Battery drain

In the range of 30 ma, perhaps up to a hundred or so. How much drain do you actually measure??

It will usually measure high at first and then drop down to sleep mode. The high could be from 200-500ma. Then it should drop to 30-50ma. It should only take a few seconds to drop. I've read that some systems take as much as 30 minutes to go into sleep mode, but I have never seen any take more than a few seconds.

Exactly... Every time one fumbles with the inline ammeter, he is likely to restart this process. I rigged a coil of #10 wire and connect it inline between the terminal and the battery cable. This keeps the system biased. Then I can estimate current flow by just measuring the millivolts across that shunt. Also saves the VOM in case something crazy happens and a surge of current is produced..

I agree, it should be 30 to 50ma tops and possibly less. The only things that you are powering with the key off and doors closed is the clock core and the memory for the ECM in the vehicle (possibly a reciever too if you have a keyless entry system too.)