Subject:	Confused about alternator and battery
Question:	I have a 92 eclipse 2.0 non-turbo. I have replaced my bad alternator and bought a new battery but for some reason the car keeps draining the battery. We've had them both tested and they are good. We think there may be a short somewhere in between the two.
Answer:	Tiffany, It definately sounds like you have short somewhere. There are a few simple tests you can do to find out where there short is. If you want to do the tests yourself, you'll need a couple tools. You'll want a service manual; Haynes or Chiltons is good. And you want a voltmeter. The service manual will provide you with all the correct voltages from the battery to the ignition. If you measure the voltage across the battery with the engine turned off, you should read 12V. That'll tell you the battery is good. When you start the engine and measure the voltage across the battery, you should now get a reading of around 14 volts. If you get a reading much lower, you probably do have a short somewhere between your battery and alternator. If you DO get a reading of 14 volts, you'll have to do a lot more searching. I've heard of these problems on many different vehicles. Its not always easy to track down, but once you find it, it'll most likely be a very simple fix. One instance I encountered was with an interior light that was stuck on. It was so dim, no one ever noticed and kept draining the battery. Another instance was with a poorly installed car radio. The Eclipses really didn't come with a good ground when a radio harness was applied, so it would quickly drain the battery. If you don't feel confident in looking for these shorts yourself, find some assistance or take the car to a qualified technician. They may be able to diagnose the problem very quickly with instruments they have. Good luck!