Nissan Repair: 95 Maxima Check Enging Light, battery cables, autozone

Question
Yesterday my check engine light came on my 95 Maxima (158k miles).  The battery cables have a bunch of crud buildup on them.  Could it be as simple as cleaning the connection between the cable and the battery?  Any advice you can give on how to fix would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Answer
Rich,

The check engine light means that a malfunction code is stored in memory.  If you disconnect the cables at the battery for a few minutes the code will clear.  But, it is a good idea to clean the terminals on the battery too.  Now, if you want to know what is going on go to Autozone or Checker and they wil read the codes for free.  Or, you could buy a scanner for under $70 bucks and have it to read all cars from 93 to the present.