From A GM Bulletin:

Power Steering Inoperative/Steering Wheel Hard to Turn
PWR STR Message Displayed on Driver Information Center After Jump Starting Vehicle (Replace Fuse and Instruct Owner How to Jump Start Vehicle)

#05-02-32-002B - (Sep 30, 2005)Power Steering Inoperative/Steering Wheel Hard to Turn, "PWR STR" Message Displayed on Driver Information Center (DIC) After Jump Starting Vehicle (Replace Fuse and Instruct Owner How to Jump Start Vehicle)

2006 Chevrolet HHR

Fixed Operations Manager and Technician:

Some customers may comment that the steering wheel is hard to turn and that a message of "PWR STR" is displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC) of the instrument panel (I/P) cluster. They may also comment that this condition occurred after they had to have the vehicle jump started. Cause

Improper "jump starting" of the vehicle has been determined as a cause for the power steering fuses to open (blow). Customers may mistakenly believe that the Underhood Junction Block (UHJB) is actually the battery; therefore, they believe there is both a positive and negative post in the UHJB. After only seeing one post, they may remove the cover and discover there is another small post on the passenger side of the UHJB. The small post on the passenger side of the UHJB is the B+ post for the electric power steering . When the jumper cables are attached to both of these posts and the cable is connected to another vehicle, the power steering fuses will blow. Correction

Replace the blown fuses and verify that concern is eliminated.

Caution: Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous because: • They contain acid that can burn you. • They contain gas that can explode or ignite. • They contain enough electricity to burn you. If you do not follow these steps exactly, some or all of these things can hurt you.

There is a lot more, but basically it says: to properly jumpstart your HHR or another vehicle, place the POSITIVE cable on the red terminal found on the underhood fusebox, and place the NEGATIVE cable on one of the driver’s side strut bolts NOT on the other terminal in the fusebox.

Hopefully, this will save a few HHR owners’ some grief!

A guy in my apts. asked me to jump start him the other day. I opened the hood and I told him I had no idea where the battery was (I really do know). I'm glad I didn't let him connect to those terminals and screw up my ride.

There is a lot more, but basically it says: to properly jumpstart your HHR or another vehicle, place the POSITIVE cable on the red terminal found on the underhood fusebox, and place the NEGATIVE cable on one of the driver’s side strut bolts NOT on the other terminal in the fusebox.

Hopefully, this will save a few HHR owners’ some grief!

I tried to jump start one of my other cars this way and it didn't work. I even let it charge for about 10min and still nothing. so I tried hooking directly to the battery and it fired-up on the first try. :confused:

I jump started my HHR last summer just after I purchased it. I had called the 800 number for chevrolet and they told me to jump start it from under the hood. It worked but just last week I had to do it again and this time it blew atleast 3 fuses. My power steering went out along with my a/c, cruise control, windshield wipers and the service airbag indicator came on. Was no one else told were to jump start theirs from when they purchased it or was it just me? My local dealer wont even warranty it. whats up with that.

I jump started my HHR last summer just after I purchased it. I had called the 800 number for chevrolet and they told me to jump start it from under the hood. It worked but just last week I had to do it again and this time it blew atleast 3 fuses. My power steering went out along with my a/c, cruise control, windshield wipers and the service airbag indicator came on. Was no one else told were to jump start theirs from when they purchased it or was it just me? My local dealer wont even warranty it. whats up with that.
Yup! Happened to me the first time I jumped mine. Bummer was it happened to me when I was 200 miles from home in a small down, on a Sunday, when it was snowing. I was just waiting for something else, other than losing my power steering, to happen all the way home. Very easy fix though.

Pretty crappy that your dealer won't replace a fuse for you. Would make me wonder how they'll act when there is a major issue.

You think it makes sense that the pole opposite of the + would be the - :roll: . But not on this one. You have to put the ground to the strut tower cap bolt.

I jump started my HHR last summer just after I purchased it. I had called the 800 number for chevrolet and they told me to jump start it from under the hood. It worked but just last week I had to do it again and this time it blew atleast 3 fuses.

What did you do differently?

You think it makes sense that the pole opposite of the + would be the - :roll: . But not on this one. You have to put the ground to the strut tower cap bolt.

