I have a 2006 HHR LS in a 20' shipping container and the car's batteryhas been disconnected for sbpping purposes. How can the tail gate door be opened without breaking the rear window for interior access? The container isn't wide d ought to open the doors.

 

Unfortunately you need to access the vehicle interior, if there is no room to open the doors, knocking out a window may be your only option sadly. A tow truck may be able to drag it out far enough to gain access, a few feet even with the parking brake set and the transmission in gear or park won't do much more than slide the tires. Shipping container floors are steel, so they are "slippery" compared to concrete/asphalt.

When you do gain access, here's a thread that goes through opening the hatch with a dead battery.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...ght=open+hatch

 

I agree with Mike above. Only thing is,breaking the window would be last on my list. Pull it out of the container.Tow truck, pickup with chain, etc. It should slide out fairly easy.

Question: How did it happen this way. I would assume it was either driven or pushed inside and someone was steering. The driver/steerer then had to climb out the back hatch? If so, then you should have known you would have to get back in via the hatch.
Or was it one of those "OH ----!" moments after you unhooked the battery and closed the hatch.

 

Thanks to all I'll probably go with the tow truck solution. For those facing shipping their HHRs, this situation was the result of lack of communication between me and the guys loading the vehicle. Like, oops I forgot to mention the electronic gate release. It's not a well known feature much to my dismay and embarrassment. Thanks again.

 

I am guessing that they did not leave a window down. If only they had then they could open the hood and hook up a jump box to the engine jump post and give power to the car so they could open the gate.

 

I know that would work for a low/dead battery but would that work if the battery was disconnected?

 

I've often wondered why they didn't put a key release on it too.

 

It should. I have done this before on other cars. All you are doing is just moving the power source from one spot to another. There is the concern however of the positive terminal in the back touching any metal if it was left hanging.

 

If they did it right it would be the negative terminal that was left hanging rather than the positive. Not sure how that circuit is set up but if it relies on the ground cable being connected to the battery, it wouldn't work if it wasn't.

 

The ground cable goes straight from the battery to the ground location just next to the battery. There is no extra circuit. The body of the car is the actual ground path for the electrical. That is why when we jump it we connect to the strut bolt. This is actually the prefered method of jump starting most cars.