Symptoms happened to me before. Changed my cap and rotor and problem went away

Cheers!

 

Try getting in the habit of turning the key to ON but don't immediately turn to START. The fuel pump runs for 2 seconds then stops. If you allow say 1 second or more to get fuel pressure, then start the car before the pump shuts off.

If this makes it start OK every time, then maybe it's something to do with fuel pressure leaking back to the tank. So it might be a FPR issue or maybe a bad check-valve in the fuel pump?

Cap & rotor might have microscopic cracks or something like that? Spark can leak out (short) across surface scratches that are barely visible. Check that by looking for arcing in the dark when you first start a cold engine.

 

Please check and answer the other questions.

If those test out let us know.

Where I was going is a out there a bit but it "reads" that way to me - note we all read thing differently.....the car sits for a long period of time.....you go to start and the starter has problems turning the car over - you said something about a grinding noise........water does not compress. At some point after several tries it fires up and runs a bit rough for a few seconds and then clears up and goes......am I close?

Do you have to add coolant every now and then?