The 99 is approaching the 200k mark and has been a really good vehicle since I bought it four years ago. It has the 3.4 with auto.

It has been starting with sort of a struggle the past couple weeks and not starting up on first try (a few times) the past few days. Seems like it takes a few seconds before it fires up, or doesn't but fires right up on second try. The times when it does start on first try, it sorta starts in a "sloppy" manner, where the rpms are low and it struggles to get to the warm-up rpms of 1500 or whatever it warms up at. This all happens in like two seconds. Once it's going then it's totally fine. It will do this struggle start hot or cold.

No CEL's, fresh battery, tuned up last fall, and starter feels like it is working like it should. Pump and filter replaced last year. Not sure where to start with this so I can prevent a total no-start and miss work or something.

Any ideas?

Contacts in the starter or dirty battery terminals


Any one click..


The brushes in the starter and alternators mostly go between 180k to 210k.


So I suspect the starter brushes are warn out.

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Your IAC valve might be a little sticky not allowing the air flow the engine needs to run. It also sounds like it could be a fuel pressure issue, but since you said you replaced the pump and the filter, the first possibility sounds a bit more probable. Did you replace the fuel pump with an OEM one?

This video will help you test and clean your IAC Valve (Idle Air Control Valve)

Any loss of coolant or anything like that?