Car is taking too long too start

[jcbarr25]

Hello,

I have a 2013 Sonic LT 1.8L with about 101k miles. Recently, the car is taking way too long to start. It cranks right away but to get the motor running, it takes long. Usually it takes the longest when the car has been sitting for a while or overnight. But every other time in between uses, it takes longer than normal.

What should I be inspecting? Spark plugs? I replaced the coils about 20k miles. Spark plugs probably at 60k miles so 50k miles ago. Fuel supply? Are my injectors going bad? Car runs normally once started. Starter going out? Starter is still OEM.

Thanks

 

[Bl4d3]

How old is your battery?

My car started taking long to start, maybe 2 - 3 seconds. Eventually the battery died.

Put in a new battery and since then, the car starts in under 1 second

 

[jcbarr25]

About 3 years. Sometimes mines takes a good 10 sec and barely turns over.. can it be the starter motor is going bad?

 

[Bl4d3]

10 seconds, that doesn't sound good at all.

I would replace the spark plugs purely because they're old. I replacement mine every 30000km, so 18000 miles.
Make sure that they are gapped properly .028-.035


You say its running normally so I don't suspect a fuel or air supply issue.

 

[jcbarr25]

Could it be the starter starting to go bad?

 

[jcbarr25]

So i changed the spark plugs and no luck there.. what should I check next? Not only does the car crank for long but it also seems to be having s rough start. Seems to be worse overnight but then sequent start up doesn't take as long.

 

[Ksull72487]

There are many causes of hard starting but illustrative ones are a faulty engine coolant temperature switch (sensor), malfunctioning idle air control (IAC) valve, vacuum and EGR leaks, inadequate fuel delivery or pressure (clogged fuel filter, injectors), and contaminated or old gasoline.

I tend to agree with this. General rule of thumb it’s electrical or fuel delivery. I think these cars have a built in fuel filter on the fuel pump. Generally not that difficult to replace. But I would have a mechanic run some diagnostics to be sure.

I replaced a Fuel Pump in an apartment complex years ago on a 1999 Ford Escort. Luckily these cars are cheap and easy, literally the same exact procedure and pump style. You can replace just about anything yourself. Unlike a freaking Audi, BMW etc. Fuel Pump will be under back seat it’ll pop out with out dropping the gas tank. But theirs ways to diagnose with an OBD2 scanner first to make sure it’s not MAF etc. I’d run all the diagnostics first to narrow down the problem. It also wouldn’t hurt to run a tank of 93 octane to clean things out and see if that helps. Sometimes a check valve goes bad on these fuel pumps. What happens is the gas drains back from the injectors over night or time and back into the gas tank if the check valve on the fuel pump goes bad. Means as your car sits the car has to rebuild the pressure meaning the pump has to work hard to bring the fuel back to the injector after sitting causing a hard start. That’s pretty typical.

Lol you can fix it pretty easy. The Sonic is old school. It’s not like today’s higher end pain in the ass cars and High Pressure ****. So you should be able to fix it fairly easily and quickly you just want to check all your boxes.

I’ll give you a simple test to see if it’s a check valve on the fuel pump

After letting the car sit over night. Before you turn that car on go to accessory mode. Turn the key all the way with out starting it wait 10 seconds. Do that again 3 or 4 times with out starting it (more Dosent hurt). What your doing is priming the pump. If it starts immediately after doing that then your check valve is bad on the pump. Either deal with it or replace it.

Thank me later and let me know if I was right cuz if the car starts right away after sitting a long period when it normally wouldn’t after doing this test that’s guranteed your problem.

 

[jcbarr25]

There are many causes of hard starting but illustrative ones are a faulty engine coolant temperature switch (sensor), malfunctioning idle air control (IAC) valve, vacuum and EGR leaks, inadequate fuel delivery or pressure (clogged fuel filter, injectors), and contaminated or old gasoline.

I tend to agree with this. General rule of thumb it’s electrical or fuel delivery. I think these cars have a built in fuel filter on the fuel pump. Generally not that difficult to replace. But I would have a mechanic run some diagnostics to be sure.

