Stingray Corvette Forum banner
Cancel

Under hood charging points

58195 Views 68 Replies 27 Participants Last post by  jsvette, 
Chip
Just in case you need to jump start your car or want to hook up your battery float charger in the front of your car.
Positive terminal cover piece Auto part Engine


Positive terminal w/ cover removed Auto part Vehicle Automotive exterior Car Engine


One of several good available ground connections Auto part Vehicle Engine Automobile pedal Car
See less See more
3
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 5
1 - 20 of 69 Posts
G
Good stuff...it's stuff like this and other things that makes me realize the owner's manual was really a rush job and should be done over.
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 4
Corv1963
It is difficult to flip the cover. I found if you try to slide it rearward while pulling up that it opens better.
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 4
Tom0021
This is great information Chip as well as timely for me. I should be picking up my car and have it about a week before I have to be gone for 10 or so days. I am not planning on buying anything for the car until after I get it. So this is perfect as it lets me know I can use my current battery tender that I keep on the S2000 as I was wondering if there was a hook up under the hood. Thanks for the link into this thread.
Reply
Save
Like
Jerry U
glen e said:
Good stuff...it's stuff like this and other things that makes me realize the owner's manual was really a rush job and should be done over.
Click to expand...
I agree, if Chevy wants these locatins to be used they should show them in the manual!
I had questioned if this was the correct terminal since it is not shown in the owner’s manual. In fact the only owner's manual statement is on page 1-20; “Access to the battery is not necessary for jump starting. There are remote positive (+) and negative (−) terminals under the hood for this purpose.” However the only discussion of how to jump start is on pages 10-65 to 10-68 with sketches. It only discusses using the rear battery posts and does not mention or show any sketches about jump starting from the front of the car.
Every other car I have owned with a rear or under seat mounted battery has easy access terminal covers and large posts marked properly under the hood. In addition, I used a much larger wire when I wired my street rod (a ’34 Ford sedan with a big block Chevy) from a far rear mounted battery to the starter. The wire powering the C7 front fuse panel is not nearly as large as what I used for that current (can be up to 250 amps) and that distance. However Chevy reps that monitor forum comments, said in a private message, their “contacts” said the statements in the manual were correct but they would not define the underhood locations!
I looked at the 2013 Z06 manual knowing it also had a rear mounted battery. It clearly shows the positive terminal, in sketch form, is the connection to the front fuse panel as Chip notes. For the ground connection they recommend and show a sketch of using an engine bolt head under the cylinder head! Looks a bit Mickey Mouse to me! Chips suggestion for a ground is better. His comment for a location to connect a battery charger is also a good idea.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
P
Great to see there is a location to attach the battery charger, curb sensor and powered hinding license plate. Now i just need my car to install it into.