There is a sticker on the strut tower that indicates to hook the "-" there. Exactly as it says in the owner's manual!:roll:

Well I talked to the dealer late today and they made sure everything was warrantied so Im not paying for anything. Apparently when I had a aftermarket 12" sub and amp put into the car by Best Buy they wired it so that the wires were always hot. I took the Sub out to move and the wires apparently touched causing the short or whatever it was. thanks for replying

I jump started my HHR last summer just after I purchased it. I had called the 800 number for chevrolet and they told me to jump start it from under the hood. It worked but just last week I had to do it again and this time it blew atleast 3 fuses. My power steering went out along with my a/c, cruise control, windshield wipers and the service airbag indicator came on. Was no one else told were to jump start theirs from when they purchased it or was it just me? My local dealer wont even warranty it. whats up with that.

happened to me as well.

I ran into a problem today. Somehow my battery went dead and I needed a jump. I popped the hood and connected the cables to the positive and negative terminals and saw a spark. I'm thinking, OK thats normal. Went to turn the motor over and nothing happened. Let it sit a couple minutes and tried again, nothing.
I went under the hood and thought maybe one of the claws came off the terminals but than I noticed that one of the fuses (#1 EPS) was blown. I called my dealership and they said you should use the actual battery in the back. I asked what the heck is the point of the terminals under the hood if your not supposed to use them. So I did that, and it fired right up.
The #1 fuse (EPS) is for the Electronic Power Steering. It's a 60 amp fuse. I got a new one at the dealer and it was not fun trying to drive the HHR without the power steering. Just a little insight I thought I should share with all of you. Thanx

Look at the owner's manual and tell that to dealership guessing not chevy? suppose to connect jump cables on postive of fuse box and negative on the strut bolt. Should have sticker or emblem saying ground (-) :thumb: Electronic power steering fuse gets blown as you found out if not done right. Has been discussed on the forum multiple times.

Those two terminals are positive. ^^^ Beat me to it.

Don't take this as slamming but if you'd checked the manual it shows how to jump the car under the hood.


Now, having said that......................same thing happened to me. Those two posts sure look like they should be - & +, so I blew out the fuse too! The strut tower on the driver's side under the hood is marked as the - for jumping.

If you dont have the manual's here is the link: owner's manual by year (http://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/showpost.php?p=53197&postcount=1) brought to you by your friendly mod SindyDix:thumb:

Let's see 2 RED terminals....hhhmmmmmm.:eek:

When we were in Boone NC a few weeks back, my FIL 02 Mazda died. When I was looking for the jump locations under the hood, the + & - were clearly marked. Getting the cover off the + was fun for some reason. But worked like a charm.

Let's see 2 RED terminals....hhhmmmmmm.:eek:

Then someone would try to jump it with the wrong terminal ... and still pop the fuse :roll:

Maybe cover it in such a way that it can't be used for jumping? (just a thought)

Then someone would try to jump it with the wrong terminal ... and still pop the fuse :roll:

Maybe cover it in such a way that it can't be used for jumping? (just a thought)


That is EXACTLY my point.

Unless GM changed the fuse boxes in the various model years, the terminal THOUGHT to be the negative requires you to first remove the lid of the fuse box, THEN remove a red rubber insulator around the terminal. Think about it.....a red (usually means "hot") RUBBER (no need to insulate a negative terminal) insulator.

Now understand, I'm not criticizing the OP. We all (including me) make mistakes when we're pressured or time pressed. I'm just saying that sometimes IF you stop and think before acting....you realize sometimes it's not the right thing to do
(even the best technicians make mistakes because they are used to doing something the same way. Something new comes along and they still utilize what has been done for years and it doesn't correct the problem).

To reply to the harsh critisizm about my mental awareness, first off, why would anybody put 2 positive terminals in the motor compartment, second, under my hood I have a red covered terminal and the other does not have a cover or marking of what it is. Third off, I didn't realize that my precious HHR is such a unique piece of machinery, that the owners manual has "special" instructions on how to jump start the car. I've jumped hundreds of cars and not once have I ever had a problem, until yesterday.

I posted here thinking, hey these people have helped me out many, many times, maybe I should post this for any new comers or people that have a similar problem.

I didn't realize that my precious HHR is such a unique piece of machinery, that the owners manual has "special" instructions on how to jump start the car

Well it is!!

I posted here thinking, hey these people have helped me out many, many times, maybe I should post this for any new comers or people that have a similar problem.


You helped ME out...by having the nads to post about your mistake, you just saved me from having to buy a fuse for the EPS...when the day comes that I need to jump start my car, I'll remember YOUR words...not the sarcastic posts of the others.

