Chevy HHR intermittent power steering

[csandste]

Just found out my daughter's HHR has off again, on again power steering. I've read everything from people replacing modules and motors and spending thousands to no avail, to someone who said he fixed everything with a different fuse with slightly longer contacts. There's some indication that GM has recall for same motor on 'Cobalt and 'Bu but nothing on HHR. Had two failures on my 05 Maxx but think I was fully reimbursed.

Lots of old posts to this problem, but a lot of comments are eight years old or older. Think car has about 160K on it and she purchased a year ago.

 

[clinebarger]

I would really like the history codes stored in the steering module. It sounds like "Motor Over-Amp/Overload protection"

*Make sure that she is not putting the steering in a bind (Against a curb/steering stop & whatnot)
*Check for binding steering components
*Check the battery connections, The steering motor draws a good amount of current
*A simple "drag test" will tell if main fuse is not making good contact, I make them out of old fuses.

 

[FCD]

Originally Posted By: csandste
Just found out my daughter's HHR has off again, on again power steering. I've read everything from people replacing modules and motors and spending thousands to no avail, to someone who said he fixed everything with a different fuse with slightly longer contacts. There's some indication that GM has recall for same motor on 'Cobalt and 'Bu but nothing on HHR. Had two failures on my 05 Maxx but think I was fully reimbursed.

Lots of old posts to this problem, but a lot of comments are eight years old or older. Think car has about 160K on it and she purchased a year ago.


I don't know but i've read those things are moneypits.

 

[HeritageHighRoof]

If by intermittent you mean stiff spots when turning and the wheel not returning to center on it’s own, It’s probably the lower u-joint just above the rack on your steering shaft. I just had this issue and initially thought it was the motor. I got the GM replacement steering shaft ($150) since I’ve heard some bad reviews on the aftermarket ones. Was a pretty easy replacement with the LF wheel removed.

 

[csandste]

By intermittent I mean-- power steering switches on and off electrically-- I have a grand daughter who will be getting her license this year and having steering effort suddenly increase by 1000% while she's making a turn doesn't sound safe to me. Had the same thing with my Maxx and steering the car with no power steering is more than disconcerting. Intermittent-- to me--means on and off.

With the Maxx, (from ten year old memory) the entire steering column, including the motor, had to be replaced. That was constant. Seems like I had later trouble with intermittent cut outs that did not require replacement of another column. Think I also was reimbursed for my original $900 outlay.