Last year I noticed a lot of corrosion on the positive battery fused link bundle, so I doused the entire block with baking soda and warm water, then scrubbed lightly with a toothbrush. The cluster is taped together and I'm wondering if I should cut the tape and do a more thorough cleaning of all the connections. A bit worried that I might damage some of them if the corrosion has eaten away at the wiring.
I suspect that there is also a parasitic drain on the battery, as when left sitting for a week or two, the battery has always gone dead. If I disconnect the negative wire, it's fine. I can't find any obvious things like a light left on somewhere. I've read that sometimes the diodes in the alternator go bad, and that might be the cause of the drain. But the vehicle only has about 80k miles on it. Unless the fact that it's 20 years old might also figure into the equation. I've tested the battery with my multimeter, and when fully charged it's reading 12.3v. With the engine running, it's reading 14.4. The battery is only a few years old, and this problem existed even when it was brand new.
