Battery Maintenance - Chevrolet Sail Diesel Owner's Manual

4. Check the battery terminals for
white or bluish powder which is a
sign of corrosion.
5. Remove any corrosion with a
solution of baking soda and water.
The solution will bubble and turn
brown.
6. When the bubbling stops, wash the
solution off with plain water and
dry the battery with a cloth or paper
towel.
7. Reconnect and tighten the positive
(+) terminal, then the negative (-)
terminal. Always reconnect the
negative terminal (-) last.
8. Coat the terminals with petroleum
jelly to prevent corrosion.
Note
Always reconnect the positive (+)
terminal first; always disconnect the
negative (-) terminal first.
Caution
When reconnecting the cable to the
battery, be careful to ensure the
clamps are fully seated, and then
tighten the retaining bolts so the
clamps will not vibrate loose.
Attach the red cable to the positive
(+) battery terminal and the black
cable to the negative (-) battery
terminal.
Connecting the battery cables to the
wrong terminals can result in injury
and damage to the vehicle and other
property.
Caution
Batteries contain toxic materials.
Used batteries are detrimental to
health and environment
Batteries do not belong in household
waste. They must be disposed off at
an appropriate recycling collection
point.
Vehicle Maintenance 113

Battery Maintenance

To extend the life of your vehicle
battery, do the following:
Keep the battery mounted securely.
—
— Keep the top of the battery clean
and dry.
Keep the terminals and connections
—
clean, tight and coated with
petroleum jelly.
Immediately rinse off any spilt
—
electrolyte using a solution of water
and baking soda.
If the vehicle is not going to be
—
driven for an extended period of
time, disconnect the cable from the
negative (-) terminal of the battery.
— Charge the disconnected battery
every six weeks.
Note
Remove battery from vehicle while
charging & refilling.