I drive a 93 Accord with 250k+ miles on it, and although the car runs strong i have an electric drain somewhere that i cant find! Changed the alternator, power steering pump, starter, both belts and battery! But everytime i go to turn my car on it struggles to crank! Once it does and i switch on the headlights, everything else dims and the radio sometimes cuts out! My fuses under the hood are all good! Tried to have the local parts store run the test but there doesn't seem to be a hook up for their machine! Can anybody help?

 

Disconnect the battery, then clean all ends of both battery cables. I use a wire brush or sandpaper to clean all the eyelets and bolts. A dremel tool will work too. Also do the same for the big alternator connection while you have the battery disconnected

The next test would involve a volt meter. What is your battery voltage with the car shut off? What is the voltage with the engine running?

The next step is a voltage drop test. Start with the meter connected to the + battery post, then the other meter lead on the + to the fuse box. With the engine running a perfect cable will have 0 volts. You can do this test on the + post to the starter, but you have to do this while cranking the engine. Also from the - battery post to the - ground.