Why does my Honda Pilot have a slow start?

Why does my Honda Pilot have a slow start?

My 2008 Pilot seems to have a weird slow-ish start problem. Totally random. It hasn’t been cold here. The car sat at the airport for 4 days and when I started it last night it started right up. Today it sat in a parking lot for a couple of hours and turned over for maybe 5 seconds before starting. This has happened for the past few weeks.

How long does it take a Honda Pilot to turn over?

So I turn the key and continue to crank while listening closely to hear it turn over. It oftentimes takes 5-10 seconds to turn over. And even when it does turn over, it seems to barely start. I do not understand what is going on!

Is the Honda Pilot cranking all the time?

Yes it cranks excessively but will always get around to starting and once I touch the gas, all is fine. When cranking excessively I get a gas smell in through the ventilation, so it sure doesn’t seem to be a fuel issue.

What’s the best way to start a Honda Pilot?

Get in the car, turn the key to ON (hear fuel system prime), turn-off HVAC if left on when last driving, turn the radio down, then turn the key to START and my vehicles start right up. Saves the motor and starter some extra wear on startup before the oil system pressurizes and re-lubricates everything.

So I turn the key and continue to crank while listening closely to hear it turn over. It oftentimes takes 5-10 seconds to turn over. And even when it does turn over, it seems to barely start. I do not understand what is going on!

How long should I crank my Honda Pilot?

Most people feel lie 2 or 3 seconds are “forever”. IIRC up to 5 seconds is acceptable. We just get spoiled by the 1/4 second normal start. I don’t touch the pedal at all while cranking.

Why does my Honda Pilot not start up?

If not that probably a marginal fuel pump not holding pressure and allowing fuel to drain back to the tank. Leaky injectors can (but usually don’t) cause this issues also. Mines been doing this since I bought it too, it seems to get worse the cooler it is outside.

Does it start any more readily if you leave the key in the ‘ON’ or ‘II’ position for a few seconds (to let the fuel pump run) before trying to start the car? Do you have any other keys on the same ring as the one for the Pilot? If so, remove them and see if there’s an improvement.