AE-1 Program drains batteries! Has anyone heard of this happening?

[HexInverter]

This is a known problem... My Canon A-1 was draining batteries really fast until I cleaned the contacts and insulators around battery check button/finder LED switch. AE-1P doesn't have finder LED switch, but I think battery check button is worth looking at.

Yeah, I've heard about that causing problems. It looks like it's a really big job to pull off the front panel to get to the battery contacts, but I think I might have to.

 

[John Koehrer]

In my quest through my manuals, I didn't find current draw for the AE1p. But for the A1 and AE1 switch in "on" camera idling, the current was measured at less than 10 microamps.