car trouble starting then starts fine

[hd50hd]

at the start of each day the car takes 5 to 8 full cranks to finally get a starting sound. then
next crank will start fine. for rest of day car starts immediately
on first crank. this is a 1994 plymouth

[bluevp00]

1994 Plymouth what????

[hd50hd]

Originally Posted by bluevp00

1994 Plymouth what????

plymouth duster

[bluevp00]

all I can think of right now is check for a cracked distributor cap or gasket, sometimes water can condense inside leading to hard starting. Another thing to check would maybe be the fuel system, leaking injector(s) possibly?

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by bluevp00

Another thing to check would maybe be the fuel system, leaking injector(s) possibly?

It may be a pressure regulator or fuel pump that has an internal leak, and is slowly bleeding off fuel line pressure as the car sits overnight. Possibly the line itself has a leak, allowing the pressure to escape and fuel to drain back in the tank or leak on the ground.

Then in the morning, the pump needs a few seconds to build pressure in the line.

IMO check the fuel line for leaks throughout. If there are none, then in the morning, turn the ignition key to the RUN position for a few seconds before cranking the engine. This allows the pump to build pressure without excessively wearing out the starter motor.

[JimNicholson]

Originally Posted by hd50hd

at the start of each day the car takes 5 to 8 full cranks to finally get a starting sound. then
next crank will start fine. for rest of day car starts immediately
on first crank. this is a 1994 plymouth

If you are not getting a "cranking sound", then the starter is not turning! Listen for a "click" sound when you turn the key. If you hear that, then check your primary cable between the battery and the starter by putting a voltmeter on the actual end of the post on the starter solenoid (not the end of the cable - you could have a bad connection at the solenoid) that the battery cable attaches to and grounding the negative lead of the voltmeter. If the battery voltage drops below 8 volts and you do not hear a growling sound from the starter, you have a problem in the cable. If that passes, put the voltmeter on the connector between the starter solenoid and the starter motor. If you have 12 volts there, the starter motor is bad (a bad spot on the armature or a bad brush can cause intermittent problems).

If you do not have a "click" when you turn the key, you either have a bad starter switch (check by shorting between the starter connection terminals), a problem in your starter switch wiring, or a bad solenoid switch. Check the solenoid input with the voltmeter. If you have 12 volts there, the solenoid switch coil is bad or the solenoid is stuck.

Good luck!