Help! Where to start on an electrical problem...

[netnarc2]

I’ll disconnect the alternator too

 

[hcbph]

If it's going through the fuse panel, here's something that can help. Pull a fuse, plug it into the meter and plug the meter into where the fuse was. It will show the draw on each of the fuses. You also have some circuit breakers in there that can be tested with a set of jumpers. Having said this, I had something similar. Turned out it was the wife had put a lipstick tube in the area by the power seat control. I'd laid a couple of things on top of it and it was pressing down on the tube which in turn was pressing down the button. Removed that stuff and the drain went away.

I got that meter a HF, wasn't too costly and worth the price.

 

[netnarc2]

Hcbph thanks for the info.

 

[Hot Rod Roy]

Hot Rod Roy. I tested it the way you described. Light bulb with alligator clips. Connecting it to the positive and negative poles on the battery, the light goes on. Disconnecting the alligator clip from the negative pole and attaching the volt meter to the positive pole and the disconnected end of the light bulb. Meter reads “0”. Same with micro amp reading.

I can't help you if you don't understand my instructions. I'll let someone else try to help you. Good luck.

 

[netnarc2]

Hot Rod Roy, apparently I misunderstood your instructions. I’ll read them again and try your suggestion. Thanks for trying.

 

[Hib Halverson]

I agree 11A is a f**cking huge "draw".

As for pulling fuses, rule out 1A, 2A, 5A, 7.5A fuses because with that big a draw would have blown those lower current fuses.

Start pulling the "big guys" as well as the circuit breakers.

Don't rule out a battery that is internally shorted.

Once you fix the problem, get rid of the kill switch and buy a smart battery charger. On an '85, when you kill the power, you erase the ECM memory. The car will run better on start-up and the first 25 miles or so after having the kill switch turned off. Plus, ECM will store fault codes.

 

[netnarc2]

HH thanks. When you refer to the car running better with the kill switch being turned off, do you mean the kill switch removed?

 

[netnarc2]

Update: I’m not going to take the car to a mechanic. I’m going to take it to an Exocist!
I fiddled with it last night suspecting that it might be the anti-theft system since it was drawing so many Amps (11 Amps). Along with that, the horn wasn’t honking consistently. It only honked intermittently.
So I go on YouTube to find out about the anti-theft system and where all the goodies are located (fuses ect.). Oh boy! It’s located behind the radio area in the dash board.
Ultimately what I did was turned the alarm on by locking the doors and left the driver’s window down. “Security” light on the dash board came on, so it should be armed. Then I reached into the console without activating the console light and pushed the hatchback release button. The alarm didn’t sound off ( horn should honk). I tried it a couple of times. Nothing.
Now the horn honks every time I push on the horn button.
On the amp meter I’m getting “0” Amps instead of “11” Amps using two different amp meters, one a needle reading type and the other a digital.
So now everything is fine except the anti-theft system. I’ll have to wait until the problem pops up again before I can trace the problem.
Or.... should I take the dash board apart and see if I can find a fault in the anti-theft system. I read in the Haynes Repair Manual that this should only be done by a qualified mechanic. Or a ghost.

 

[Hib Halverson]

HH thanks. When you refer to the car running better with the kill switch being turned off, do you mean the kill switch removed?

Ooops. Sorry.
I meant to say the car will run better if you remove the kill switch all together and use a smart battery charger to maintain battery charge when the car is parked.

Also, Haynes manuals are good for lining cat boxes in that they are chock full of bad information. I strongly suggest you buy the GM Factory Service Manual. In the FSM, you'll find info on how to diagnose problems with the security system.

 

[netnarc2]

Thanks HH. I’ll look into getting an FSM.

 

[netnarc2]

It appears that the problem is coming from the factory alarm system. There’s just a lot of odd things going on that makes me tend to think it’s the factory alarm. First of all, when I locked the car in the prescribed way, which is supposed to arm the alarm, nothing happens when I “break in” to it. Half the time the horn won’t honk pushing the horn button, then suddenly it starts working again. I took all of the plastic cover plates off of the dashboard and I could hear a constant “beeping” in the message center. A faint constant beeping for no apparent reason. Doors closed, key not in ignition etc..
I removed the 10 Amp fuse from the bracket located next to the flasher fuse to bypass the alarm. I think that I bypassed the alarm because it disabled the horn, and the power locks on the doors. I’ll leave the dashboard open until I verify my suspicions.

 

[Hot Rod Roy]

Hot Rod Roy, apparently I misunderstood your instructions. I’ll read them again and try your suggestion. Thanks for trying.

I have sent you a PM.