1996 Toyota Land Cruiser Owners Manual - Page 172

-Checking battery exterior NOTICE zBe sure the engine and all accessories are off before performing maintenance. zWhen checking the battery, remove the ground cable from the negative terminal ("-" mark) first and reinstall it last. zBe careful not to cause a short circuit with tools. zTake care no solution gets into the battery when washing it. Check the battery for corroded or loose terminal connections, cracks, or loose hold-down clamp. a. If the battery is corroded, wash it off with a solution of warm water and baking soda. Coat the outside of the terminals with grease to prevent further corrosion. b. If the terminal connections are loose, tighten their clamp nuts-but do not overtighten. c. Tighten the hold-down clamp only enough to keep the battery firmly in place. Overtightening may damage the battery case. -Checking battery fluid There are two types of batteries: maintenance type and non-maintenance type. A non-maintenance battery has "MAINTENANCE FREE BATTERY" on its top. A maintenance type battery does not have such indication. Maintenance type battery- Check the fluid condition by the fluid level lines on the side of the battery. Or if the battery has a hydrometer on its top, you can also check the hydrometer. Non-maintenance battery- Check the battery condition by the hydrometer on the top of the battery. 166