Battery Draining When Car is Off

[RMARIANI]

My '89 GT was in storage for about 3 years. I've recently put in a low mileage, stock 5.0 just to drive it around. I've also done the rear, brakes and suspension. Engine and tranny will be next and finally paint probably next spring.

After I put in the new/used engine, I noticed my battery would drain with the car sitting for a week or so. I figured it was the old alternator so I replaced it and installed a new Optima red top. I drove the car about two weeks ago and it was fine. I went to start it yesterday and the battery was DEAD. Now I'm hoping its something simple like my vanity mirror lights staying on. I charged the battery last night and I'll check the lights later today. But if not (and I realize this is an impossible problem to diagnose on a message board) do any of you have any ideas of what might be causing the drain. I also think that my old alarm system might be a problem. I want to take it to an alarm shop and have it removed.

[HotRoddin]

Turn everything off, pull the neg. batt cable and put an amp meter between the neg. batt terminal and the neg batt. cable clamp. It shouldn't read more than a few milliamps, just enough for a clock and/or the channel memory for your radio. If it's reading like 2 or 3 hundred milliamps then you have some kind of a drain, and you'll just have to disconnect one thing at a time until you find what it is.
Thats my 2 cents worth

Rod

[RMARIANI]

Thanks, HotRoddin. Could you (or anyone else) recommend some type of list or order of things I should be disconnecting to check for the source of the drain.

Also, does anyone know if an Optima Red Top needs to be charged in a special way? I had it hooked up to a 2 amp charger the other night for a few hours and it wouldn't even turn the engine over.

[GhettoPop]

although hard to diagnose like this, i would strongly suggest disconnecting the old alarm as a first stem. just look for the non-stock looking wires, make sure they run to the alarm. you should be able to cut them and tape them up. if this is over your head have a shop do it, but i think this may be your problem

[~The Jester~]

Originally Posted by GhettoPop

although hard to diagnose like this, i would strongly suggest disconnecting the old alarm as a first stem. just look for the non-stock looking wires, make sure they run to the alarm. you should be able to cut them and tape them up. if this is over your head have a shop do it, but i think this may be your problem

YEP! What the Ghetto brutha said! D/C the alarm first, then see what happens. Checking the amperage between the cable and battery will tell you when you found it, just like HotRoddin said. That'll immediately tell you when you've found the problem, as opposed to waiting to see if the battery drains.

If the alarm isn't the problem, start with the most likely stuff. Vanity lights, glove box light, dome light, etc etc. I'm gonna go find a post on my website (www.knights-rule.com) There was an excellent thread on this same problem. Be right back!

[~The Jester~]

Here's the thread:

http://www.knights-rule.com/cgi/ikon...=ST;f=13;t=499

[Rev]

Actually, you can just use a test light. With everything off, there should not be any current flowing from the + battery post to the cable (alarm, clock, etc. disconnected and doors shut). If there is, then you may have a short somewhere. If that's the case, then just check one connection to the + battery one at a time to see which circuit is drawing amps ( lights the test lamp). Then at least you know which circuit is shorted or drawing amps. Trace it down from there.

Rev