I've looked around and can't find the info I need.

I'm having problems with my battery going dead, not the issue in this post, and when I try to jump it, the ground GM says to use doesn't make it very easy to get a good connection.

Where would be a better place to hook the ground wire of the cables under the hood? BTW, a pic would be great!

Thanks all.

 

bump

 

The one time I had to jump mine I grounded to the engine itself. It started right up with that. I don't even know where GM says to ground to I just used that.

 

When I first attempted to install my air horns, I tapped power for my relay from the power steering terminal on the fuse block under the hood, and used the shock tower bolt for the ground. This is the same spot that the factory sticker identifies as the location to use when boosting the car. Needless to say, for months I had an intermittant horn. I finally found the problem-the ground was not good. I ran a ground strap from a different shock tower bolt to the engine block and the problem was solved. Then, I checked the other side and found that it needed a separate ground strap. One would think that both shocktowers would be connected by the unibody, but apparantly they weren't.

From all of the posts I have read here, the HHR is notorious for having a ground problem. I will take some photos of my ground strap and post them later.

 

Learn something new every day. I didn't know the shock tower bolt was designed to be a ground. On the wifes New Beetle the book says to ground to the engine and not the battery. Her first one had major electrical issues and died like every other day even in mid summer. Found out to late we ended up with a lemon. Oh well, that's where I learned that ground from.

 

Stick.......

I think most, if not all, battery connection instructions indicate NOT to connect directly to the battery. The chance of a spark and possible explosion exists. So it's a matter of safety concern, I believe.

Lee....

I'm not sure, but I believe each strut tower MAY be isolated from each other, because of the rubber bushings/content in the make-up of each component.

 

You are probably right, just as a kid I would just hook both positive and negative to both batteries and go from there. Never was even told about a possibility of explosion. Funny how as society gets older there are more and more things to watch out for.

 

yep