This thread is ultimately about “general HHR” issues so that’s where I posted it. Hope I was right. If not, move me mod, move me.


I was reading in the audio/video section, trying to educate myself about upgrading my base unit when I ran across ng8650’s thread “Install Tips I for the HHR”.

Toward the end of his first post he mentions that he “noticed that the negative battery cable was bolted to the HHR frame on a painted metal bracket”

I had a couple of thoughts.

Thought 1:
Here’s my experience with a bad ground wire. About 20 years ago I had a ‘73 Porche 914, you know, the one with the volkswagen engine, the “poor mans Porche”. (p.s. It had been paintetd all black, instead of one of the obnoxious colors it originally came in.)

One day I was driving it and it just stopped running, while my foot was still on the pedal. I coasted over to the side of the road, got out and checked for splits in the vaccum hoses (since it was so old some of the hoses were cracked and I had had previous problems with the hoses) I could find nothing. Long story short it eventually started. This happened a couple more times. I took it into a shop that specialized in electrical problems and they couldn’t “re-create” the problem. The kept it for a while before they gave up.

I finally decided I would just start at one end and check every single connection I could. I finally took up the console cover between the seats and noticed a small ground wire that was attached to some bolt in the console. I wiggled it and it felt like the wire was broken at the connector. I cut the wire off, got another connector crimped the connector down on the wire, re-connected it to the bolt and I Never had that problem again.

I know nothing about wiring, I mean n o t h i n g. I was extremely lucky.

I do remember how it happened though. One night I was having way too much fun with a couple of friends and we packed 3 of us into the 2 seats, with my friends gf in the middle, sitting on the console) Looking back on it, it was a “duh” moment.

My POINT: Does anyone else think that ng8650’s discovery about the negative battery cable being connected to a painted metal bracket be declared an important post, i.e. one that should be availabe to everyone. (I dont’t know the board lingo) It seems like some potential problems could be easily elimiated, as ng8650 did by sanding/grinding the paint off of the bracket.

Thought 2:
As I said I don’t know much about the electrical parts of a car. My second thought was, What happens if I disconnect the battery? Does it screw up the car computer in any way. Does it make a difference which I disconnect first (pos/neg)?

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

 

On thought #2: the computer "resets" when the battery is disconnected.
No problems there.

 

Nice idea with the removing the paint.
when i did my audio speaker and amp install, i rubbed it down to get a better ground and just did not think about it and problems.

i may recheck it.

worst thing you have to do when u unhook the battery is you get a long start the first time and you have to reset all the bass, mid and treble levels on the AM, FM, CD, Ipod hook up and XM. that is the only pain i noticed.

oh and if you screw something up on a fuse for the audio part, the fuse box is on the waterfall on the passenger side kind of up once you remove the lower panel.

Thanks Mike again

 

Thanks Mike,

I'm working on a list for you.

First though I really, really need to replace the base audio unit.

After that I'll give socalhhrs.com a call.

 

Thansk cj, for the headsup on the long start and audio stuff. I pulled the panel on the waterfall last night, just checking fuses. On the battery ground my thinking in general it might be a good idea, if nothing else just to eleminate a variable.

Rick

 

I noticed the same thing while installing my amp. The ground to the metal bracket was thin and flimly. In fact the bracket flexed quite a bit while bolting/unbloting, makes me wonder how long it will be until I'll need a better grounding point.