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Let me know how it all goes. Do you have a haynes or chilton (or better yet factory service manual) for your car? They are very helpful.
Okay, I would try the electrical tests first to rule out a parasitic draw or a battery that can’t hold a charge first
Doesnt matter if it was recently on, just make sure everything is off, cigarette plug accessories are unplugged, and all doors are closed securely. See the video before you do it for a full explanation of the process.
You detach the negative battery cable., then attach one lead of a multimeter set to amps to the negative post of the battery and the other to the cable terminal with the car doors, glovebox, trunk, etc all closed. You should see a draw of about 50ma (0.05 amps) normally. If you see more (say, 0.5 amps) then you know you have a draw somewhere. with the leads still connected, pull out and replace one fuse at a time in the fuse box under the hood. If you remove a fuse and the amps drop to an acceptable level, then you have found the affected circuit (should be a diagram in the fuse box, in your owners manual, or online to tell you what fuse does what). From there, obtain a wiring diagram for that circuit and check all of the components on that circuit (could be a light switch left on like it was in the video, all of the above steps are from the video).
If you do have a draw and find the circuit affected, but nothing simple like a switch left on is causing the problem, then you would probably have a short somewhere or a stuck relay on the circuit It is a PITA if it is not a simple problem like a switch. Start with the simple and easily accessible components of the circuit like switches and relays before you dig into the wiring to look for damaged wires.
If you pass the draw test, then I would recommend changing the fuel filter if possible, check the fuel lines for leaks and damage, and if that doesn’t solve it then you may have bigger problems in the fuel system. One thing to check is the fuel pressure first thing in the morning. A buddy of mine had a similar issue and found it was the check valve being stuck open, allowing fuel to drain into the tank. Check the pressure by turning to the on position (dont start it), and then see if the pressure goes up after a few more turns to the on position. Good luck, hopefully it is a simple fix.
One more thing: if you don’t have a parasitic draw, I would check first to see how well the battery holds a charge. Test the voltage as soon as you turn the car off, and leave it sitting overnight and check the voltage in the morning. Do the same test again at a time when you can leave it sitting for 24 hours to see if there is more of a voltage drop. if there is, likely your battery cant hold a charge (assuming you pass the parasitic draw test). Let me know the results, and keep it simple before you look for complex fixes.
Does turning the key a few times in the morning make it start like it normally should? Or is it still a hard start?
Also, scotty kilmer has a good video on checking the fuel pump. PITA to replace usually so definitely dont jump to that if it isn’t necessary
Could be a slight parasitic draw somewhere. see this video for that test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF1gijj03_0. Basically over the 12 hours you battery could drain a bit due to a parasitic draw and be less than optimal in the morning, then works well after you drive (and charge it with the alternator). How old is the battery? The battery might not be holding a charge well if there is no parasitic draw ( good way to test this is to check the voltage at the battery with a voltmeter when you get home at night, then again in the morning. I would do this after you determine if there is no parasitic draw because if there is then your battery voltage would be lower not due to it being unable to hold a charge)
Since you did the plugs, I would recommend the wires too. Also since you mentioned fuel pressure, do you have a fuel filter that can be changed? (usually under one of the side frame rails). Might help. I had the same problem in my old jeep and for me it was a parasitic draw due to bad aftermarket wiring. What mileage?
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