92 honda: stereo stolen, now battery dies overnight

I recently had my stereo stolen out of my 92 Honda Accord Ex. I drove
the car the next day but after that next night the battery was dead. I
have jumped the car and after driving a while the battery seems to
charge as I can turn the car off and then back on. However, after
leaving it over night the battery dies. I have repeated the same thing
several times. So, could it just be the battery(4 years old and live
in the mountains), alternator (doesn't seem like it as it recharges),
or a short due to the stereo's removal (although all i see are the main
wire plug and possibly the anteanna plug sitting in the dashboard where
the stereo used to be.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I don't want to pay a
mechanic if it could be something simple (ie: just a new battery )
thanks again


e

 

There is a memory wire that is always hot, to keep the clock and programmed
memory going. This is possibly a pink wire. It should be in the harness
that you see lying there, so it shouldn't be shorted out at that point.

But perhaps the midnight uninstaller didn't unplug the connector, and just
yanked the radio out of the dash. The hot wire may have been pulled
against a sharp edge, and is now leaking some current.
Reach in the radio opening, and move the wire bundle a little. Look for
cuts in the insulation where it goes around some sharp corner.

 

Battery specialty shops will put a 'load tester' on your battery while
you watch. It's a reliable way to know if battery is toast. Have you
checked to see if your terminals are clean and snug? If it spins really
slow, it's usually the battery. If it just makes a snapping 'click'
under the hood, it might be loose / corroded terminals.

'Curly'