My 88 sse has a factory installed alarm system. If i do not drive this car for more than a week the battery is dead. Could the alarm drain it in that amt of time? Should I attempt to disconnect the alarm, and how? Or should I get a manual battery disconnect for when I know i am not going to be driving it? :?

A normally working alarm system should not drain your battery in a week. What makes you think it'* your alarm system?

I will go out on a limb and suggest that you check your battery cables for looseness and corrosion. Then look for any wires that might be worn or grounding out on something.

Do you have a multitester?

i forget but is the ELC system on the 88-91 SSE'* on 12V constant or on key power???

if its 12v Constant that is something to look for

first thing to check is how many amps the alt is putting out. Is the gage allways on the plus side or does it swing to the left?

The alarm works when the door is opened w/o a key or when the door latch is operated w/o a key. It is on when the car is off. It is 12V and I have replaced 2 batteries and this is my 2nd alternator, the alternator puts out a constant reading to the right of center on the dial. I do have and multitester and have tried putting it on the neg batt cable(which I have also replaced) and pulled all of the fuses and nothing jumps up on the meter. Any other ideas? :?

OK, you've done your homework. So I'll repeat what I said up top. The alarm system by itself should not be draining your battery in just a week'* time. There must be some reason that it (or something else) is draining you battery like that.

I am not very versed in electrical diagnosis, but I do know that someone (you or an auto electric repair shop) will have to determine which system is drawing power (current flow) while the key is off.

For starters, is there or has there recently been any electrical issues that have been noticed or repaired? This will sometimes give you a clue as to where you should start looking. Are there any aftermarket accessories?

Bear with me while I ask these simple questions, especially if you have already passed these and are way ahead of us. To help in any way, we are going to have to know the basics of what'* going on first.

there are no new electrical problems that have been replaced or repaired other than a stock gm radio that plugged right in. I rewired the speakers with new wire and connectors, no exposed wires. I have removed the air compressor that operated the rear suspension and tied the plug out of the way on the side of the engine compartment. That is all the electrical work I have done.

did you also remove the fuse for the ELC system if you unplugged the compressor?

I think I did pull that fuse, I'll dblchk. Would a good quik fix until I can afford to get it to an electrical expert be the manual battery disconnect? Not for always, but for when I know I won't be using it for more that a day?