TOYOTA CAMRY 1996 Owners Manual

Part 7
Checking battery conditionÐ
ÐPrecautions
195
DO-IT-YOURSELF
MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-3
Electrical components

Checking battery condition

Battery recharging precautions

Checking and replacing fuses

Adding washer fluid

Replacing light bulbs
BATTERY PRECAUTIONS
The battery produces flammable
and explosive hydrogen gas.

Do not cause a spark from the bat-
tery with tools.

Do not smoke or light a match near
the battery.
The electrolyte contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.

Avoid contact with eyes, skin or
clothes.

Never ingest electrolyte.

Wear protective safety glasses
when working near the battery.

Keep children away from the bat-
tery.
EMERGENCY MEASURES

If electrolyte gets in your eyes,
flush your eyes with clean water
for at least 15 minutes and get im-
mediate medical attention. If pos-
sible, continue to apply water with
a sponge or cloth while en route to
the medical office.CAUTION
!
If electrolyte gets on your skin,
thoroughly wash the contact area.
If you feel pain or burning, get
medical attention immediately.

If electrolyte gets on your clothes,
there is a possibility of its soaking
through to your skin, so immedi-
ately take off the exposed clothing
and follow the procedure above, if
necessary.

If you happen to swallow electro-
lyte, drink a large quantity of water
or milk. Follow with milk of magne-
sia, beaten raw egg or vegetable
oil. Then go immediately for emer-
gency help.
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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 nutsÐbut do not over-
tighten.
c. Tighten the hold-down clamp only
enough to keep the battery firmly in place.
Overtightening may damage the battery
case.
NOTICE
Be sure the engine and all acces-
sories are off before performing
maintenance.
When checking the battery, re-
move the ground cable from the
negative terminal (-º mark) first
and reinstall it last.
Be careful not to cause a short cir-
cuit with tools.
Take care no solution gets into the
battery when washing it.
There are two types of batteries: main-
tenance type and non-maintenance
type.
A non-maintenance battery has MAIN-
TENANCE FREE BATTERYº on its top. A
maintenance type battery does not have
such indication.
Maintenance type batteryÐ
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 batteryÐ
Check the battery condition by the
hydrometer on the top of the battery.
ÐChecking battery exterior ÐChecking battery fluid
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CHECKING BY THE FLUID LEVEL
LINES (MAINTENANCE TYPE BAT-
TERY ONLY)
The fluid (electrolyte) level must be be-
tween the upper and lower lines.
When checking the fluid level, look at all
six cells, not just one or two.
If the level is lower than the lower line, add
distilled water. (See ADDING DIS-
TILLED WATERº.)CHECKING BY THE HYDROMETER
Check the battery condition by the
hydrometer color.
Maintenance type battery
Hydrometer colorConditionType AType BCondition
GREENBLUEGood
DARKWHITECharging necessary.
Have battery checked
by your Toyota dealer.
CLEAR or
LIGHT
YELLOWREDAdd distilled water*
*: See ADDING DISTILLED WATERº.Non-maintenance battery
Hydrometer colorConditionType AType BCondition
GREENBLUEGood
DARKWHITECharging necessary.
Have battery checked
by your Toyota dealer.
CLEAR or
LIGHT
YELLOWREDHave battery checked
by your Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
Do not refill the battery with water.
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ADDING DISTILLED WATER (MAINTE-
NANCE TYPE BATTERY ONLY)
1. Remove the vent plugs.
2. Add distilled water to cells needing
fluid.
If the side of your battery is covered,
check the water level by looking down di-
rectly above the cell as illustrated above.
3. Retighten the vent plugs securely.
NOTICE
Do not overfill the cells. Excess
electrolyte could squirt out of the
battery during heavy charging,
causing corrosion or damage.
During recharging, the battery is pro-
ducing hydrogen gas.
Therefore, before recharging:
1. Maintenance type batteriesÐRemove
the vent plugs.
2. If recharging with the battery installed
on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the
ground cable.
3. Be sure the power switch on the re-
charger is off when connecting the char-
ger cables to the battery and when dis-
connecting them.

Always charge the battery in an
unconfined area. Do not charge
the battery in a garage or closed
room where there is not sufficient
ventilation.

