Battery Inspection

Battery Exterior Inspection

Battery Exterior Inspection
1. Hold-down clamp
2. Ground cable
3. Terminals

Check the battery terminal connections for corrosion, cracks, or loose mounting.

PROCEDURE
1. If corrosion is found, wash the affected area with a solution of baking soda and water. Apply grease to the terminals to prevent further corrosion.
2. Tighten the terminal nuts; do not overtighten.
3. Tighten the battery hold-down clamp; do not overtighten, to avoid damaging the battery case.

* Before servicing the battery, stop the engine and turn off all electrical equipment.

* When inspecting, disconnect the battery ground cable first, and connect it last.

* Be careful not to short-circuit the battery with tools.

* Do not allow cleaning solution to get into the battery.

Electrolyte Level Check
The vehicle is equipped with either serviceable or maintenance-free batteries. The latter are marked at the top (Maintenance Free) and require no maintenance.

On serviceable batteries, the electrolyte level must be between the marks on the battery case.
Check the level in all six cells of the battery. If the level is below the lower mark, add distilled water.
If the battery is equipped with a built-in hydrometer, refer to the hydrometer reading. The battery condition is indicated by the hydrometer color.

Type A (top).
Type B (bottom)

On maintenance-free batteries, the battery state is checked by the built-in hydrometer.

Battery Condition Table for Serviceable (or Maintenance-Free) Batteries

When adding distilled water, do not overfill.

Adding Distilled Water

PROCEDURE
1. Remove the caps.
2. Add distilled water to the cells in which the level is low.

3. If the battery case is opaque, the meniscus surface must be at the edge of the cell filler neck (to check, look from above as shown in the illustration: left – low level, right – normal).

Charging the Battery
GENERAL INFORMATION
Hydrogen, which is explosive, is released when the battery is charged. Therefore, before charging:
– remove the caps (on serviceable batteries);
– disconnect the ground cable (if the battery is being charged in the vehicle);
– disconnect the charger from the power supply before connecting to or disconnecting from the battery.

Safety Precautions

Charge the battery in a well-ventilated area.
The maximum charging current must not exceed 5 A to prevent explosion.