are
put in the ashtray, hot cigarettes or other smoking
materials could ignite them and possibly damage
the vehicle. Never put flammable items in the
ashtray.
Climate Controls
Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can
be controlled with this system.
For vehicles with remote start, the climate control
system comes on and uses the prior temperature
settings selected before exiting the vehicle.
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control D. Air Conditioning
E. Outside Air F. Air Recirculation
G. Rear Window Defogger
4-18

Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light comes on briefly
while starting the vehicle.
If it does not, have the vehicle serviced by the dealer/
retailer. If the system is working normally the indicator
light goes off.
Notice: Driving with the engine coolant temperature
warning light on could cause the vehicle to
overheat. See Engine Overheating
on page 6‑34.
The vehicle's engine could be damaged, and it
might not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Never
drive with the engine coolant temperature warning
light on.
The engine coolant temperature warning light comes on
when the engine has overheated.
If this happens pull over and turn off the engine as soon
as possible. See Engine Overheating
on page 6‑34for
more information.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
The vehicle has an
engine coolant
temperature gauge.
With the ignition turned
to ON/RUN, this gauge
shows the engine coolant
temperature.
If the gauge pointer moves into the red area, the engine
is too hot because the engine coolant has overheated.
If the vehicle is operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating on page 6‑34.
4-34

Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your hand
to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling other drivers the
vehicle is turning, changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument
panel flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may think other drivers
are seeing the signal when they are not. It is important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Notice:Do not tow on steep continuous grades
exceeding 6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher than
normal engine and transmission temperatures may
result and damage the vehicle. Frequent stops are
very important to allow the engine and transmission
to cool.
When towing under severe conditions such as hot
ambient temperatures or steep grades, the vehicle may
experience more transmission shifting. A COOLING
MODE ON message may also appear in the DIC. This
alerts the driver that the shifting mode is in progress
and is aiding engine cooling. See DIC Warnings and
Messages
on page 4‑48DIC Warnings and Messages
for more information.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear beforestarting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gauge. If the
indicator is in the red area, turn off the air conditioning
to reduce engine load. See Engine Overheating
on
page 6‑34.
5-38

Maintenance When Trailer Towing
The vehicle needs service more often when pulling a
trailer. See this manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission
fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system
and brake system. It is a good idea to inspect these
before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
The cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 6‑34.
Towing a Trailer
(Manual Transmission)
Do not tow a trailer if the vehicle is equipped with a
manual transmission.
5-40

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-40
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . 6-50
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-51
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-56
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-60
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-63
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-69
6-1

{WARNING:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can cause injury. Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Do not touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.Notice:
Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®can
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant could
require changing sooner, at 50 000 km (30,000 miles)
or 24 months, whichever occurs first. Any repairs
would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in
the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in the vehicle for five years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling system and how
to check and add coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating, see Engine
Overheating on page 6‑34
6-29

7. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel theupper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fan.
8. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator filler port may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper DEX-COOL
®coolant mixture
through the fill port until the level reaches the base
of the fill port.
9. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during this procedure, if coolant begins to flow out of the
fill port, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
pressure cap is hand-tight and fully seated.
10. When the engine has cooled, check the coolant in the coolant recovery tank. The level in the coolant
recovery tank should be at the COLD FILL line
when the engine is cold.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators to warn of engine
overheating.
You will find a coolant temperature warning light and a
coolant temperature gauge on your vehicle's instrument
panel. See Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light
on page 4‑34andEngine Coolant Temperature Gaugeon page 4‑34for more information.
You may decide not to lift the hood when this warning
appears, but instead get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 8‑6.
If you do decide to lift the hood, make sure the vehicle
is parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine cooling fans are
running. If the engine is overheating, both fans should
be running. If they are not, do not continue to run the
engine and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Engine damage from running the engine
without coolant is not covered by the warranty.
Notice: If the engine catches fire because of being
driven with no coolant, your vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
6-34

Backglass Wiper Blade Replacement
1. Remove the protective cap from the wiper arm.If the protective cap is not removed before lifting
the wiper arm, the wiper arm could be damaged.
2. Pull the wiper arm away from the backglass and into the service position.
3. Rotate the wiper blade, and pull down on it to remove it from the wiper arm.
4. Install the new wiper blade, then set the wiper arm back into its original position and replace the
protective cap.
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires
made by a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever
have questions about your tire warranty and
where to obtain service, see your vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For additional
information refer to the tire manufacturer.
{WARNING:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
.Overloading your vehicle's tires can
cause overheating as a result of too
much flexing. You could have an air-out
and a serious accident. See Loading the
Vehicle
on page 5‑24.
(Continued)
6-54