[ChevLoRay]

First things, first.

Disconnect the battery. Clean the battery top, using a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and water. DO NOT ALLOW ANY OF THE MIXTURE TO GET INTO THE CELLS....i.e., don't take the caps off of the battery. Rinse off the water/soda from the battery. This step will neutralize any battery acid that may have boiled out of the battery, onto the battery case and down onto the tray.

Remove the caps and check each cell for electrolyte level. Use distilled water to replenish any that are low. Do NOT fill the cells up, just make sure there is electrolyte covering the plates.

Clean the terminals...posts, whatever you have. Use a wire brush that is designed to get them clean. Clean the ends of the cables. Charge the battery, completely. You should have 12.2-13.8V, if it is fully charged, but a hydrometer will show you how much each cell is charged by checking the specific gravity of each cell. A hydrometer will tell you what is acceptable.

Reinstall the cables....positive first, then the negative. If it is dark when you do and you see a spark as you connnect the second cable, then something is drawing voltage from the battery. At that point, you'd have to start figuring out what it is. Pull ONE fuse from anything to help you learn. You'll have to keep disconnecting and reconnecting the second cable as you pull and reinstall the fuses. Yeah, it's a pain, but you gotta know, right?

If you've done all of the fuses/cables and don't have a draw on your battery, you can move on to the components. All you'd have left is the alternator and the regulator. Some places can check them with them installed and tell you good or bad.

Make sure the alternator belt is properly tightened. As the alternator is "loaded", it creates a resistance to being turned by the belt. The belt could be just barely loose, and not squeal, but still not be turning the alterntor pulley as much as it is possible. Make sure you have a good belt, too.