1999 4Runner Weird Starting issue

[RunnerLimited]

Ok, im going to make this Long story short I hope you guys can help me out before, I spend unnecessary MULAA on this 4runner.

I work about 400 km out of my home town and I spend Monday's to Fridays working up here. Friday evenings I usually go back to Calgary to spend time with my Gf and friends and leave to travel again Sunday evenings. Where I work its about a 3min drive every morning.

My issue is that over the days my car seems to have a hard time starting, I usually use my car starter to start my car just to warm it up before I leave anywhere. so this is how it goes...

Monday & Tues = it starts perfectly fine
Wed = I Hear it having a hard time starting but DOES start
Thursday & Fri = I use my car starter in the morning and it doesn't even try to start it just alarms. BUT if I go to my car it cranks for a bit THEN starts.

In Calgary those 2 nights im there no issue starting.

Its a 4 year old battery ( if that helps) im going to go to NAPA tomorrow test out the Battery and alternator

I recently just started this job, about a month now and every week it always happens. When I was back in the city I obviously drove it a lot more during the day and what not so it never gave me any problems. Now that im here and my daily commute usually is 10-20km at MOST per day it started happening.

Seems like I don't drive it enough to charge the battery, I recently replaced the alternator belt about 2-3000km ago in Calgary but never had any issues till I started working up north

Any takers?!?

 

[gamefreakgc]

Do you have a amp draw when the vehicle is off? Meaning, since your drive is so short does the battery drain faster sitting off than it charges when driving? The engine will crank slowly if your battery is drained. A multimeter can find it, you disconnect the negative battery terminal and measure the amps flowing from the negative cable to the post.

Also, are all of your grounds in good shape? No frays or loose wires?

 

[RunnerLimited]

Do you have a amp draw when the vehicle is off? Meaning, since your drive is so short does the battery drain faster sitting off than it charges when driving? The engine will crank slowly if your battery is drained. A multimeter can find it, you disconnect the negative battery terminal and measure the amps flowing from the negative cable to the post.

Also, are all of your grounds in good shape? No frays or loose wires?

Yeah I was going to check if all my grounds are good, I have a sub in the back ill see what unplugging it will do

 

[RunnerLimited]

BUMP!

so it was the battery, any recommendations, planning on going to Costco or napa

BTW since I don't want to start a new thread, I have been meaning to ask this question.. when I go out off roading in the mountains and I go through a lake or a big pond, while I go through it I see smoke coming out underneath the car. I always thought the water is touching something really hot which causes condensation around the engine compartment or wheels. is this something I should be worried about. The smokes stops immediately after I get out of the river or pond. that's why it never really bothered me

 

[cashmoney]

Just cold water hitting hot metal. Nothing you can do about it except not drive in water. Same thing happens when driving in a rain storm you just don't notice it since you are driving at speed.

 

[RunnerLimited]

yeah thought so LOL, but any recommendations for a battery? I am planning on going optima red but I hear bad and good reviews about it,