I've got a 96 1500 4x4 5.2/auto with almost 200,000 miles. The last few days it's been slow to start; it used to start right away. You turn the key now and the starter turns for a bit (couple seconds - seems like forever though with the starter turning) before the engine turns over. The starter is not going slow, and the battery is just a few months old (a huge Sears Platinum Diehard).

After the engine has been running, if you turn it off and wait a few seconds and restart it it starts fine. Give it a 15 minute rest and it goes back to starting so slow you wonder if it's going to kick over or not. Once it's running it runs just fine; no issues.

Suggestions? Is there something with the fuel pump (like an anti-flowback thing) that isn't working anymore? I'm all ears.

 

Doesn't sound fuel related. Maybe just time for a tune up.

 

My searching is pointing to a fuel pump issue (I figured out how to do a search after doing the initial post - sorry).

RockAuto has two; one by Airtex ($124) http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/more...858&cc=1095690

and one from Delphi ($163) http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/more...375&cc=1095690

It looks like Delphi is the OE pump, but is it worth $40 more?

RockAuto does have some "economy" pumps starting around $75, but let's not go there....

I'll swing by Auto Zone this weekend and see if they have a fuel pressure gauge I can check the pressure with.

And if I might ask; someone tell me how the Temp Sensor might play into this in some way.

 

Skip the airtex unless you like changing pumps every year.

Delphi is OE. Spend the money, fix it once, don't worry about it again.

Verify that pressure is low under various circumstances before spending money on parts. You can try just cycling the key a couple times before you actually try and start the engine, if that works, then pump is highly suspect.

 

Will do. I've replaced the fuel pump on my wife's minivan twice (98 Dodge) and it's a PIA but otherwise straight forward. But not something I enjoy doing repeatedly; so Delphi it'll be.

I'll do the key cycling thing next time I start it (unfortunately, it's not my daily driver); probably tomorrow.

 

double check your battery cable connectors, they have a tendency to stretch and fail to make nice strong connections.

Mine was doing the same thing for the last couple of weeks. When we hit -17 it cranked until the battery was dead. Went to put the charger on and the positive terminal connector moved. Added additional shim material (removed lead shim cap and folded in half) on the split side to compensate for the connector stretch, charged the battery and now starts 1st crank, every time.

It also no longer back fires when starting back up after driving for a bit. Not really a back fire, just a weird compression stroke. Like only a few cylinders fired and the rest did nothing, or the drain back fuel valve is failing.

 

That's easy enough to do. Thanks!

 

Have you tried priming it on a cold start by turning the key to run a couple times before you actually crank it over? That would do more to let you know if it's the fuel pump going out because it would build up pressure in the lines.

 

Not yet, but I will tomorrow when I start it for the first time in the morning.

 

Turn the key to run and wait for te fuel pump to stop and then do it a couple more times. Try starting after that.