Difficulty starting -- low battery

So I drained my battery the other day because I was using my inverter at 400 W without the engine running for a while. Ever since then, my truck has barely started every time. It barely turns over at first but then starts cranking harder and then starts ( why does it do this?). It seems to have less juice each successive time I start.

What would be the recommend course of action? Should I plug it into a charger for a while? New battery?

 

batterys hate being discharged..unless it is a deep cycle.

and my alternator rebuild friend always tell me that an alternator is the worst battery charger. charge it up separately.

i bet you battery is nearing it's end. stock battery? take it in, and get it tested.

 

My truck never starts with authority. My Mustang always fired up with a growl but the Tacoma sort of has a weak start, sluggish. I've flooded it a couple times by anticipating ignition and letting off the started before it caught. Now that I've had it for a year, I've got the cadence down. Still, I'll probably change the battery pretty soon.

 

I see that you have a 2006. If that's your original battery, it's time for a replacement. Although you encounter batteries that have lasted 6-7 years, I don't trust them beyond 4 years. Getting another $20.00 woth of use out of them isn't worth the aggravation of being stranded.

 

First do you have tow package ? (bigger alternator)

Second Chris is 100% correct. If you drained your old battery below 6V you most likely had killed. However, if you have good battery charger you may be able to save it for little longer. I had revived few (not for long tought) by doing long slow charge.

 

True that.

 

X2

Also, if it's worth anything to you, I know that the local ambulance company's policy is to charge the battery the first time it's run down, the second time it gets replaced, no discussion. They understand that deep cycling a battery that is not designed for it weakens it.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I do have the tow package, and yes this is the original stock battery in my 2006.

Any advice about what battery I should buy? I've never had the occasion to go shopping for a new car/truck battery before, so I don't know very much about it.

 

Ive had nothing but optimas in everything I own..No problems. Im waiting for the battery in my 05(no idea how old it is) to give me problems, then I'll be replacing it with an optima.