I got my problem squared away, and I got some measurements on battery load with the car off, in case anyone wants to know.
Locking the car and activating the alarm - 8.7 amps (momentary) This figure might run to 10 amps or more if all the doors need locking. I didn't dare try, since 10+A will blow the $15 fuses in my DMM. It did include everything else though.
computer + alarm monitor: 30/36 mA ( for the first minute ) computer + alarm monitor: 24/30 mA ( steady/LED lit thereafter)
The first set of figures suggest that after power up, the system is running self diagnostics, or checking/setting states on various sensors. After about one minute, it drops to the second set (24/30)
The high figure is when the LED lights. If the car is already locked and the battery is disconnected, the alarm system draws about 47 mA for a second or two when reconnected(until it powers up). You really need an ammeter in line to tell if things are OK. A test light will not do.
regards
bullshark