Partial Tune-up: 2008 Chevy HHR

I changed the oil, air filter, cabin air filter and the gas vapor recycler in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS at the mileage displayed above.  The gas vapor recycler was so easy to replace that it didn't even need any tools.  I then used Torque Pro and Wi-Fi OBD II module to clear the fault codes.  For right now, the only thing that remains lit on the dashboard is a "Tire Service Monitor."  This Chevy breaks tire pressure monitors (TPM's) like crazy.  The last that I knew, they were $75 a piece and they always break on the right rear rim.  I haven't kept up with my tire rotations and I think that I blew a belt in that tire?  But I think it will get me by until next month?

The HHR was driven and arrived back at home at the mileage above.  The power improved, but I wasn't able to get a reading from the oil dip stick until I took the front end off of the ramps and ran it for about 5 minutes.  It spooked me for a minute as I went back over my steps, confirmed that the oil pan bolt was secured properly and there wasn't anything other than typical residue around the engine mounted oil tube.  I lowed the car on the basis that it had to be there.  But this isn't the first time that I got confused with Houdini engine oil in this car.  But it showed up.  I think that I need a new dip stick because the one that I have is corroded and confusing me when the oil is clean?

Accelerating in any gear was more smooth.  But this car is still pending a clutch replacement and there's a little slippage from that, but not as much as before with the old gas vapor recycler.  Considering that my dashboard computer display takes readings from multiple sensors that give me my fuel range and economy readings, I don't think that the new recycler is going to do much to improve what it already had?

I still have yet to clean the fuel injectors.  The HHR is about about 3/4 of a tank right now and I'll try to remember to do it when I refuel.  At this time, the engine is still going strong for it having been driven over 200K miles.

Log 2016052804

I started the tune-up for my 1988 Itasca Sundancer 25ft motorhome with a Ford Econoline 350 (E-350) cutaway.  This was a learning experience for me from the beginning.  I don't have my repair manual yet, so I had to rely on the mechanical aptitude that I've gained from my 2008 Chevy HHR LS and building The Cramper.  I also had to find things.

The spark plugs are accessed from the interior engine compartment.  I've never owned a Ford before and have seen very few under their hoods.  Growing up, at least our impression was that Ford produced a lot of bad cars back then, so my family stuck to mostly general motors.  The motorhome's engine is layered differently than I'm accustomed to.  I can't even tell how the fuel injection system works yet.

The spark plugs are one thing.  It's getting it's wires to the distributer cap that's another.  This component is in front of the engine and has to be accessed from the hood.  It's behind the air filter manifold and a couple of engine air hoses that has to all be dismounted.

The new distributer has a number "1" on it.  That probably pertains to the #1 cylinder.  But both the old and the new cap have a 1" wide by 1" tall cylinder on them.  They're attached by two clips.  By the diagram that I've seen, things just weren't matching up today.

Anyways, I realized that I forgot to buy wires.  So I aborted the procedure altogether.  The next step would have been to replace the spark plugs and wires one at a time.  It's routing and feeding of the wires from the interior to the exterior and keeping track of them that concerns me.  Oh well, I'll get through it.

I stopped today before installing the new fuel filter.  I just a tool for a special special connection that it has.  But I've done one of these on a GM car years ago.  And everything I'm seeing for this Econoline suggests that it should be easy to change.

There was mouse activity present in the air filter manifold today.  I used my shop vac to clean it up.  A also tried to run it's tube down the hoses towards the engine block as best as I could.  It makes me wonder what could possibly be down there?