Never saw an ammeter that had a "normal" reading on the gauge face...You aren't reading the dash gauge are you? Normal procedure is to place an ammeter between the battery and either lead and read draw that way. Then remove each fuse till the draw diminishes substantially. An alternator can draw a bit but it should not be excessive.
Checking charging volts, the meter should not read below about 12.5V even with all accessories on and should not continue to drop regardless of running time. (accessories off reading should be between 13 and 14V).
Also have battery load tested if you haven't done that already just to make sure it is good (even when new) and make sure something simple like a visor mirror light or glove compartment light isn't on all the time.
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Thought I would fill ya in on my 2 cents. When you are going to let the vehicle sit for a few days, disconnect the battery. Wait a few days and hook it back up. If it is good, then it is an electrical drain. If it is dead, then your battery has dead cells. I had that happen to me once. Went through everything, every little wire and could not find the drain. Come to find out, the battery had a few dead cells and those dead cells were sucking juice from the live ones, therefore draining my batter to almost nothing. Replaced the battery and have not had a problem since.
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thanks thundergod - yes, its charging as I ran it last night and charged it up a little. its just that when i let is sit for a few days, it dies. Perhaps there's a lurking electrical problem that is draining the battery, but when I assess the draw, it says its normal. wierd.
Put a bvolt meter on the battery while it's running...is it charging?
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