For a little while now my 2000Neon has developed a hard start. I will have to crank it for several seconds before it starts. However the cranking sound sounds like normal, it just takes a little longer to start. I usually crank it for a few seconds, stop, and crank again and it starts every time. I replaced the air filter and did the spark plugs, wires, and the battery. No change. I was wondering if it might be the fuel pump? I wish the car had a servicable fuel filter. It hasn't gotten any worse but I'd like to correct it. In case it helps, the car has roughly 90k miles. Any ideas?Thanks very much!

 

There is no grinding or weird noises while its cranking? My hunch is that it is your starter. Mine went out at only about 40,000 miles. Mine was a pain in the *** to start. It would sometimes not even turn over. And it would make some of the most hideous grinding noises I've ever heard. I just had to try it 3 or 4 times to get it to start.

 

could it be the ignition coil??

 

No weird noises at all. Itsounds like a normal crank, it just takes a littlemore cranking to get it to turn over. Ignition coil? The car has wires. Were you thinking something else nswap7?

 

I had a very similar problem with my 2000 neon. It would take 3-5 seconds of cranking before it would start. We finally figured out it was the fuel pump. The pump wasn't keeping the pressure up in the fuel line and was allowing the fuel to flow back into the tank while the car was parked. So then it would have to pump the fuel back up to the engine every time before it would finally fire up. Once we replaced the pump, it was fine.

 

Did the cranking sound normal? I'm leaning towards the fuel pump as well.

 

Yeah, cranking was normal. I did some of the things that have been mentioned already..coil, wire, and plugs with no sucess. There was a way they told me to test it and I'm trying to remember exactly howto do it. Seems like you turn the key to on for a few seconds, but not cranking it. Then try to fire it up. Seems like turning it to on will kick the pump on and push the gas back up to the engine. I know after doing that with mine, it fired right up. I had to let the car sit for a little bit to give the gas time to drain back into the tank.

 

try to hold the key to on for a few seconds then try and start it, that might help

 

thats crazy i was just about to post a topic about this very thing, mine sounds like it cranks like normal also but always have a hard time starting it, it will take a couple of seconds, after that (if it doesnt sit very long) it starts up fine. if it does sit a lil long, lets say over night in the morning is when i have the most trouble, I also have pretty new spark plugs, wires, and coil. its starting to really bug me because it's not starting the way it used to

 

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