I was wondering about my starter. When i start my car, especially when it is cold out (i live in CA, doesnt get very cold ever), i give it a little gas and crank it. It takes about 3 full seconds of cranking to start. It worries me a little bit that it takes so long to start. It is a 98 v6. Is it just time to replace the starter or... i dunno... anyone else have this problem?

 

You shouldn't need to give it any gas before starting it. In fact that may be your problem. I start my car at -40 below zero and I give it absolutely no gas and it always starts fine. Of course I have to plug it in for it to start, but it starts.

If you have never had to plug your car in then you've never actually been in the cold.

 

pumping the gas on a fuel injected car does nothing but move your throttle. its not gonna put more fuel in, the computer is gonna control how much goes in for starting the motor. you only have to pump the throttle on a carburated motor so that you can create a vaccum to suck more gas into your intake.

 

yea i was thinking about that. I pump it a little while i crank it which somehow makes it start easier than without touching the throttle at all. maybe im just going crazy

 

i have the same problem that you have on my 98. it sometimes wont start on the first crank. but it fires up on the second try.

 

+1 it does nothing