Ever since purchasing my 02 it takes about 1-3 sec of
turn over time to start the engine. While a 02
Impala/Silverado start within 1/10 of a sec.

Chevy said that the newer models use electronic
starting, that the key doesn't actually crank the
starter. I disagreed with the dealership on the fact
that if I crank it too long it will make that UGLY
noise of over-cranking the starter. A computer
operated key would not do that.

Anyway, the dealership said they couldn't touch the
car because I had some electronics wired into the fuse
box(a CD changer!). They said that the key system is
tied into voltage and will not crank when a threshold
is exceeded (for security purposes). They said that
the CD changer is likely affecting the computer and it
takes longer to recognize the key!

After removing the wiring for the Changer I took it
back to the dealership for retesting. They retested
and said there was nothing wrong. I told them that it
cranks too long. They refused to revisit the issue
and closed the ticket as a non-issue.

The bottom line is if a starter is constantly over
used then it will have to be replaced sooner(not to
mention the battery). That's a win for the replacement
parts guy.

Itll be 4 years in Dec so we'll see how long the
starter system holds out. My F150 is holding out at
9.5 years with no starter issues(and it?s a first year
model--1997! Usually all first year models have
issues).

Anyway, everyone having crank issues, see if you
add-ons(if you have any) are affecting it by removing
them(or at least disconnecting them). Mine still did
the same with or without the changer.

as long as it starts every time and within 2 seeconds or so i
wouldn't worry about it. that little bit of starting time is not
going to kill your battery or starter. starters are cheap and super
easy to replace for even the most novice do-it-yourselfer. usually
three bolts and a couple wires. easily done with a jack stand and a
few hand tools.

your starter spins your flywheel which spins your crank which turns
the motor over. once your starter gets power the selenoid activates
and a plunger with a cog on it moves forward and engages teeth with
the flywheel. your electronic fuel injection is involved in
delivering fuel and spark to your cylinders. they must receive the
appropriate signals from the computer in order to spit fuel and
spark. if your starter is not going to make a different noise
unless there is something wrong with it, such as the teeth not
engaging properly. as with any electric motor you don't want to
overheat the starter by using it for say 10 seconds or longer.

once your car is out of warranty i would highly recommend staying
away from the stealerships. take it to a reputable non-dealer
repair shop for service.

Maybe your car just needs a tune up. New wires, new plugs, new pcv
valve, new fuel filter, and a good cleaning of the fuel injectors
and throttle body. Run some fuel injector cleaner through it. Make
sure your air filter is clean. you could have a fuel pressue
problem at startup but i doubt it. bad filter, pump, or fuel
pressure regulator. turn the key on and give it a couple seconds to
for the pumps to prime the lines. you can hear them turn on.

Thanks for all the info.

I guess the key learning experience....don't buy any
new vehicle when it has problems at the dealership.

My Ford had a small noise in the manual tranny that
the dealership could never solve, but they did get the
noise to go from just during engagement to anytime the
engine is running. It was there since purchase 9.5
years back.

My Mali takes longer to start than the other Mali's
I've driven. It was also since purchase. I got that
one cause that was the only color I wanted. I hope it
can last as long as possible. We'll see. I figure
its something in the computer or key mechanism.

The other thing that the dealership couldn't fix was
the cruise control shutting down every once in a while
(say once a year) and the cruise light flashing on/off
till I stopped, turned off the car, and restarted it.
Dealership said they couldn't duplicate the issue, so
they couldn't fix it. They did say that sometimes the
steering column electronic components are flawed and
that other chevy models have that issue. Some need
turn signal replaced some the entire column! Anyway,
it rarely does it.

It kinda irks me that the "experts" who
make/design/etc cars cannot fix what they engineer.

Eventually, I expect to see the end-result of these
issues (being that I will use it as a daily drive to
work till it dies) to fix them eventually.

Lastly, I basically picked the mali cause it was cheap
and got better milege than the Altima, Camry, and
Accord for that year. Guess I shouldn't have got the
loaded version to save even more ducks.

Thanks again for the info.

I have experienced the "slow to start" item in two malibu's, one of my
own, and the other is owned by my friend on the east coast, i live in
the south central part of the states. Both cars experience this
phenomena when i start the car, not with other people. Thinking the car
is just "picking on me". I have slow starts that exceed a 1-3 second
time. No add-ons, original factory keys.Love the power it has though,
wonder how fast it is at the track?(after it gets started)

Well, the malibu's aren't a track beast for sure, but they'll hold
their own with some of the import 4 bangers. I bracket race regularly
(not the mailibu). I took the wife's 01 malibu V6 down the track once
this summer during test n tune, just for grins. It ran a 10.70 in the
1/8th mile at 60 something mph, 64 mph I think. Track was well
prepped and I got a great launch. There was maybe 75 lbs of stuff in
the trunk and I'm not a lightweight, so I can easily see it going a
10.40 in cooler weather. That should be good for somewhere in the mid
16 sesecond 1/4 mile time. Pretty slow but respectable for what it is.

I experienced trouble starting with my 98 Malibu LS. I had to replace
my master air flow sensor.