battery issue/alarm system?

[blueslady]

I have something posted about my battery draining.....I did have an alarm system installed a couple years ago. I heard there is a master relay switch in the alarm system. But where do i look for it? Could that cause the battery to drain? I just went out and started it, and when i turned the key, i noticed it was at 8.9 amps. It did start without hesitation..... Vettes are some compact inside, my hubby is tall, and has a hard time even sitting in it. Lol. What is this about a light bulb to find out if there is a drain? And what tool do i need to buy to detect the drain?? Does the taking out the fuses really work in detecting a drain??\ Thanks Blueslady

[mga]

i find it hard to believe that a relay would be causing the problem. however, did this problem occur after the alarm system was installed? if so, take it back to the installer.

there may be a short somewhere. normally, aftermarket alarm system relays are located under the dash. try pulling the fuse for the alarm system and see if that does, in fact, drain the battery. if the battery is still dead, then it's another issue. pulling fuses may help in diagnosing the problem, tho it may take a while because you have to pull one fuse at a time and wait for results. a voltage meter comes in handy for this.

electrical issues are hard to diagnose on-line. so, again, did this problem happen after the alarm system was installed or before?

when i need to work under the dash for a long time, i find it easier just to remove the seat(s)...i'm not that tall, but at my age i'm not as agile as i used to be....lol

[ponchonutty]

Well, when I have people asking the same question at my shop, I've never found an alarm to be the blame! The one time I found a remote start to blame but that was because of a bad install and not the actual unit.

Yes, carefully you can use a heavy duty test light to check this. You will have to turn off absolutely everything including the domelights. Then, unhook the battery and install the light inbetween the cable and battery. If it lights up, you have draw. Start pulling fuses one by one to see if it goes out. If it doesn't light up, you have something else going on.

Also, how old is the battery now? Ever had it checked or anything else like the battery cables or altinator? Many GM altinators like to overcharge batteries which leads to a short life. Anything around 13-15 volts is normal. Anything above or below that isn't.

[mga]

good info, ponchonutty.

i'm working on a ford plow for a friend to get it ready for winter work. it kept draining the battery. took the negative cable off, jumped that with a test light and after removing every fuse the light would stay on. we eventually traced it to a bad alternator.

[Catman64]

I thought I had a battery drain issue with my '87. Sometimes it would start, sometimes wouldn't even turn over.Finally followed some advice and had the battery checked. The test showed a bad battery,replaced it with a new one, no more battery drain.