1998 Toyota RAV4 Owners Manual - Page 176

-Checking auxiliary battery exterior Ground cable Terminals -Checking auxiliary battery fluid NOTICE z Be sure the traction motor and all accessories are off before performing maintenance. z When checking the battery, remove the ground cable from the negative terminal (" -" mark) first and reinstall it last. There are 2 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. Hold-down clamp z Be careful not to cause a short circuit with tools. z Take 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. 168