How can you jumpstart an HHR?
03-13-2010, 08:10 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-15-2010
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 1,706
How can you jumpstart an HHR?
Lately, its been so foggy where I live that I've been manually turning on my low-beam headlights often because that's the law here in WI. The only problem is that I always forget to turn them off, and then the battery goes dead on me. Lately, I've been jump starting it by connecting the jumper cables to the battery in the back. But it takes a lot to get to the battery in the back. You have to take out the floor/storage rack, and the cover underneath it above the spare tire. Does anybody know if there's any way to jump start the HHR from under the hood? I hardly know anything about cars, so forgive me if this sounds ridiculous: I was wondering if you could jump start it by connecting the jumper cables to that one thing under the hood with all the fuses that kinda looks similar to the battery, I noticed it had two bolts/ends like a battery. Does anyone know?
03-13-2010, 08:42 PM
#2
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Join Date: 11-15-2008
Location: Newburgh, NY
Posts: 1,599
The owner's manual covers this. Mine's an '08, so the '08 manual has it on Pp 5-39. Their reference to the negative ground terminal is actually one of the bolts on the shock absorber tower. You will see a gnd symbol near the stud. The positive is pretty straight forward and is located in the place that you mentioned. Below is an excerpt out of the manual:
driver’s side of the vehicle.
The remote positive
terminal is located under
a red tethered cap on
the engine compartment
fuse block. Remove
the cap to access the
terminal.
Do not remove fuse block cover to jump start
the vehicle.
The remote negative (
terminal is located under
a red tethered cap on
the engine compartment
fuse block. Remove
the cap to access the
terminal.
Do not remove fuse block cover to jump start
the vehicle.
The remote negative (
−)
ground terminal, marked
GND (−), is located at
the front of the engine
compartment on the
ground terminal, marked
GND (−), is located at
the front of the engine
compartment on the
driver’s side of the vehicle.
03-13-2010, 09:08 PM
#3
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Join Date: 01-20-2010
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 202
Depending upon model year, make sure you connect the cables per the 2007 or later jumping procedure with images (I'll search Techlink and find the article). Improper attachment of the jumper cables can result in a damaged TCM on automatics as the TCM case looks like a good ground point on early built HHR's (believe built before 2007).
03-14-2010, 12:03 AM
#5
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
Just curious.....
Doesn't your car sound a "chime" when you turn the key off AND the lights are on??
Jumping from under the hood is pretty straight forward, as mentioned by others. Just DO NOT CONFUSE THE 2 TERMINALS ON THE FUSE BOX. The one MOST FORWARD IS THE ONLY ONE TO USE FOR THE POSITIVE CONNECTION. The negative is connnected, as stated, to the marked nut housing on the drivers side strut.
Doesn't your car sound a "chime" when you turn the key off AND the lights are on??
Jumping from under the hood is pretty straight forward, as mentioned by others. Just DO NOT CONFUSE THE 2 TERMINALS ON THE FUSE BOX. The one MOST FORWARD IS THE ONLY ONE TO USE FOR THE POSITIVE CONNECTION. The negative is connnected, as stated, to the marked nut housing on the drivers side strut.
03-14-2010, 01:23 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-15-2010
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 1,706
Just curious.....
Doesn't your car sound a "chime" when you turn the key off AND the lights are on??
Jumping from under the hood is pretty straight forward, as mentioned by others. Just DO NOT CONFUSE THE 2 TERMINALS ON THE FUSE BOX. The one MOST FORWARD IS THE ONLY ONE TO USE FOR THE POSITIVE CONNECTION. The negative is connnected, as stated, to the marked nut housing on the drivers side strut.
Doesn't your car sound a "chime" when you turn the key off AND the lights are on??
Jumping from under the hood is pretty straight forward, as mentioned by others. Just DO NOT CONFUSE THE 2 TERMINALS ON THE FUSE BOX. The one MOST FORWARD IS THE ONLY ONE TO USE FOR THE POSITIVE CONNECTION. The negative is connnected, as stated, to the marked nut housing on the drivers side strut.
03-14-2010, 10:21 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-11-2007
Location: Palm Bay, Florida
Posts: 1,378
My LT1 came with automatic setting for lights. They come on and off according to what the sensor says. My cousin drove the car and turne the lights to manual and it took me a while to figure out why the weren't working.
