
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
v

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
A.Outlet Adjustment on page 4‑20.
B. Cruise Control
on page 4‑8(If Equipped).
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 4‑4.
D. Instrument Panel Cluster on page 4‑23.
E. Windshield Wipers on page 4‑5.
Windshield Washer on page 4‑6.
F. Instrument Panel Storage on page 3‑42.
G. Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 5‑8(If Equipped).
Electronic Stability Control (ESC). See Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) on page 5‑6.
H. Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑27.
I. Rear Side Cargo Door Buttons (If Equipped). See Rear Side Cargo Door on page 3‑11.
J. Hood Release on page 6‑13.
K. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 4‑38.
L. Data Link Connector (DLC). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 4‑33. M.
Horn on page 4‑3.
N. Audio Steering Wheel Controls
on page 4‑79(If Equipped).
O. Instrument Panel Brightness on page 4‑14.
P. Audio System(s) on page 4‑50.
Q. Climate Control System on page 4‑18.
R. Rear Window Wiper/Washer on page 4‑7.
S. Shift Lever (Manual Shown). See Manual
Transmission Operation
on page 3‑29and
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 3‑26.
T. Accessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 4‑15(If Equipped).
Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). See Ashtray(s)
and Cigarette Lighter on page 4‑17.
U. Fog Lamps
on page 4‑13(If Equipped).
V. Hazard Warning Flashers on page 4‑3.
W. Glove Box on page 3‑42.
1-3

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Tilt Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Windshield Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Wiper Activated Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Headlamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Dome Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Battery Run-Down Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Accessory Power Outlet(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . .4-22
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23
Speedometer and Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . 4-30
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) Indicator/ Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control System (TCS) Indicator/Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . 4-32
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
4-1

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-38
DIC Operation and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
DIC Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53 Using an MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63
XM Radio Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-71
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-79
Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-79
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-80
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . . 4-81
Chime Level Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81
4-2

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, the automatic system
turns on the headlamps at the normal brightness along
with other lamps such as the taillamps, sidemarker,
parking lamps, instrument panel lights, and interior
switch backlighting.
Do not cover the light sensor, located on top of the
instrument panel. If the sensor is covered the
headlamps may remain on when they are not needed.
If the vehicle is driven through a parking garage,
overcast weather or a tunnel, the automatic headlamp
system may turn on.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the automatic lamp control
system so that driving under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the system. The automatic
lamp control system will only be affected when the light
sensor sees a change in lighting lasting longer than this
delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark garage, the automatic
lamp system turns on immediately. Once the vehicle
exits the garage, it will take about 20 seconds for the
automatic lamp system to change to DRL if it is light
outside. During that delay, the instrument panel cluster
may not be as bright as usual. Make sure theinstrument panel brightness control is in the full bright
position. See
Instrument Panel Brightnesson
page 4‑14.
To idle the vehicle with the system off, turn the ignition
on and turn the exterior light switch to the off/on
position. For vehicles first sold in Canada, the
transmission must stay in P (Park) for this function or
the parking brake must be set for vehicles with manual
transmissions.
Turn on the regular headlamps when they are needed.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the button is located on the
instrument panel, to the right of the steering wheel.
The ignition must be on to use the fog lamps.
#: Press to turn the fog lamps on and off. An indicator
light on the button comes on when the fog lamps
are on.
The parking lamps automatically turn on and off when
the fog lamps are turned on and off.
The fog lamps will turn off while the high-beam
headlamps are turned on.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
4-13

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Electric Power Management
This vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM), an
advanced control system. It estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge and then adjusts the
voltage for best performance and extended life of the
battery.
When the battery's state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When
the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gauge or voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), you may see the voltage
move up or down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at high
speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer loads,
and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs. It can increaseengine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels of
corrective action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver.
Battery Run-Down Protection
The vehicle has a battery saver feature designed to
protect the vehicle's battery.
When any interior lamp is left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after 20 minutes. This
prevents draining of the battery.
Accessory Power Outlet(s)
Accessory power outlets can be used to connect
electrical equipment, such as a cell phone or
MP3 player.
The accessory power outlets are located on the
instrument panel below the climate controls and at the
rear of the center console. There may be an outlet in
the rear cargo area on the passenger side.
Remove the cover to access and replace when not
in use.
4-15

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
0(Defrost):This mode removes fog or frost from the
windshield more quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield, with some air directed to the side window
and floor outlets. In this mode, the system runs the air
conditioning compressor. To defrost the windows faster,
turn the temperature control knob clockwise to the
warmest setting.
#(Air Conditioning): Press to turn the air
conditioning system on or off. An indicator light comes
on to show that the air conditioning is on.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside air
escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the time
it takes for your vehicle to cool down. It also helps the
system to operate more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days:
1. Select
H.
2. Select
@.
3. Select
#.
4. Select the coolest temperature.
5. Select the highest fan speed.
Using these settings together for long periods of time
can cause the air inside of the vehicle to become too
dry. To prevent this from happening, after the air in the
vehicle has cooled, turn off the recirculation by pressing
the outside air button. The air conditioning system removes moisture from the
air, so a small amount of water might drip under the
vehicle while idling or after turning off the engine. This
is normal.
The air conditioning compressor cannot be turned on
when the fan is off.
@(Recirculation):
Press to turn the recirculation
mode on. An indicator light comes on to show that
recirculation is on.
This mode recirculates and helps to quickly cool the air
inside the vehicle. It can be used to help prevent
outside air and odors from entering the vehicle.
The air conditioning compressor also comes on.
Recirculation is not available in floor, defog and defrost
modes. If the recirculation button is pressed, the
indicator light flashes five times and outside air is
delivered. Operation in this mode during periods of high
humidity and cool outside temperatures can result in
increased window fogging. If window fogging is
experienced, select the defrost mode.
;(Outside Air): Press to allow outside air to circulate
through the vehicle. An indicator light comes on to show
that outside air is on.
4-19

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear window.
The rear window defogger only works when the ignition
is in ON/RUN.
<(Rear):Press to turn the rear window defogger on
or off. Be sure to clear as much snow from the rear
window as possible. An indicator light comes on to
show that the rear window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger turns off approximately
15 minutes after the button is pressed. If turned on
again, the defogger only runs for approximately
seven minutes before turning off.
If the vehicle speed is greater than 80 km/h (50 mph)
and the rear defogger is on, it remains on as long as the
speed is greater than 80 km/h (50 mph). The defogger
can also be turned off by turning off the engine.
For vehicles with the remote start feature, the rear
defogger automatically turns on if it is cold outside.
When the vehicle transitions out of the remote start
mode, the rear defogger turns off. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on page 3‑4 Notice:
Do not use anything sharp on the inside of
the rear window. If you do, you could cut or damage
the warming grid, and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not attach a
temporary vehicle license, tape, a decal or anything
similar to the defogger grid.Outlet Adjustment
Turn the outlets and move the outlet vanes to change
the direction of the airflow and to open and close the
outlets.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from the air
inlets at the base of the windshield that may block
the flow of air into the vehicle.
.Use of non-GM approved hood deflectors may
adversely affect the performance of the system.
.Keep the path under the front seats clear of
objects to help circulate the air inside of the vehicle
more effectively.
4-20