# 89 thunderbird supercharged 3.8l, long cranking time when engine cold **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 7, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087 "2008-12-07T20:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![azureblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@azureblue](https://community.cartalk.com/u/azureblue)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/1 "2008-12-07T20:36:16Z")
bought car 4 years ago, 88,000 miles, now has 125,000 mi.has always had along crank time before firing. seems to be worse when teperature is low. has new starter, battery and fuel pump and filter.cranks fast and seems to run great, 28 mpg highway.would really like it to fire up faster, especially in case i want to sell it someday.thanks for any help ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/2 "2008-12-07T20:42:59Z")
Maybe the fuel system is losing pressure as the car sits. Try this: Turn the key to ON, wait 5 seconds, then turn to START. See if that makes any difference. The 5 seconds will give the fuel pump time to pressurize the system. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/3 "2008-12-07T20:49:56Z")
Ah? When you turn the ignition switch to the run position, the fuel pump only runs for a second or two and then shuts off. It doesn’t continue to run as long as the ignition switch is in the run position. To reprime a fuel system, you turn the ignition switch to the run position for two seconds and then turn it off. And repeat several times so the fuel pump operates enough times to reprime the fuel system. Tester ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/4 "2008-12-07T22:24:56Z")
I’m voting for fuel pressure regulator. You might take your troubles to the diagnostic forums on: [http://www.sccoa.com](http://www.sccoa.com) The Super Coupe Club of America or [http://www.tccoa.com](http://www.tccoa.com) The Thunderbird and Cougar Club of America Those folks know these cars inside and out. ---
**Author:** ![rexy44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@rexy44](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rexy44)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/5 "2008-12-07T23:26:39Z")
Good job mr josh. ( If ya want a brake job, go to the brake guy; usually) ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/6 "2008-12-08T00:17:19Z")
Sounds like a fuel pump leaking off to me. On second thought, after remembering the car has a new pump and assuming that it’s not the problem anyway, another possibility is one of the injectors leaking off. If an injector or pressure regulator were leaking off this should show up as a symptom during a hot start. (A flooded condition). One would think with a leaking pressure regulator the car would not be running great and getting 28 MPG as described. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/7 "2008-12-08T02:14:04Z")
You’ve concentrated on the fuel system. What about the ignition system? How good is that spark? How new are the spark plugs? Does it have a newesh distributor cap and rotor? ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/89-thunderbird-supercharged-3-8l-long-cranking-time-when-engine-cold/23087/8 "2008-12-08T09:27:28Z")
SCs didn’t have a distributor.