I replaced a Fuel Pump in an apartment complex years ago on a 1999 Ford Escort. Luckily these cars are cheap and easy, literally the same exact procedure and pump style. You can replace just about anything yourself. Unlike a freaking Audi, BMW etc. Fuel Pump will be under back seat it’ll pop out with out dropping the gas tank. But theirs ways to diagnose with an OBD2 scanner first to make sure it’s not MAF etc. I’d run all the diagnostics first to narrow down the problem. It also wouldn’t hurt to run a tank of 93 octane to clean things out and see if that helps. Sometimes a check valve goes bad on these fuel pumps. What happens is the gas drains back from the injectors over night or time and back into the gas tank if the check valve on the fuel pump goes bad. Means as your car sits the car has to rebuild the pressure meaning the pump has to work hard to bring the fuel back to the injector after sitting causing a hard start. That’s pretty typical. You either deal with it or replace the whole pump if that’s what it is. Trust me it’s gonna be cheap if you do it yourself. Just try to narrow it down first in case I’m wrong. It’s not hard either. 45 mins lol.

Lol you can fix it pretty easy. The Sonic is old school. It’s not like today’s higher end pain in the ass cars and High Pressure ****. So you should be able to fix it fairly easily and quickly you just want to check all your boxes.

I’ll give you a simple test to see if it’s a check valve on the fuel pump

After letting the car sit over night. Before you turn that car on go to accessory mode. Turn the key all the way with out starting it wait 10 seconds. Do that again 3 or 4 times. Then try to start it. If it starts right away. Instead of taking 10 seconds plus. It’s a check valve on the fuel pump. Either deal with it or replace it.

Thank me later and let me know if I was right cuz if the car starts right away after sitting a long period when it normally wouldn’t that’s guranteed your problem.

Thanks. Yeah I am pretty ok doing my own maintenance with the help of the interwebs... But until i can narrow down that the problem is.. and that's my problem.. i am not savvy enough to know what to test for.

Ok I will give that a try tomorrow morning and report back.

 

[Ksull72487]

Thanks. Yeah I am pretty ok doing my own maintenance with the help of the interwebs... But until i can narrow down that the problem is.. and that's my problem.. i am not savvy enough to know what to test for.

Ok I will give that a try tomorrow morning and report back.

Yup for sure easy test to do. Just make sure you don’t start the car go into accessory mode. Let the fuel pump prime for 10 seconds. Then take key out for 1 second. Then do it again. I’d do it 4 times. Then on the 5th time start it. If it fires right up. You need a new fuel pump. But truth be told the fuel pump is working a check valve just went bad keeping your fuel at the injectors when it’s sitting. Replacing it is up to you it won’t strand you. It’s 110% the issue if it fires up after that test. Unless you had a fuel leak. Etc. I’d say that’s less likely unless it leaked at the injectors. You can see that pretty easy after doing the test.

Again like I said on these cars easier than you think. Let me know?

 

[jcbarr25]

Yup for sure easy test to do. Just make sure you don’t start the car go into accessory mode. Let the fuel pump prime for 10 seconds. Then take key out for 1 second. Then do it again. I’d do it 4 times. Then on the 5th time start it. If it fires right up. You need a new fuel pump. But truth be told the fuel pump is working a check valve just went bad keeping your fuel at the injectors when it’s sitting. Replacing it is up to you it won’t strand you. It’s 110% the issue if it fires up after that test. Unless you had a fuel leak. Etc. I’d say that’s less likely unless it leaked at the injectors. You can see that pretty easy after doing the test.

Again like I said on these cars easier than you think. Let me know?

So.... It didn't help. I tried 4 times key to acc. Let it sit for 10 secs. Then off. Then i cracked the car and it still took some time longer than the normal 2 seconds start up. Turn off and then turn back on and it started right away.

 

[jcbarr25]

Any other ideas? I have seen some threads about the engine coolant temp sensor but I recently exchanged the whole thermostats housing and the new one brought the sensor. It is OEM too..

Do you think it is fuel related?

 

[jcbarr25]

Update to help owners with the same issue in the future.. it was the fuel pump. I replaced it and the problem is gone... I am do happy i was able to do it myself too..