Newb here. This fall, I purchased my first brick, a 940T named "The Snail". Sole purpose of having a project car to take care of and learn on.

The Snail smelled of gas days before the sale, and the previous owner had his local garage install a new fuel filter. I was actually at the garage when it happened, which gave me an opportunity to inspect and familiarize myself.

I took her to my (very knowledgable) friend's garage to perform an oil change, and she died under idle about 15 minutes in. We didn't think anything of it, really. No problems during the following weeks, including a few hundred-plus mile trips.

A few cold weeks later, it puttered out in the middle of Harvard Square. My friend brought over a new fuel pump relay and she started right up. (He's my Volvo angel). I haven't yet tested the old relay or investigated other possible causes. Seemed cut-and-dried.

Cue the worst winter ever. It sat at the top of the driveway waiting for spring.

During this miserable season the battery died. I pulled and trickle-charged it, taking several days to go "green" and register as full. I did not take a voltage rating before I dropped it into the car. I've driven it around town a few times, and at low RPM the engine vibrates as if it's not getting enough fuel (as it did when it died earlier). Foot on the throttle and everything seems well and fine.

I'm thinking there's (still?) a voltage problem to the fuel pump. I can hear the relay switch on, but the car doesn't always start up. I also don't know a good way to tell if the fuel pump is actually functioning without someone else.

Multimeter reads 11.7 on the inside and outside of the terminals. Not great.

Should I get a new battery? If so, which have you guys found to be good options? Seems batteries are almost all from the same factories/same components nowadays, I don't trust the "compatibility" of the big distributors.

My thanks!