battery drain

[russt48]

is there a usual culprit when troubleshooting electrical system that creates a drain on the battery when off?
thanks in advance
Russ

[DakotaLee]

Off the top of my head:

Radio
Bad Alternator
Courtesy Lights (if door switches are faulty they can come on at any time)
Cigar lighter Charger
Aftermarket alarm system under dash

Some are obvious, some are not. Gotta start somewhere.

[russt48]

thanks - i have replaced all the starting components just because they needed it. would anyone advise a kill switch , because i fear a long duration of time until i can isolate the issue

[redstangbob]

check the light in the trunk BTDT good luck, Bob C

[RedBird64]

I would first check anything that isn't stock.
Second would be the alt.

[ralphwb@att.net]

Battery drain: If not 3+yrs. old & quality brand......Check: Voltage regulator .....Sol: file the stuck points....or replace .. about $50 replacement...Macs Auto...

[jtschug]

Put a amp meter in between the negative battery terminal and the cable. Pull out all the fuses (remember where they go).

Put the fuses back in one by one, save the interior light fuse for last. Each time you add a fuse, make note of the amp reading on the guage. If it jumps up when you add a fuse, you have found a current leak. Check everything fed by that fuse. Depending on the rating of the amp gauge, it may not be able to handle the interior lights. So disconnect the gauge before installing the fuse, then close the doors and take the amp reading with the lights off. If there is a significant drain with all the fuses pulled, check the unfused circuits. You can also disconnect the circuit breakers and hook them up one at a time

[russt48]

excellent advice thanks to all. that should keep me busy for a bit
Russ