Chevrolet 2009 HHR User manual

Seats and Restraint System ............................. 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats .............................................. 1-10
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-13
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-32
Airbag System ......................................... 1-58
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-79
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-9
Windows ................................................. 2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-22
Mirrors .................................................... 2-39
Object Detection Systems .......................... 2-44
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-47
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-51
Sunroof .................................................. 2-56
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-26
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-48
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-61
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle ....... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-31
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-12
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-44
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-52
Tires ...................................................... 5-53
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-99
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-107
Electrical System .................................... 5-108
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-114
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-16
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy ........... 7-18
Index ................................................................ 1
2009 Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, and the
name HHR are registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. GM reserves the right to make changes after
that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada
Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division wherever it appears
in this manual.
This manual describes features that may or may not be
on your specific vehicle.
Read this manual from beginning to end to learn about
the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures, symbols,
and words work together to explain vehicle operation.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Index
To quickly locate information about the vehicle, use the
index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of
what is in the manual and the page number where it can
be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25778495 B Second Printing
©
2008 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
A circle with a slash
through it is a safety
symbol which means
“Do Not,” “Do not do this,”
or “Do not let this happen.”
A box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about
things that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore
the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
Cautions tell what the hazard is and what to do to avoid
or reduce the hazard. Read these cautions.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle.
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
Many times, this damage would not be covered by the
vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. The notice
tells what to do to help avoid the damage.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle which use
the same words, CAUTION or Notice.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols
instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text
describing the operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gage, or indicator.
M:This symbol is shown when you need to see your
owner manual for additional instructions or information.
*:This symbol is shown when you need to see a
service manual for additional instructions or information.
iii

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 Gage
+:Fuses
i: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
iv

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Seat Height Adjuster .......................................1-3
Power Seat ...................................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Passenger Folding Seatback ............................1-8
Rear Seats .....................................................1-10
Split Folding Rear Seat .................................1-10
Safety Belts ...................................................1-13
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-18
Lap-Shoulder Belt .........................................1-26
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-31
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-31
Child Restraints .............................................1-32
Older Children ..............................................1-32
Infants and Young Children ............................1-35
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-39
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) ......................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position ....................................1-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-54
Airbag System ...............................................1-58
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-61
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-63
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-64
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-64
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-65
Passenger Sensing System
(Without Turbo/With Turbo and RPO AS5) ....1-66
Passenger Sensing System
(With Turbo and RPO AR9 or AE4) .............1-72
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-77
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-78
Restraint System Check ..................................1-79
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-79
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-80
Section 1 Seats and Restraint System
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
If the vehicle has a manual seat, it can be moved
forward or rearward. 1. Lift the bar to unlock
the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the
desired position and
release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat
is locked in place.
1-2

Seat Height Adjuster
If your vehicle has this feature, the driver’s seat height
adjuster is located on the outboard side of the seat.
To raise the seat, move the lever upward repeatedly
until the seat is at the desired height. To lower the seat,
move the lever downward repeatedly until the seat is
at the desired height.
Power Seat
If the vehicle has a power seat, the control used to
operate it is located on the outboard side of the driver’s
seat. To adjust the seat, do any of the following:
•Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding the
control forward or rearward.
•Raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion by
holding the front of the control up or down.
•Raise or lower the entire seat by holding the rear of
the control up or down.
Driver’s Seat with Power Seat Control and Power
Lumbar shown
1-3

Power Lumbar
If your vehicle has this feature, the control is located on
the outboard side of the driver’s seat cushion.
To increase support, press and hold the front of the
control. To decrease support, press and hold the rear of
the control. Keep in mind that as your seating position
changes, as it may during long trips, so should the
position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as
needed.
Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the driver’s and
passenger’s heated
seat buttons are located
on the climate control
panel below the fan switch.
Press the button once to turn the heated seat to the high
setting. Both lights below the heated seat symbol will
come on. Press the button a second time and the heated
seat will go to the low setting. The bottom light will come
on to indicate that the setting is on low. Press the button
a third time to turn the heated seat off.
The heated seat feature will need to be turned on each
time the ignition is turned off and back on again.
Driver’s side button
shown, Passenger’s
side button similar
1-4

