April wrote: "However, the insulation on the positive cable and all the auxiliary wires coming from the same clamp is just... gone. All the insulation crumbled last year when I replaced the alternator"
You may have the famous lousy wiring insulation problem. The insulation may well be missing elsewhere in the engine compartment too. Check out recall 99M03 -
99M03 recall. It says it only covers through model year 97, but it sounds like you have the same problem.
I had the same symptoms in my car a few years ago - dead battery after a few days, crazy instrument panel and wipers. The dealership disconnected the trunk and hood lamps and the problem went away (they were blaming my sony stereo as well).
Not an elegant solution, but no more dead batteries. Then the A/C stopped working on the car this summer, and once I saw all of the bare wiring, I was amazed the thing hadn't burned to the ground. It is getting the recall.
Good luck!
Jeff
