Q: Too long of a crank to start car

asked by on May 28, 2017

I have a 1996 chevy caprice with 14,900 miles. Its taking multiple cranks for it to start overall a 5 to 10 min process to get the car started. If I shut the car off and start it back up within a 1 hour window it will start right back up anything longer it takes the multiple cranks. I had the fuel pump replaced about 5 months ago an it ran ok up until the last few weeks. Also had spark plugs, air filter, fuel filter replaced about 8 months ago. The car was only driven about once a month up until this month where it has become a daily commute vehicle. Any thoughts you might have would be appreciated. Thank you.

My car has 14900 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Fuel Pump Replacement $145.32 - $1299.70 Get a Quote
Fuel Pressure Regulator Replacement $126.81 - $1011.90 Get a Quote

It sounds like you may have a fuel supply problem in getting the proper amount of fuel to the fuel injectors. As you know, when you turn the key to on, the fuel pump is activated and the fuel system is primed with fuel at a specific pressure in order to supply the fuel injectors with enough fuel to start the motor. When this is less than what is needed in order for the motor to fire or in some cases higher than normal, you may notice an erratic fluctuation in engine RPMs, hard starting or a lack of power when accelerating as the engine may be starved for fuel if insufficient fuel pressure exists in the fuel system. This can happen when the pump itself is not working properly or when the fuel pressure regulator is not maintaining the proper fuel pressure in the fuel system causing the engine to starve for fuel. This can also happen when there is insufficient connectivity to the fuel injectors which can cause an intermittent fuel spray pattern into the intake system resulting in a lean fuel condition or the motor otherwise starving for fuel. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your fuel system.

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