2000 grand am won't cold start

[oakforestct]

Just bought this car for my daughter. Looks like I'll have to learn how to work on it. It has 73K miles, runs great, but we have a problem starting in the morning. Sometimes it starts right away, but for three mornings it turns over without firing. After a few tries (once it took ten tries) it will fire right up. Is this just a simple clogged filter? Any troubleshooting tips would be appreciated.

[GTP Dad]

Check and make sure the air cleaner is in good shape, sometimes with fuel injection a dirty filter will cause a car not to start. When you crank the engine does it try to start and die or it won't fire at all? If it tries to start you may have a problem with the Idle Air Circuit, if not it could be in the ignition side of the system. I would start by changing plugs to make sure you are getting maximum spark. On the 2.4 the top of the engine between the cams has the wires integrated into it. These can go bad but not usually in 73k miles.
I would also have the fuel filter changed and run a good quality fuel injector cleaner in the tank to make sure the injectors are clean. A better spray from an injector will allow the engine to start better. Good Luck.

[oakforestct]

Thanks for your advice. The engine doesn't fire at all when this happens. I can hear the fuel pump running when I turn the key on. I'll try replacing the fuel filter and the plugs next. I have fuel injector cleaner in the tank right now.