Engine "hurting" to turn over

Up until last week, my 99 toyota was doing ok. I went on a trip, left the truck at the airport for 4 days, during a cold spell. Returned home and went to start it. It was struggling to turn over. Ever since, it continues to struggle. Is it just a need for a new battery? Unfortunately, I don’t remember how old the battery is (maybe 3-4 years old?).



is it cranking fast or slow? You seem to be saying it’s cranking slow, which would mean the battery, as long as the ambient temperature is not very cold!

or do you mean it’s cranking fast, but doesn’t catch, which is an entirely different set of problems.

the first couple of cranks are very slow, and weak. it eventually catches after a few struggling ones.

Sounds like a weak battery. I’ve had batteries going strong at 7 years and failing at 10 months. The battery life in my 2000 Blazer is about 3.5 years. Try charging the battery with a proper battery charger, in my experience, a car/truck’s alternator is not enough to fully charge a discharged battery. I like the Battery Tender trickle charger. There’s is a lot of good info on their website - www.batterytender.com

To be safe, it may be time to replace the battery.

Ed B.

YES. CHECK THE BATTER FIRST.ALSO MAKE SURE THE ENGINE OIL ISNT TOO THICK FOR COLD WEATHER.IF ITS TOO COLD AND THE IOL IS TOO THICK, ITS LIKE THE MOVING PARTS OF THE ENGINE IS GOING THROUGH HEAVY SYRUP.MY BET IS A BAD BATTERY.

AUTOZONE WILL CHECK AND REPLACE IT FOR YOU FREE!