Intermittent Starting Difficulty

[richthofen]

So lately the car has been hard to start sometimes--turn the key and the starter will engage, but fails to actually start the engine. When this happens it usually takes 3 tries to get it to fire up. Took 5 tries this morning. But it only does it periodically--sometimes will do it twice in a day, sometimes will go several days and not do it at all.

Definitely not battery or starter, so I presume it's getting spark. Could the fuel pump be going bad? Any other likely suspects? Plugs, coil boots, and fuel filter were all replaced early '10 so none of them are all that old. We tested the coils at the same time and they tested good.

'00, 2.4, 165K miles. Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Nate's Alero]

Security light on?

[SIUlero]

What engine, and is the check engine light on? Or the security light? Could be fuel pump, but some other possibilities are crank sensor, cam sensor, fuel pressure regulator, ignition switch... Need a little more info to narrow things down.

[richthofen]

2.4L I4 (was in the original post, but way at the bottom). No check engine, no security, no untoward lights. Once it starts it runs fine, with one notable exception--it stalled out when low on gas one night last week. Started right back up though and I may have just run it too low (bad tendency to put off refilling until I'm almost empty, and yes I know that's not really good for the fuel pump).

Funny you mention ignition switch--that thing's been wonky for literally several years now. Generally takes a few tries at insert key-try to turn-remove key-repeat until the key will actually turn. But, until recently, it would always start once the key stopped being uncooperative.