AllEeyes...thank you in advance for helping me in the future. As for the rest of the comments towards your mistake, let 'em slide.

I just took it as people thinking I'm some kind of moron. I apologize for my sarcasm but I post here thinking that I could possibly help out a fellow HHR owner but than people start coming at me with criticizm. It goes back to something I learned when I was 4, If you don't have something nice to say....well you know the rest.
I love my HHR and I do think that it's a GREAT piece of machinery. Maybe I'll just watch and learn, instead of trying to help or teach.

Damn everyone, give AllEyez a break! Why do we have to jump all over someone on this issue. You wouldn't believe the number of competent macho males that have done the same thing. I know because they tow, drive or call me on this issue and it's not just HHRs.

99% of car owners would NEVER consult the owners manual before jump starting a vehicle. How about we just say lesson learned and drop it.

FYI, I attmept to fix/repair anything I can in my house, car, yard or whatever...two weeks ago I had a lamp short out and send smoke from the bulb base. I decided it was trash and that I would throw it out front of my house since it was bulk-trash pickup week. Well I decided to cut the cord so someone wouldn't come by and think it was a good lamp and grab it. I FORGOT TO UNPLUG IT! Dumb stuff can happen to anybody at anytime! After i put the balm on my burned palm and fingers, I went to the patio and knocked back some beers and the rest of the weekend was good.

Now eveyone can have some fun with that little story!

Some people know if you let the smoke out of a wire, you have no more electricity for your light or in the case of your HHR, no more 12 volt power.:nuts: :bow: :lol: :thumb:

Hey Mods,

How about making this thread a sticky!:thumb:

I apologize for my sarcasm but I post here thinking that I could possibly help out a fellow HHR owner but than people start coming at me with criticizm.

Just requested the following thread be made a sticky, and if the mods feel so inclined, maybe merge this thread w/ it as well.

http://chevyhhr.net/forums/showthread.php?p=263964#post263964

You helped ME out...by having the nads to post about your mistake, you just saved me from having to buy a fuse for the EPS...when the day comes that I need to jump start my car, I'll remember YOUR words...not the sarcastic posts of the others.

AllEeyes...thank you in advance for helping me in the future. As for the rest of the comments towards your mistake, let 'em slide.

X2:thumb:

I was aware of this from seeing previous posts about the SAME problem.
It never hurts to be reminded once in a while though. Unfortunately it was a reminder through someone else's misfortune.:(

I agree this topic should be a sticky for the newbies (and others) that are not aware of the problem yet (or just plain need to be reminded).

I like many others have found out the hard way about jump starting my hhr. I blew the power steering fuse, but I also lost the cruise control are these two items on the same fuse? Please help. I am at a loss. Thanks.

I like many others have found out the hard way about jump starting my hhr. I blew the power steering fuse, but I also lost the cruise control are these two items on the same fuse? Please help. I am at a loss. Thanks.

Yes, in a way.

Fuse #19 of the inside fuse box is for the electric steering and steering wheel controls.

I only charge or jump my car from the battery. That said, I seem to recall my radio fuse blowing when using the correct post under the hood. Also, the shock studs are not the best ground. I tried using it for my airhorns years ago, and found it to be erratic. I ran a ground cable from the engine block to the drivers side shock tower, then checked the passanger side and it was not well grounded. SO I ran a second ground strap to that side. Hard to believe that the 2 shock towers are not well connected, but they werent.

To back this all up, last year my wife rented a Cobalt (same chassis as HHR) and the battery died. Since the car was covered I did not bother to jump it myself. When the mechanic came, he had a very hard time finding a good ground under the hood, then finally took my advice and went right to the battery (and the car started right up). Hard to believe but true!:nuts:

First of all, after visiting Pontiac G8 forums I learned that people who bought the car had it die on them two days later. Problem was - dead battery as the car was built in Australia, shipped, stored on the dealers lot and eventually battery was dead. So when I bought my SS last week, first thing in my garage I went to the battery with my voltmeter and made sure the battery had 12,3 volt, then I went under the hood and I have to say that the red terminal + shock post was not assuring as it was fluctuating between 7 and 11 volt. So as the manual suggests use the engine for ground, or go directly to the trunk to jump start.

i killed my batt once... dad jumped me off and it blew my power steering fuse. lol