CLEANING
The following inform ation det ails th e recommen ded
clean ing procedures for the batt ery and r elat ed com-
pon ents. In addition to th e main tena nce schedules
found in this ser vice manua l and the own er’s m an-
ual, it is recommen ded that t hese procedu res be per-
formed any time the battery or related components
must be r emoved for vehicle service.
(1) Clean the bat tery ca ble term ina l clam ps of all
corrosion . Rem ove any corr osion using a wir e brush
or a post and termina l clea nin g tool, a nd a sodiu m
bicar bonat e (bakin g soda) and warm wa ter cleaning
solution (Fig. 1).
(2) Clean the ba tter y t ray and ba tter y h old down
hardwa re of all corrosion. Remove any corrosion
using a wire br ush and a sodium bicarbonat e (ba king
soda ) a nd warm wa ter clean ing solut ion. Paint a ny
exposed bare met al.
(3) If the removed ba tter y is to be r einst alled,
clean the out side of t he battery case an d th e top
cover with a sodium bicarbon ate (bakin g soda) and
warm wat er cleaning solution using a stiff bristle
pa rts clea ning brush to r emove any acid film (Fig. 2).
Rinse th e bat tery wit h clean water. E nsure that th e
clean ing solution does n ot en ter the bat tery cells
through t he vent holes. If the battery is being
repla ced, refer to Bat tery Syst em Specifications for
the factor y-in st alled battery specifications. Con firm
that th e replacement bat tery is th e correct size an d
has the correct r atings for the vehicle.
(4) If th e vehicle is so equipped, clean the battery
ther mal guar d with a sodiu m bica rbonate (baking
soda ) an d warm water clean ing solu tion using a st iff
brist le parts clea nin g brush to rem ove any acid film.
(5) Clean any cor rosion from th e ba tter y term ina l
posts with a wire brush or a post a nd terminal
clean er, and a sodiu m bicarbon ate (baking soda ) and
warm water clean ing solut ion (Fig. 3).
Fig. 1 Clean Battery Cable Terminal Clamp - Typical
1 - TERMINAL BRUSH
2 - BATTERY CABLE
Fig. 2 Clean Battery - Typical
1 - CLEANING BRUSH
2 - WARM WATER AND BAKING SODA SOLUTION
3 - BATTERY
VA BATTERY SYSTEM 8F - 5
To Next Page