Black plate (68,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
A label on the sun visor says,“Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat,
even if the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat,
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
always move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear‐facing child restraint, a rear‐facing
child restraint should not be installed in the vehicle,
even if the airbag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger frontal airbag if:
.The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
.The system determines that an infant is present in
a child restraint.
.A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
.Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal airbag, the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑27.
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Black plate (69,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
The passenger sensing system is designed turn on
(may inflate) the right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the right front passenger seat. When
the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag
to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is active.
For some children, including children in child restraints,
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the person's seating
posture and body build. Everyone in the vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety belt
properly—whether or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{WARNING:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help avoid injury to
yourself or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑26
for more information, including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and
refer to Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 2‑54.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, turn the
vehicle off. Then slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat cushion, if adjustable,
to make sure that the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint. See Head Restraints
on
page 2‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
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Black plate (70,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
The passenger sensing system may or may not
turn off the airbag for a child in a child restraint
depending upon the child's seating posture and
body build. It is better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
If no rear seat is available, do not install a child
restraint in this vehicle.
If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and enable the right front
passenger frontal airbag:1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for two to three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.
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Black plate (71,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Additional Factors Affecting System
Operation
Safety belts help keep the passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which helps
the passenger sensing system maintain the passenger
airbag status. See“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket or
cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers,
seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect how well
the passenger sensing system operates. We
recommend that you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when approved by GM
for your specific vehicle. See Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on page 2‑72for more
information about modifications that can affect how the
system operates.
A wet seat can affect the performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
.The passenger sensing system may turn off the
passenger airbag when liquid is soaked into the
seat. If this happens, the off indicator will be lit,
and the airbag readiness light on the instrument
panel will also be lit.
.Liquid pooled on the seat that has not soaked in
may make it more likely that the passenger
sensing system will enable (turn on) the passenger
airbag while a child restraint or child occupant is on
the seat. If the passenger airbag is turned on, the
on indicator will be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry the seat
immediately. If the airbag readiness light is lit, do not
install a child restraint or allow anyone to occupy the
seat. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑26for
important safety information.
The on indicator may be lit if an object, such as a
briefcase, handbag, grocery bag, laptop or other
electronic device, is put on an unoccupied seat. If this is
not desired, remove the object from the seat.
{WARNING:
Stowing of articles under the passenger seat or
between the passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper operation
of the passenger sensing system.
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Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts
on the vehicle can break, and it can change
the way the vehicle handles. These could
cause you to lose control and crash. Also,
overloading can shorten the life of the
vehicle.
Notice :Overloading the vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not overload the vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle —like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything
else —they will go as fast as the vehicle goes.
If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a
crash, they will keep going.
{WARNING:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo area of your
vehicle. Try to spread the weight evenly.
.Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some
of them are above the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.
.When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded down unless
you need to.
5-27
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Care ofSafety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-95
Cargo, Rear Side Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
CD, MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 6-43
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-68
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear SeatPosition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-54
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Chime Level Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101 Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-95
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-93
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-94
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-92
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-94
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-95
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-95
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18 Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Clock, Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-91
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Competitive Driving, Racing or Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
Content Theft-Deterrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-3
i - 3
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-7
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Height Adjuster, Driver Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5
Hideaway Rear Storage Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Hood Checking Things Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Indicator/Warning LIghts Enhanced Traction System (ETS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23 Integrated Trailer Brake Control
System (ITBC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31, 5-37
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-2
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
K
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Keyless Entry System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-4
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Lamps
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
LATCH System for Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Liftgate
Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
i - 7
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
MirrorsAutomatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Outside Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63
N
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-4
OnStar, Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Outlets Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15 Outside
Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Owner Checks and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-6
Owners, Canadian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
P
Paint, Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Parking Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . .6-4
Phone Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-71
i - 9