Electrical System Preventive Maintenance
– 186 – Y53-6008
Medium Duty (R10/06)
WARNING! Do not allow battery fluid to contact
eyes, skin, fabrics, or painted surfaces. Always
wear eye protection. Battery acid that may spill
during charging should be washed off with a
solution of warm water and baking soda to neu-
tralize the acid. If you accidentally get acid in
your eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse
with cold water for several minutes and call a
doctor.
• Be careful that metal tools (or any metal in contact
with the positive terminal) do not contact the posi-
tive battery terminal and any other metal on the vehi-
cle at the same time. Remove metal jewelry and
avoid leaning over the battery.
• If metal jewelry or other metal comes in contact with
electrical circuits, a short circuit may occur causing
you to be injured, as well as electrical system failure
and damage to the vehicle.
• Do not try to jump start or charge a frozen battery.
(Even a battery with ice particles on the electrolyte
surface is dangerous.) Allow it to thaw out first. And
always allow the battery to thaw gradually—do not
apply direct heat. Gas trapped in the ice may cause
an explosion.
To Jump Start Your Vehicle
WARNING! The voltage of the booster battery
must have a 12–volt rating. And the capacity of
the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the discharged battery. Use of batteries of dif-
ferent voltage or substantially different capacity
rating may cause an explosion and serious per-
sonal injury.
CAUTION: Applying a higher voltage booster
battery will cause expensive damage to sensi-
tive electronic components, such as relays, and
the radio.
• Improper hook-up of jumper cables or not following
these procedures can damage the alternator or
cause serious damage to both vehicles.
WARNING! To avoid serious personal injury and
damage to the vehicle, heed all warnings and
instructions of the jumper cable manufacturer.
• The jumper cables must be long enough so that the
vehicles do not touch.
If either battery has vent caps, remove them and check the
fluid level. If it is OK, replace the caps before going further. If
the level is low, add distilled water and replace the caps
