I searched the archives and found a few related posts but nothing exactly matching my situation. First, and maybe most important is that this is a problem that has existed for several months and has not gotten any better or worse during that time. It’s a 2004 Element with 94K miles that I bought new. It has had routine maintenance but never been in the shop for any reason. A few months ago it started taking several seconds more cranking for the engine to start, particularly first thing in the morning. On several occasions it has required 3 or 4 starting attempts for it to go. Tried a couple bottles of fuel injector cleaner….no change. Hot start is generally better, but not always, I’ve had prolonged cranking even after stopping briefly at the store. No issues once it’s running, acceleration is fine, etc.

As reliable as ignition systems are these days, my gut is telling me this is a fuel issue but not sure where to start troubleshooting.

 

When was the last time the fuel filter was replaced?

Have you checked the fuel pressure when cranking?