Thanks Jim
Reply
Save
Like
thedofuss
Jerry U said:
I agree, if Chevy wants these locatins to be used they should show them in the manual!
I had questioned if this was the correct terminal since it is not shown in the owner’s manual. In fact the only owner's manual statement is on page 1-20; “Access to the battery is not necessary for jump starting. There are remote positive (+) and negative (−) terminals under the hood for this purpose.” However the only discussion of how to jump start is on pages 10-65 to 10-68 with sketches. It only discusses using the rear battery posts and does not mention or show any sketches about jump starting from the front of the car.
Every other car I have owned with a rear or under seat mounted battery has easy access terminal covers and large posts marked properly under the hood. In addition, I used a much larger wire when I wired my street rod (a ’34 Ford sedan with a big block Chevy) from a far rear mounted battery to the starter. The wire powering the C7 front fuse panel is not nearly as large as what I used for that current (can be up to 250 amps) and that distance. However Chevy reps that monitor forum comments, said in a private message, their “contacts” said the statements in the manual were correct but they would not define the underhood locations!
I looked at the 2013 Z06 manual knowing it also had a rear mounted battery. It clearly shows the positive terminal, in sketch form, is the connection to the front fuse panel as Chip notes. For the ground connection they recommend and show a sketch of using an engine bolt head under the cylinder head! Looks a bit Mickey Mouse to me! Chips suggestion for a ground is better. His comment for a location to connect a battery charger is also a good idea.
Click to expand...
a good manual for the money!
Reply
Save
Like
Oldfalguy
Thank you Chip-I would really like to find a red cross that I would stick real well on top of the positive cover.
Reply
Save
Like
dwward
glen e said:
Good stuff...it's stuff like this and other things that makes me realize the owner's manual was really a rush job and should be done over.
Click to expand...
The owners manual should be a work always in progress. GM can be forgiven in C7, year 1, having a less than complete owners manual, but no excuse for that not having been corrected by 2015.
Reply
Save
Like
Norm
Good info, thanks! :cool:
Reply
Save
Like
one of a kind
I don't see that terminal or cover on my 14, any one know where it is?…I found a small cover on the engine side, however there does not appear to have a positive ground connection.
Reply
Save
Like
TNSQUIRE
one of a kind said:
I don't see that terminal or cover on my 14, any one know where it is?…I found a small cover on the engine side, however there does not appear to have a positive ground connection.
Click to expand...
The fuse box is on the passenger side. Look to the rear of the box and you will see a small plastic piece. Snap that open and the terminal is under it.
Reply
Save
Like
Chip
Glad it is helpful, but who will be the first to create some suitable + & - indications (hand painted or decals) for these locations? I would love to see a small lightning bolt shown as the positive indicator. ;) If you do decide to customize it be sure to take some pictures of your finished work.
Reply
Save
Like
Jerry U
Chip said:
Glad it is helpful, but who will be the first to create some suitable + & - indications (hand painted or decals) for these locations? I would love to see a small lightning bolt shown as the positive indicator. ;) If you do decide to customize it be sure to take some pictures of your finished work.
Click to expand...
I’ve changed my opinion from my Post # 5 in this Thread with the advent of the 2015 owner’s manual! I have questioned the size of the wire supplying power to the front fuse panel being capable of delivering several hundred amps for the starter by first going all the way to the rear. I defined the required wire size to handle starter current and used a much larger wire in my ’34 sedan street rod that has the battery in the far right rear, about the same distance as in the C7.
The 2014 Owner’s Manual had a reference to an under hood jump starting location in the front introduction section but nothing in the section that referred to Jump Starting. Only the battery was mentioned as appropriate in that section. I asked the Chevy folks monitoring the forum about the official location and they could not get an answer to where the points are from their "sources” as they quoted in their responses. Now I note that the 2015 owner’s manual says nothing about an under hood jump start location in the front of the manual or in the rear section on Jump Starting! It only mentiones using the battery!
In addition, removing that plastic post cover is also not easy and you would have to be careful not to short jumper cables to a ground. It is also NOT the location I mistakenly mentioned in my post #5 that was referenced for the older Z06! That was shown under the fuse panel cover. Have looked under my 2014 cover and no such terminal!
It is a great location to install a wire to get power for an accessory or to connect a battery charging plug wire but to transmit several hundred amps for a jump start??? Would like GM to confirm that this location is acceptable before i would use it; which appears unlikely they will! My Service Manual is on order, let’s see what it shows!
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
mjw930
Jerry, I don't think there's much for GM to say, the manual spells it out quite clearly, to Jump Start the vehicle you must connect the jumper cables to the battery itself. They dedicate 3 pages in the manual to Jump Starting. The "In Brief" section of the 2014 manual that states you don't need to go to the battery to Jump Start was removed in the 2015 manual.
Reply
Save
Like
Jerry U
mjw930 said:
Jerry, I don't think there's much for GM to say, the manual spells it out quite clearly, to Jump Start the vehicle you must connect the jumper cables to the battery itself. They dedicate 3 pages in the manual to Jump Starting. The "In Brief" section of the 2014 manual that states you don't need to go to the battery to Jump Start was removed in the 2015 manual.
Click to expand...
I agree Mark. However I got caught up in where folks said it was when the Chevy Customer service folks, when I asked if the statement in the front of the 2014 manual was correct, came back and said the manual was correct! Then when I asked them to define where it was, they could not get an answer from their “sources” as they refer to them! They tried twice. Can’t blame them as they can only relay what info they are given.
I agree with your comments, it appears the front section of the 2014 manual was incorrect and I don't expect GM to admit something was wrong!
Reply
Save
Like
jsvette
Charging and jump starting have very different amperage requirements. As noted earlier in this thread there are 'under the hood' locations for charging, but it still remains that the easiest is the accessory outlet in the right rear of the trunk of our Stingrays designed specifically for charging. And directly under that area is the access to the battery terminals which remain the safest and surest method for jump starting our cars if necessary. As a reminder for 'newbies' here, if your Stingray is totally without power and locked you have a manual (physical) key as part of your key fob that will allow you to open the trunk (the key hole is to the right of the license plate lights). This will provide you the necessary access to your battery for jump starting or the accessory outlet for charging.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Chip
I have never felt that jumping any vehicle using both terminals of the dead battery to be safe. My experience has been that the safest way to jump start a car is to use only the positive terminal on the battery and a good ground point other than the negative battery terminal.(on the dead battery) Buy using this method there will be no way for a spark to ignite any hydrogen gas possibly coming from the dead battery.
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
jsvette
Here are GM's specific instructions for our Stingrays, consistent with my post #17 this thread: Text Font
Text Diagram Font Technology
Text Font
See less See more
3
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Oldfalguy
How big of a hassle is it to get to the pos/neg terminals on the rear battery?
If the right battery cable was available/produced is it at all possible to clamp onto a good battery and just plug into the rear cigarette lighter style receptacle?
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 69 Posts
Stingray Corvette Forum
We’re a forum community dedicated the Corvette Stingray. Come join the discussion on performance modifications, accessories, purchasing, maintenance and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
General Discussion Photos/Videos/Colors Corvette Accessories/Visual Modifications Introductions & Owners’ Corner Major Stingray News
Top