check engine light CHEVROLET HHR 2008 1.G User Guide

Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
This light comes on, as a check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned ON/RUN but the engine is not
running. If the light does not come on, have it repaired.
This light also comes on during a malfunction in
one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and could damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service might be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following can prevent more serious damage to your
vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.
Turn the ignition off, wait at least 10 seconds, and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps and see your dealer/retailer
for service as soon as possible.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You might be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-7. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet. The
condition is usually corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You
might notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration — these
conditions might go away once the engine is warmed up.
This will be detected by the system and cause the light to
turn on.If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that might have developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
might begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
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Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced the battery or if the
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This can take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your dealer/retailer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
This light will come on
briey when you start your
engine. If it does not,
have your vehicle serviced.
When the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil
is not owing through your engine properly. You
could be low on oil and you might have some other
system problem.
3-43

OIL LIFE
Press the information button until OIL LIFE displays.
The engine oil life system shows an estimate of the oil’s
remaining useful life. It shows 100% when the system
is reset after an oil change. It alerts you to change the oil
on a schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the oil
life, additional maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeEngine Oil
on page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4.
Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-19.
COOLANT
Press the information button until COOLANT displays.
This mode shows the temperature of the engine coolant
in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C).
Tire Pressure
If your vehicle has a Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), the pressure for each tire can be viewed in the
DIC. The tire pressure is shown in either pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press the
information button until LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF displays
for the front tires. Press the information button again
until LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays for the rear tires.If a low tire pressure condition is detected by the system
while driving, a message advising you to check the tire
pressure appears in the display. SeeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-60andDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-48for more information.
DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages appear if there is a problem detected
in one of your vehicle’s systems.
A message clears when the vehicle’s condition is no
longer present. To acknowledge a message and clear it
from the display, press and hold any of the DIC
buttons. If the condition is still present, the warning
message comes back on the next time the vehicle is
turned off and back on. With most messages, a warning
chime sounds when the message displays. Your
vehicle may have other warning messages.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS OFF
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is disabled with the headlamp switch. See
Automatic Headlamp System on page 3-17for more
information.
3-48

AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS ON
This message displays if the automatic headlamp
system is enabled with the headlamp switch. See
Automatic Headlamp System on page 3-17for more
information.
BRAKE FLUID
This message displays, while the ignition is on, when
the brake uid level is low. The brake system warning
light on the instrument panel cluster also comes on. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-35for more
information. Have the brake system serviced by
your dealer/retailer as soon as possible.
CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays when the life of the engine oil
has expired and it should be changed.
When this message is acknowledged and cleared from
the display, the engine oil life system must still be
reset separately. SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 5-19andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for
more information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel cap has not been fully
tightened. Recheck the fuel cap to make sure that it
is on properly. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the message off.
CHECK TIRE PRESS (Pressure)
If your vehicle has a Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the pressure in one
or more of the vehicle’s tires needs to be checked. If a tire
pressure message appears on the DIC, stop as soon as
you can. Have the tire pressures checked and set to
those shown on the Tire Loading Information label. See
Tires on page 5-52,Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-27,
andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-60. The DIC also
shows the tire pressure values. SeeDIC Operation and
Displays on page 3-46. If the tire pressure is low, the low
tire pressure warning light comes on. SeeTire Pressure
Light on page 3-39.
COMPETITIVE MODE
If your vehicle has this feature, this message displays
when the Competitive Driving mode is selected.
The Traction Control System (TCS) will not be operating
while in the Competitive Driving mode and the
ESC/TCS light on the instrument panel cluster will be on
solid. Adjust your driving accordingly. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-6,Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) on page 4-10, andElectronic Stability
Control (ESC)/Traction Control System (TCS)
Indicator/Warning Light on page 3-37for more
information.
3-49

Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle might have the Antilock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will come
on briey when you
start your vehicle.
When you start the engine, or when you begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You might hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is
going on, and you might even notice that the brake
pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply the brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let antilock work for you. You might feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
4-5

