My HHR will be in storage for a couple of months. I have a battery tender float charger to put on the battery. Can I hook it up under the hood or do I need to go right to the battery in the back ?

 

I'd hook it up on the battery

 

Should be alright under the hood; just find a good ground connection. Not the the power steering lug.

 

I was going to ground to the strut top like the owners manual suggests for jump starting.I am glad I dont have to pull out all the stuff in the back

 

I have found the strut nut to be rather finicky to attach clamps to. What I did was drill a piece of metal and put it under the nut, that made it much easier to hook cables up.

 

Your fine with the under hood connections. I connect battery maintainers to those connections, whenever I know the HHR will be unused for any period of time. Have never had a problem connecting that way.

 

I used connectors under the hood twice. Both times I was "giving light" my wife's Ford when her battery has been depleted to zero.
And both times the power steering fuse burned.
A similar case has told me a guy from Belarus.

Perhaps when charging the battery there is no risk. But I do not vouch for it.
God saves man, who save himself.

 

If I were going to jump another car, I would go for the battery connections in back, but for charging and maintaining the under hood connections will work with no problems.

 

Well. I have no reason not to believe you. You have a positive experience and I will take it on board. And my thanks for this.