To start the car, you must turn the key to the on position and wait for the dash lights to come on then you can crank. We had to purchase a new battery and when it was connected the car cranked fine for a day. Now it is back to the same problem. My husband disconnected the battery neg post and the next time it cranked fine but again it is back to not wanting to crank without turning it to the on position first and giving it a sec or two. What would cause this???

Check the chassis grounds to the battery and the main positive cable to the junction.

To start the car, you must turn the key to the on position and wait for the dash lights to come on then you can crank. We had to purchase a new battery and when it was connected the car cranked fine for a day. Now it is back to the same problem. My husband disconnected the battery neg post and the next time it cranked fine but again it is back to not wanting to crank without turning it to the on position first and giving it a sec or two. What would cause this???

One thing I noticed about my 2000 that was different from my '98 was that the 2000 car hesitates a bit before starting when you turn the key. Almost like there is not a direct connection between the ignition switch and the starter. I would not say it's "a sec or two" more like a fraction of a second. This has never bothered me and never caused a problem. I always assumed that it was normal though...

Maybe fuel sending unit, seems like it needs to be primed or is it strictly electrical.