1997 TOYOTA CAMRY battery

198
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 bak-
ing soda. Coat the outside of the termi-
nals with grease to prevent further cor-
rosion.
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.
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
directly 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
! Battery recharging precautions
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NOTICE
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all
accessories are turned off.
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.
Checking and replacing fuses
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ENGINE LUBRICATION
Oil capacity (drain and refill), L (qt., Imp.
qt.):
5S-FE engine
With filter 3.6 (3.8, 3.2)
Without filter 3.4 (3.6, 3.0)
1MZ-FE engine
With filter 4.7 (5.0, 4.1)
Without filter 4.5 (4.8, 4.0)
Oil grade:
API SH, Energy-Conserving IIº multi-
grade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade
engine oil is recommended.
Recommended oil viscosity (SAE):
Temperature range anticipated before next oil
change.
L70010
COOLING SYSTEM
Total capacity, L (qt., Imp.):
5S-FE engine 6.9 (7.3, 6.1)
1MZ-FE engine 9.1 (9.6, 8.4)
Coolant type:
With ethylene-glycol antifreeze
(Do not use alcohol type.)
BATTERY
Open voltage* at 20 C (68 F):
12.7 V Fully charged
12.3 V Half charged
11.9 V Discharged
*: Voltage that is checked 20 minutes af-
ter the key is removed with all the lights
turned off
Charging rates: 5 A max.CLUTCH
Pedal freeplay, mm (in.):
5'15 (0.2'0.6)
Fluid type:
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 3
MANUAL TRANSAXLE
Oil capacity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
5S-FE engine 2.6 (2.7, 2.3)
1MZ-FE engine 4.2 (4.9, 4.0)
Oil type:
Multipurpose gear oil API GL-4 or GL-5
Recommended oil viscosity:
SAE 75W-90
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
Automatic transmission
Fluid capacity (drain and refill),
L (qt., Imp. qt.):
5S-FE engine Up to 2.5 (2.6, 2.2)
1MZ-FE engineUp to 3.5 (3.7, 3.1)
Fluid type:
Automatic transmission fluid D-II or
DEXRON
[III (DEXRON[II)
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