DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE 6- 25
G210A01A-AAT CHECKING THE BATTERY
WARNING:
Batteries can be dangerous! When working with batteries, carefully ob-serve the following precautions to avoid serious injuries. HTB165
The fluid in the battery contains a strongsolution of sulfuric acid, which is poi- sonous and highly corrosive. Be carefulnot to spill it on yourself or the car. If you do spill battery fluid on yourself, imme- diately do the following:
!
o If battery fluid is on your skin, flush the affected areas with water for at least 15 minutes and then seekmedical assistance.
o If battery fluid is in your eyes, rinse
out your eyes with water and getmedical assistance as soon as pos- sible. While you are being driven to get medical assistance, continue torinse your eyes by using a sponge or soft cloth saturated with water.
o If you swallow battery fluid, drink a large quantity of water or milk fol-lowed by milk of magnesia, eat a raw egg or drink vegetable oil. Getmedical assistance as soon as pos- sible.
While batteries are being charged (ei-ther by a battery charger or by the vehicle's alternator), they produce ex-plosive gases. Always observe these warnings to prevent injuries from oc- curring:
o Charge batteries only in a well ven- tilated area.
o Do not permit flames, sparks or smoking in the area.
o Keep children away from the area.
!
G210B002Y-GAT Checking the Battery Keep the battery clean. Any evidence of corrosion around the battery posts orterminals should be removed using a solution of household baking soda and warm water. After the battery terminalsare dry, cover them with a light coating of grease.
WARNING:
Always read the following instructions carefully whenhandling a battery. Keep lighted cigarettes and all other flames or sparksaway from the battery. Hydrogen, which is a highly combustible gas, is alwayspresent in battery cells and may explode if ignited.