The fault presents on cold starts, reliably only in cold weather. Once warmed up, it's absent. Now, I'm blaming the fuel pump here, but what I'm intending to reference specifically is a pressure regulator which holds pressure in the line.. this regulator, for our car, is mounted on the pump, inside the tank. Practicality (and parts availability) then determine replacing the whole pump as the logical course.. I recall not liking the manufacturers available for buying just the regulator.. or some such thing.

Anyways, my guess after swapping the starter is that maybe the cold weather is compromising that regulator's (check valve's) seal. Things shrink in the cold.. I don't know. Though the regulator is in the tank, the fuel lines run under the car and are exposed to temperature. This whole thing is really just an attempt to build a narrative around what's been observed though.

Evidence points to something else besides the starter. Pressurizing the fuel system negates the fault. The pressure regulator is responsible for maintaining this pressure when the pump is not running.. I'm only one data point though. One of us should try a fuel pressure gauge first thing in the morning.

 

How long does it take to pressurize?

 

About "two Mississippi." You can hear the fuel pump ramp up and back down.

I learned (somewhere) long ago that it was good practice to give the car a second or two in "On" before cranking and that always made sense to me as something that couldn't hurt, even if it didn't help, so I do it every time without even thinking about it now.

I will note that my Fit starts easier/faster when I do the "On" pause vs when my wife doesn't (she ain't got no time for that!).

 

Thank you!