[UtaHooligan]

I just got a 2011 Traverse LTZ & am anxious to install some electronic gizmos -- RADAR detector, a
separate GPS (yes, I have the navigation package, but want to hook up my own GPS so I get
altitude info, the hundreds of waypoints already stored, and so I can pop it out of the holder/charger
& use it outside the car), etc. All of the above are low current-draw items & my thought is I can
route power cable to the main electrical terminal in the engine compartment via the firewall, and then
hook up my gadgets to a Powerworks power distribution terminal I'll mount under the dash or inside
the front center hump where the shifter is.

I have experience doing the above sort of thing with older vehicles, and other than trying to find some free space
to mount the items, I'm not anticipating any problems.


HOWEVER, I also have some ham radio gear that will be mounted somewhere around the back of the vehicle, either
under the 3rd-row bench seat or ?? and would like to power that equipment directly from the battery.

I've been told that the car's battery is located somewhere in or under the passenger compartment of the car. The salesman
said it's under the third-row seat, another posting here indicated it's just behind the front passenger seat, but that location
may not have been for a 2011 model.


Where exactly is the battery on a 2011 Traverse LTZ, and what is the easiest way to access it?
If the battery is sealed (to prevent fumes, etc. entering the passenger compartment), is there an
electrical junction/fuse box or other sort of power terminal near the battery that I could easily access?

I'm wanting to hook this gear up to the battery because the radio equipment will be mounted towards the
rear of the vehicle where I believe the battery is & that'll mean less amount of wiring I'd need to hide behind
moldings, etc.

I am very annoyed that the owner's manual doesn't have any info about the battery location or how
to access it!


I'll also be hooking up a couple antennas to the vehicle. If there's another ham radio operator or
anyone else out there with a late-model Traverse that has experience mounting antennas, powering
various electronic devices & routing all the cables so they're out of sight, etc. I'd love to hear from you
& learn from your experience before I start hooking things up.

I paid cash for my Traverse & am just about broke after doing so, so I am NOT anxious to start
hacking-up the vehicle to mount all my radio stuff, but I miss not having all my electronic toys & tools.

 

[bigbluetraverse]

Battery is located behind the passenger front seat. lift up the carpet it's located there.

this thread has pictures

http://www.traverseforum.com/index.php?topic=307.0

 

[AA/78U-Blue Gold]

UtaHooligan

I will just throw this out there; not to discourage but to show what can happen-

A member on the Acadia forum was hardwiring his GPS into the electrical system. After he installed everything; he began having electrical issues. When it was all said and done; he fried a portion of his BCM and paid $500 to have his dealer replace the BCM at his expense.

As I stated; don't take that the wrong way, but the electrical systems on these Lambda's can be picky; good luck and keep us informed :thumb:

 

[UtaHooligan]

Battery is located behind the passenger front seat. lift up the carpet it's located there.

Thank you!!! I can confirm that it is at that location on my 2011 Traverse.

 

[UtaHooligan]

UtaHooligan

I will just throw this out there; not to discourage but to show what can happen-

A member on the Acadia forum was hardwiring his GPS into the electrical system. After he installed everything; he began having electrical issues. When it was all said and done; he fried a portion of his BCM and paid $500 to have his dealer replace the BCM at his expense.

As I stated; don't take that the wrong way, but the electrical systems on these Lambda's can be picky; good luck and keep us informed :thumb:

As someone who just made the technological leap from a 2001 GM product to a 2011 model, the warning is a great reminder to me that I now have to be even more careful about doing something that could introduce electrical transients & 'fry' a component.


But such concern is one reason why I had always planned on powering items either directly from the battery, or directly from the main battery terminals up in the engine compartment, as opposed to just tapping into some existing circuit at a fuse panel or under the dashboard. Nonetheless, I'll cross my fingers... I'd love to know more about how the guy tried to power his GPS in the Arcadia.


GM's Tech Center used to occasionally publish bulletin's for certain specific models of their vehicles, which provided detailed suggestions regarding powering two-way radios & even the best places to mount antennas in order to minimize the risk of the radiated RF energy from interfering with some of the control modules. The last bulletin I came across was back in about 2000, and certainly with the cars having many more electronic control modules all over the place since then, these bulletins are very important to have. I think they were mostly marketed towards two-way radio shops that's install police packages, etc. but they were also very popular for us amateur radio operators.

I'll try digging up one of these old bulletins from my files, then contact the GM Tech Center to see if they're still producing such things. They never made them for each & every model, just some of the models that were popular with fleet sales.

 

[AA/78U-Blue Gold]

I'd love to know more about how the guy tried to power his GPS in the Arcadia.

It's an Acadia and I will look for the thread

Well that didn't take long; here is the thread and a pic of the smoked relay on the BCM; good luck :thumb:

http://www.acadiaforum.net/forum/index.php?topic=8093.0