alarm draining battery

[Beau]

So here's the issue...

When I lock the car with the fob (activating the alarm) my battery is somewhat draining overnight. The longer the time frame the more you can tell via how slow the starter turns over. If I lock the cruiser with the key I don't have any problem the days I start her up.

I've ran a amperage test and it doesn't show any kind of mass draw on the battery with the alarm engaged. 0.05/0.06 amps as the light ticks on and off. and 0.03 without the alarm engaged. I've let it sit for about a minute and readings are constant. So from this standpoint it seems the alarm isn't draining the battery, but I know for a fact when I use the fob couple days ahead it'll turn over sluggish when starting.

Any ideas what the problem could be? I'll be checking out the siren area over the following days and checking all wires/connectors for corrosion. Maybe a power leakage through something?

 

[StarCruiser]

Does your alarm also do the central locking Beau?
Where did you check the current draw, was it the whole vehicle or just the alarm?
Are your batteries in good condition? Maybe get them checked? I know, but it just eliminates one possibility.

 

[Beau]

Yes, so when I use the fob it does the central locking and activates the alarm. I checked the draw at the batteries itself. Removed negative terminal and ran my multi meter in series to get the amperage draw. Batteries are less than two years old and have been checked numerous times. Have used the keys to unlock the door for a good two months and over that period batteries/starting have been 100%. Recently cleaned up the earths on the alarm connections in the engine bay, and tried back using the fob and a few days later I can tell the batteries are draining somewhat.

If an electrical component was shorting and sucking power, would this not show through the draw test at the batteries? Like I said, I'll be taking out the siren under the wing next as I've recently found out it's not actually working. That's my best lead...

 

[StarCruiser]

Yes you should see the current draw but sometimes faults are intermittent and hide themselves when they see the multimeter !
That siren seems a very good place to start.

Tip, address one thing at a time, that way you know which bit has influenced the fault.

 

[tim falce]

Mine has always been the same and I've gone through about 3 batteries in the 10 years I've owned it. It's worse in the winter after a spell of low to zero temps although I've just bought a ctek battery charger and given it a desulphate cycle which seems to have restored the battery somewhat.

 

[Towpack]

It's also important to keep LA batteries fully charged in very cold weather as the electrolyte freezes more readily as the discharge increases. A deeply discharged battery can freeze just a few deg below the freezing point of water, ruining it.