Reclining Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{CAUTION:
If either seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatbacks to be sure they
are locked.
The seats have reclining seatbacks. The lever used to
operate them is located on the outboard side of the
seats. Lift the lever to release the seatback. Move the
seatback to where you want it and release the lever
to lock the seatback in place. Press rearward on
the seatback to be sure it is locked into place.
Passenger’s Side Reclining Lever shown, Driver’s
Side similar
1-5

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when the vehicle is in
motion can be dangerous. Even when buckled up,
the safety belts cannot do their job when reclined
like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it will
not be against your body. Instead, it will be in front
of you. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving
neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash,
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-6

Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the
restraint is at the same height as the occupant’s
head. This position reduces the chance of a neck
injury in a crash.
Pull the head restraint up
to raise it. To lower the
head restraint, press
the button, located on
the top of the seatback,
and push the restraint
down. Only the front head
restraints are adjustable.
Both the front and rear head restraints can be removed.
Press the button, located on the top of the seatback, and
pull the restraint out from the seatback. Do not remove
the head restraint if someone will be sitting in that seat
while the vehicle is moving.
1-7

Passenger Folding Seatback
Your vehicle has a front passenger seat that folds flat.
{CAUTION:
If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo is
not near an airbag. In a crash, an inflating airbag
might force that object toward a person. This could
cause severe injury or even death. Secure objects
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
away from the area in which an airbag would
inflate. For more information, see Where Are the
Airbags? on page 1-61 and Loading the Vehicle
on page 4-25.
{CAUTION:
Things you put on this seatback can strike and
injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash. Remove or secure all items before driving.
1-8

To fold the seatback, do the following:
1. Move the front passenger seat rearward to ensure
there is enough room to fold the seatback forward.
See Manual Seats on page 1-2 for more information.
The head restraint may need to be removed if
the seat is not able to be moved fully rearward.
If removing the head restraint, store it so that it
will not move while the vehicle is in motion.
2. Make sure that the seatback is in an upright position.
Use the recliner lever located on the outboard side of
the seat to move the seatback to the upright position.
3. To fold the seat flat, pull up on either lever located
toward the rear of the seatback. Fold the seat
forward until the seatback disengages.
4. Continue to fold the seat forward until it locks in the
folded position. Pull up on the seatback to be sure
it is locked.
1-9

To raise the seatback to an upright position:
1. Pull up on either lever.
2. Push the seatback up until it is in a locked position.
{CAUTION:
If either seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatbacks to be sure they
are locked.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
The seatbacks can be folded flat.
To lower the rear seatback(s):
1. Move the front seat forward and/or put the front
seatback in an upright position so it does not
interfere with folding the rear seatback forward.
2. Open the rear door while the vehicle is parked.
3. The rear head restraint may need to be removed if
it interferes with the front seat when the front seat
is moved back in place. If removed, store the
head restraint where it cannot move while the
vehicle is in motion.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
1-10

4. Move the safety belt out of the way before lowering
the seatback. Do not let the safety belt get caught
between the seatback and seat cushion as the
seatback is folded.
5. Pull up on the knob
located on the top of
the seatback on
the outboard side to
release the seatback.
1-11

To raise the rear seatback(s):
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly
attached, or twisted will not provide the protection
needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt
could be seriously injured. After raising the rear
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
seatback, always check to be sure that the
safety belts are properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.
6. Lift the seatback up and push rearward until you
hear a click. Keep the safety belt clear of the seat
and not twisted.
The release knob on the top of the seatback has a
red ring. If the seatback is not fully latched this
ring will be visible. Push on the seatback until the
ring is not visible.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward
in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury
to the person sitting there. Always pull forward on
the top of the seatback at the area of the latch to be
sure it is locked.
7. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked in place.
1-12

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This section of the manual describes how to use
safety belts properly. It also describes some things not
to do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where a safety belt cannot
be worn properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the
injuries can be much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from the
vehicle. You and your passenger(s) can be
seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you
might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten
your safety belt, and check that your passenger(s)
are restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any
area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats
and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is
in a seat and using a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the
safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders on page 3-29 for
additional information.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without safety belts, they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
1-13

Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.
Put someone on it.
1-14

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-15

or the instrument panel... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-16