I said it was a "simple" test...one that was discussed in 9th grade auto shop (in 1977). Is your concern, Herr Doktor, getting a jolt from said test or something more interesting? I've used this test more than once to prove a charging system wasn't working. In those cases, the engine died, proving that the battery was keeping the engine running (a bad thing obviously). The opposite is also true: if removing the battery terminal has no effect, your charging system is "working".

And yes, Ragtop, I totally missed the point about the 13.5 volts...read too quickly. My wife accuses me all the time of not paying attention. I think it's adult attention deficit disorder.

That would certainly imply a working charging system, but the Doctor's advice about measuring from the Alternator is the better test.

I'm leaning towards the high-resistance short which would drain the battery when not in use. I like Ragtop's test to verify this.