Post'96 Astros hard starting

[drew300]

My Astro is my 2nd vechile, that I use for hauling stuff.
I found it hard starting after it sits for a few days. I read that the fuel pump will only run for 2 seconds with the key on and the engine not running. (some sort of safety interlock). I now turn on the key, wait for the pump to stop, turn the key off, then on, wait, then try to start.This (I guess) builds up more pressure. So far it works. Previously, it would crank a long time and still not start.
I also previously changed the fuel filter, but it didn't seem to help, although it was rather plugged.
This may also work for the eariler models.