TOYOTA TACOMA 1997 Owners Manual

190

Part 7Checking battery conditionÐ ÐPrecautions
191
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
immediately and get immediate
medical attention. If possible, con-
tinue to apply water with a sponge
or cloth while en route to the medi- cal 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 mag-
nesia, beaten raw egg or vegetable
oil. Then go immediately for emer-
gency help.

192
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 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 thebattery 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 havesuch 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

193
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 batteryHydrometer color
ConditionType AType BCondition
GREENBLUEGood
DARKWHITECharging necessary. Have battery checked
by your Toyota dealer.
CLEAR orLIGHT
YELLOWREDAdd distilled water*
*: See ADDING DISTILLED WATERº. Non-maintenance battery
Hydrometer color
ConditionType AType BCondition
GREENBLUEGood
DARKWHITECharging necessary. Have battery checked
by your Toyota dealer.
CLEAR orLIGHT
YELLOWREDHave battery checked
by your Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
Do not refill the battery with water.

194
ADDING DISTILLED WATER (MAINTE-
NANCE TYPE BATTERY ONLY)
1. Remove the vent plugs.
2. Add distilled water to cells needingfluid.
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
charger cables to the battery and
when disconnecting 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

195
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 Part8 of this manual for the functions con-
trolled by each circuit. Type A fuses can be pulled out by usingthe pull-out tool. The location of the pull- out tool is shown in the illustration.
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 CIGº,
RADIOº, DOMEº or A/Cº fuse, whichmay 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.
Checking and replacing fuses

196If 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.
Never use a fuse with a higher
amperage rating, or any other
object, in place of a fuse. This maycause 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.
NOTICE
Only use a bulb or unit of the listed type.
Light Bulbs and
UnitsBulb and Unit No.WType
Headlight unitsH605965/35Ð
Headlight bulbs900360/55D
Parking lights1685B
Front turn signal lights115627A
Rear turn signal lights115627A
Stop and tail lights115727/8A
Back-up lights115627A
License plate lights1943.8B
High mounted stop- light1685B
Adding washer fluid Replacing light bulbs and unitsÐ

197
Light
Bulbs and
Units
Bulb and Unit No.WType
Headlight Interior light Normal cabXtra-cab
Ð Ð5
10C C
Personal lightsÐ5C
Door courtesy lightsÐ3C
Glovebox lightÐ1.4B
A: Single end bulbs
B: Wedge base bulbs C: Double end bulbsD: HB2 halogen bulbs
1. Loosen the parking light unit re-
taining screws and remove the
units unplugging the connectors.2. Open the hood. Release the clipsand remove the radiator grille.
The clips can be released with a flat-
blade screwdriver as shown.
ÐHeadlight units

198
3. Loosen the retainer screws
NOTICE
Never attempt to loosen the headlight aim adjusting screws.
4. Take out the beam unit together with the retainer, unplugging the
connector.
To disconnect the wire connector, com-
press the lock releases. If the connector is tight, wiggle it.5. Install a new beam unit with the single protrusion on the glass face
upward, plugging the connector.
Put the retainer on the unit and
tighten the screws. Install the radia-
tor grille and parking light units.
When aiming adjustment is necessary,
contact your Toyota dealer.

199
1. Open the hood. Unplug the con-nector. Remove the rubber cover.
If the connector is tight, wiggle it.2. Release the bulb retaining spring and remove the bulb. Install a new
bulb and the bulb retaining spring.
To install a bulb, align the tabs of the bulb with the cutouts of the mounting hole.3. Install the rubber cover with the TOPº mark upward and snuggle
on the boss. Then inset the connec-
tor.
Make sure the rubber cover fits snugly on
the connector and the headlight body.
Aiming is not necessary after replacing
the bulb. When aiming adjustment is nec-
essary, contact your Toyota dealer.
ÐHeadlight bulbs