Troubleshoot battery draining?

Ok so this year I must have a short or a wire grounding out as if I leave either of my battery's on that battery drains in a few days? Where do I start? I did install a new stereo horn and led bow lights but all were replacements and were wired as previously were. Any advise where to start? Thanks. Somehow I gotta imagine it's got to do with 1 of the newly installed items

this should help pinpoint the fuse then look connections on it
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Parasitic-Battery-Drain

The new stereo have a wake up wire that draws load even when turned off they advise to put in an isolator switch. Could be a start.

If you have a voltmeter, it should have DC amp setting. Connect the ammeter in series with the power wire of the electronics you suspect. (Remember voltage is across, current is through.) If it's "off" but you get a current reading, then it's not really off.

Or, place the ammeter directly in series with the main + battery cable. If you get a reading, then there's leakage somewhere. You can then start unplugging things until you find the culprit.

I replaced my stereo a few years ago and unlike my original radio, this one had an LED display that was active even if the radio is off. Forgot to set battery switch to off before leaving the boat one weekend and returned to dead battery the following week. Needless to say, radio (and any new electronics) is now on a switch panel I installed on the helm so I can kill the power to things when not in use.

Update: Whoops....just checked the link in previous post above. Essentially the same process I outlined.

I may be wrong in this thinking, but I always turn my batteries off when leaving the boat. The bilge pumps have a direct connection to the battery and that's all I am concerned with. Yes I loose the programming on my radio, no big deal.

Times 3 for the led light on stereo. reaplaced outs and same thing happens. We always try to remember to turn off the batteries but forget once or twice a year and the stereo will drain them just from the little led light. We are going to isolate the stereo this year because of that

I bought this ammeter with temp test leads for $45 on sale

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-digital- ... Processing

I agree with the Stero theory as well. On mine, my remote spot light has a small red light that illuminates even when the light is off. If I leave the battery switched on, it will drain it down over time.

There is a Yellow and a Red wire on the sterio. Red gives it Power.....but they also say hook the Yellow to a full time hot source. That's for the memory.

You have a couple of choices...... I hook the Red and Yellow to the same terminal...It has no Power when master switch is turned OFF.

Or don't even hook the yellow up at all.

But do NOT hook it to a full time ON power source. That will kill a battery.