I'm almost sure it's the alternator or a bad connection somewhere, but my battery has corrosion on the positive terminal and on one of the sides. This is the third time I've replaced the battery within the last 2 years. The most recent battery is only a few months old. Does my conclusion sound correct? Any other possibilities?

 

Why don't you just clean off the corrosion? Just some baking soda and water mixed into like a toothpaste like consistancy. Spread it onto the terminal with like a tooth brush and then use a wire brush to remove. You can also get a spray from any autoparts store to help prevent buildup.

 

I would go to auto zone or advance aut parts and have the test your battery and alternator. How do you know your battery is weak? Also the auto parts store sell these to prevent corrosion.

 

You should check the charging rate of the alternator after you clean up the battery; should be 14.25 volts.

 

Battery replaced and positive connector replaced due to corrosion. They thing that the corrosion from the last battery affected the connector which caused the issue this time.

edit: they checked the alternator and it was working properly.

Without thinking, I drove to get my inspection done right afterwards. Obviously, since the battery had been reset and didn't have enough drive time, I didn't pass inspection. So how much driving do I need to do for it to show up properly?