Well unfortunately it's a rare occurrence, and there are no guarantees that reversing the polarity accidentally on an HHR will always damage "Components A, B, C, D, Etc".

And a car can run on only the alternator output, or only on battery voltage, but both need to function properly to charge the battery and provide consistent and stable voltage to the electrical system.

Things are called accidents for a reason, just keep us in the loop as repairs are made.

There is the main maxi-fuse (50 amp, I think) back by the battery next to the ground lug. You could be lucky and just blew it. But, I think you said you checked all the fuses.

checked the wiring and basically the battery and generator meet at the starter. there are 2 wires that run into the ecm off the generator. orange controlling the turn on signal; grey duty cycle signal. ecm controls other functions which do work.

checked generator and its giving off no voltage, 12volts at the distribution box comes from the battery

new generator comes monday. the other post had a new generator installed and still it didnt charge the system although not confirmed. not sure if the orange wire sends or receives. update monday when generator is put in

Check your PM, help may be available.

alternator is very expensive. $4-500. u need to move the wiper fluid res to remove the alt from the engine compartment. coming up from the bottom with a bar and bottle jack to release the belt tensioner.

voltage of the old alt was 0, off the new one is only around 6v. to me suggests a ground issue. looks like a trip to the stealership.

Are you checking the voltage at the big wire battery connection on the back of the alt? If so you should see battery voltage there with the car not running and then above battery voltage when it is running. If the alt. is working.

no voltage at the back of the alt when car is off. alt puts out 6volts when car is running.
the ecm has 2 wires one monitors duty cycle. the other turns on the alt load. guessing the ecm driver for the turn on alternator is not functioning.

what would cause the positive from the battery to alternator to have no reading. they meet at the starter

I'll say it one more time: "Well, my advice is the same as to the op in the other thread - take it to a shop that is well versed in electric repairs. As in the other thread, it is way to complex to diagnose over the internet. You could have 1 problem, but then again you could have 10 items that need repairs. In attempting to resolve it here or by yourself you risk further damage/expense.

I'm not saying this to be mean or anything, but to really drive home the fact that it really needs to be addressed hands-on by a professional - ......if one cannot connect a battery correctly (pos to pos, and neg to neg), they really should not be attempting repairs like this either here on a forum, or by themselves. I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but it really isn't meant to be. "

maybe someone has had the same issue and had a resolution.the forum is about sharing info and experience. thats why i keep bumping so someone might see. i have no expectations.

i dont mean to be harsh but u offer neither. basically i need a scanner to progress. if time wasnt the issue the manual outlines trouble shooting which is what a tech will reference.

even my girlfriend can suggest to take it in to a shop.

my guess is ecm, bcm, battery current sensor. they all communicate with each other and the ecm tells the alternator to fire up. this post is to help the next guy looking for an answer. telling someone to take it to a shop is their decision and not the reason a forum exists

My experience with these issues indicate a OBD II scanner is required to pinpoint the issues with your HHR. Your guesses are precise, but not conclusive!