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run the engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel.
When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than
just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses
less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery
charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart
the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with the
headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-25

Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by fuses in the fuse
block. An electrical overload will cause the lamps to turn
off. If this happens, have your headlamp wiring checked
right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker and a fuse. If the motor overheats due to heavy
snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor cools.
If the overload is caused by some electrical problem,
have it xed.
Power Windows and Other Power
Options
Fuses in the fuse block protect the power windows.
When the current load is too heavy, the fuse opens
protecting the circuit until the problem is xed.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit breakers
and fusible thermal links. This greatly reduces the
chance of damage caused by electrical problems.
Look at the silver-colored band inside the fuse. If the
band is broken or melted, replace the fuse. Be sure you
replace a bad fuse with a new one of the identical
size and rating.
If you ever have a problem on the road and do not have
a spare fuse, you can “borrow” one that has the same
amperage. Just pick some feature of your vehicle
that you can get along without — like the radio or
cigarette lighter — and use its fuse if it is the correct
amperage. Replace it as soon as you can.
There are two fuse blocks in your vehicle: the oor
console fuse block and the engine compartment
fuse block.
There are also one or two fuses located at the back of
the vehicle near the battery.
5-119

Audio System(s).............................................3-62
Automatic Door Lock.......................................2-10
Automatic Headlamp System............................3-17
Automatic Transmission
Fluid..........................................................5-23
Operation...................................................2-28
B
Battery..........................................................5-37
Electric Power Management..........................3-20
Run-Down Protection...................................3-20
Boost Gage...................................................3-45
Brake
Emergencies................................................ 4-6
Brakes..........................................................5-34
System Warning Light..................................3-35
Braking........................................................... 4-3
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 4-6
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-21
Bulb Replacement...........................................5-46
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)........5-48
Halogen Bulbs............................................5-46
Headlamp Aiming........................................5-43
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and Parking
Lamps....................................................5-46Bulb Replacement (cont.)
License Plate Lamps....................................5-50
Replacement Bulbs......................................5-50
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps........................................5-49
Buying New Tires...........................................5-69
C
Calibration.............................................2-39, 2-41
California Fuel.................................................. 5-6
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements....... 5-4
California Proposition 65 Warning....................... 5-3
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Capacities and Specications..........................5-125
Carbon Monoxide...........................2-37, 4-22, 4-34
Care of
Safety Belts..............................................5-112
Cargo, Rear Side Door....................................2-12
CD, MP3 .......................................................3-72
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)...........5-48
Chains, Tire...................................................5-74
Charging System Light....................................3-34
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-40
2

Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-116
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-40
Infants and Young Children...........................1-36
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children..........1-43
Older Children.............................................1-33
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position..................................................1-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position...................................1-53
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-42
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-22
Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.............5-115
Exterior Lamps/Lenses................................5-113
Fabric/Carpet............................................5-111
Finish Care...............................................5-114
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces...............................................5-112
Interior.....................................................5-110
Tires........................................................5-116
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-116
Washing Your Vehicle.................................5-113
Weatherstrips............................................5-113
Windshield and Wiper Blades......................5-114Climate Control System...................................3-23
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment.................3-26
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-26
Clock, Setting.................................................3-60
Clutch, Hydraulic.............................................5-23
Collision Damage Repair..................................7-10
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-109
Compass...............................................2-39, 2-41
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant............................5-76
Content Theft-Deterrent....................................2-18
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 4-3
Convenience Net
............................................2-51
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gage............................3-39
Engine Temperature Warning Light.................3-38
Heater, Engine............................................2-27
Cooling System..............................................5-28
Cruise Control................................................3-12
Cupholder(s)..................................................2-47
Customer Assistance Information
Courtesy Transportation.................................. 7-9
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone (TTY)
Users....................................................... 7-4
Customer Assistance Offices........................... 7-5
Customer Satisfaction Procedure..................... 7-2
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program............... 7-6
3