[giffo]

Thanks for the reply, rhandwor.

Earlier, someone else had replied with the same info, but Automotive Forum's data base software choked, and his reply to me, and mine to him, disappeared.

I realized that I could achieve the same "memory saver" function by putting a low amp charger in parallel with the old battery while I removed it.

However, I decided not to immediately replace the battery, but instead put it on a 10 amp charge for about six hours, at the end of which battery voltage had come up to and settled at about 12.8 volts.

I started the Sierra up and have run it for several days now with no problems. The only evidence that the battery had gone way down to 5.5 volts was that the clock was screwed up. Not only did the truck run and shift fine, but all of my radio pre-sets were still there.

Having recently returned from about a 4,400 mile round trip from NJ out to Montana and back, I had a real face full of bugs on the truck. So I spent some time at the car wash with the high pressure hose, and I'm thinking now that I must've soaked something enough to cause it to drain the battery before it dried out.

Giff