Non-maintenance batteries: Only
do a slow charge (5A or less).
Charging at a quicker rate is dan-
gerous. The battery may explode,
causing personal injuries.
Maintenance type batteries: Be
sure to remove the vent plugs be-
fore recharging.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all
accessories are turned off.
Battery recharging precautions
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199
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work, check the
fuses. If any of the fuses are blown,
they must be replaced.
See Fuse locationsº in Chapter 7-1 for
locations of the fuses.
Turn the ignition switch and inopera-
tive component off. Pull a suspected
fuse straight out and check it.
Determine which fuse may be causing the
problem. The lid of the fuse box shows the
name of the circuit for each fuse. See Part
8 of this manual for the functions con-
trolled by each circuit.
Type A and B fuses can be pulled out by
using the pull-out tool.If you are not sure whether the fuse has
blown, try replacing the suspected fuse
with one that you know is good.
If the fuse has blown, push a new fuse
into the clip.
Only install a fuse with the amperage rat-
ing designated on the fuse box lid.
If you do not have a spare fuse, in an
emergency you can pull out the CIG/RA-
DIOº, DOMEº or A/Cº fuse, which may
be dispensable for normal driving, and
use it if its amperage rating is the same.
If you cannot use one of the same amper-
age, use one that is lower, but as close as
possible to the rating. If the amperage is
lower than that specified, the fuse might
blow out again but this does not indicate
anything wrong. Be sure to get the correct
fuse as soon as possible and return the
substitute to its original clip.
It is a good idea to purchase a set of spare
fuses and keep them in your vehicle for
emergencies.
If the new fuse immediately blows out,
there is a problem with the electrical sys-
tem. Have your Toyota dealer correct it as
soon as possible.
Checking and replacing fuses
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200
Never use a fuse with a higher am-
perage rating, or any other object,
in place of a fuse. This may cause
extensive damage and possibly a
fire.CAUTION
!
If any washer does not work, the wash-
er tank may be empty. Add washer
fluid.
You may use plain water as washer fluid.
However, in cold areas where tempera-
tures range below freezing point, use
washer fluid containing antifreeze. This
product is available at your Toyota dealer
and most auto parts stores. Follow the
manufacturer 's directions for how much
to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
The following illustrations show how to
gain access to the bulbs. When replacing
a bulb, make sure the ignition switch and
light switch are off. Use bulbs with the
wattage ratings given in the table.
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and require special han-
dling. They can burst or shatter if
scratched or dropped. Hold a bulb
only by its plastic or metal case. Do
not touch the glass part of a bulb
with bare hands.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Only use a bulb of the listed type.
Light BulbsBulb No.WType
Headlights (outer)900655A
Headlights (inner)900565B
Parking and front side
marker lights1685D
Front turn signal lights115627C
Rear turn signal lights115627C
Rear side marker lights1685D
Replacing light bulbsÐ
Adding washer fluid
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Light BulbsBulb No.WType
Stop and tail lights115727/
8C
Back-up lights115627C
License plate lights1685D
High mounted stop
light92118D
Interior lightÐ10E
Personal lightÐ10C
Vanity lightsÐ3E
Glovebox lightÐ1.2D
Door courtesy lights3.8D
Trunk lightÐ3.8E
Luggage compartment
lightÐ5E
A: HB4 halogen bulbs
B: HB3 halogen bulbs
C: Single end bulbs
D: Wedge base bulbs
E: Double end bulbs
1. Open the hood. Unplug the connec-
tor while depressing the lock release.
If the connector is tight, wiggle it.2. Turn the bulb and remove it. Install
the new bulb and install the connector.
To install a bulb, align the tabs of the bulb
socket with the cutouts of the mounting
hole.
Aiming is not necessary after replacing
the bulb. When aiming adjustment is nec-
essary, contact your Toyota dealer.
ÐHeadlights
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Use a Phillips-head screwdriver.Use a Phillips-head screwdriver.
ÐParking and front side
marker lights (all models)ÐFront turn signal lights
(all models)
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a: Rear turn signal light
b: Rear side marker light
c: Stop and tail light
ÐRear turn signal, rear side
marker, and stop and tail lights
(sedan and coupe)
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Use a wrench.a: Rear turn signal light
b: Stop and tail light
Remove and install the cover clips as
shown in the following illustrations.
ÐRear turn signal, and stop
and tail lights (wagon)ÐBack-up lights (sedan and
coupe)
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