Dear Fellow Brickboarders,

May this find you well. I seek guidance on a battery issue. In May, 2003, I bought a Diehard Gold Battery (Type 33035). This is not the "International" battery that Diehard makes for imports.

The reason: the "International" battery delivers 590 CCA and costs $109. The 33035 delivers 640 CCA, and costs $79. It was not obvious, why I should spend more, and get less "battery".

The first battery ran well through the summer of 2003. In late October, I garaged the car for the winter, driving it occasionally, when the streets were salt-free. By 10 December, this battery was so dead, that it would not take a jump start. Sears replaced it, without a hassle.

I drove the car a few days between December 2003 and end-March 2004, usually for short road trips. Yesterday, when I went to start it, the battery was so dead, that it would not take a jump start.

Sears checked the battery and confirmed that it was quite dead. They replaced it.

I know that 940s have a clock, computer, and radio that require a trickle of power. I can understand that a battery might go flat, if the car sits for a months at a time. However, my '85GL has sat outside through the winter, and its 2 year old Silver Die Hard holds a charge: the car starts just fine.

Can anyone tell me why these Gold Die Hard batteries not only went "flat", but were not able to be revived?

Are there any obvious differences between the "International" battery and the Gold Die hard batteries, that would explain the "premature" death of these Gold Die Hards?

Or, could I simply have got a couple of batteries from a lot that were defective?

I await your advice. With my thanks in advance, I remain,

Yours faithfully,

spook