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Can a vacuum leak cause difficulty starting?

4.3K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  racecougar  
#1 ·
It takes 5 seconds for my car to start. Also, once it is started it starts to whine or whistle. It only does it in drive. When I shift to neutral it stops 75% of the time. I dont have a trained ear yet so I dont know for sure a vacuum leak is causing that. I really hope that is what it is. I don't have the time to rebuild an engine right now. I will do it if it ends up being my pistons being worn out with the starting problem.
 
#2 ·
It is probably the check valve in the fuel pump. When it goes bad, it causes long cranking times. One way to check - turn the key on for two seconds, then crank it. If it starts right up, it's the check valve.

Mine is doing that in my 97. I just hold the key on for 2 seconds before starting. My old 95, I eventually got the fuel pump replaced.

Al