H guys/gals my car starts slow. I would say it takes 3-4 seconds to start. It sounds like it's trying to catch and then does. Once it starts its fine, it doesn't matter if it's cold or hot either. Any ideas of things to check first.

 

The supercharger kicks in at about 2800 rpm, when the bypass valve closes (uses both vacuum and a soring)....so sometimes there can a a bit of wait for power
If the car has been sitting, the intercooler can be heatsoak....means the timing is reduced till the intake temps drop....just a fact of life with a top mounted IC.

If you are referring to STARTING....then it's a different story....
Sparkplugs can be worn....the coil often gets corroded where the wires connect, and the wires get worn...
Heck, even the compression drops in older motors, making starting harder...

 

One suggestion...next time you go to start...
Turn the key to "on" let it sit for 3-5 seconds.... Let the fuel psi build, then crank.
Then post what happened...
Seasonally, mini's ecu seems to have an issue adjusting to the fuel as winter/summer blend transitions happen....so many have hard starting for a couple tanks of fuel, springg and fall.

 

Ok thanks for the tip, I'll go give it a try see if there is a difference when starting.

 

Definately quicker with leaving the key forward for a few seconds before starting. Still not as quick as only other car but better. I've only had the car long enough not to even get gas in it yet since I've had to fix somethings first.

 

Remember, premium ONLY, unless you can afford to spend $2000 or so to fix burnt valves.
If you had said it was a longer, rumbly start, then a "drippy" injector could have been letting raw gas trip from the rail into the cylinder....and dropping the rail psi when sitting.

I would suggest you check the coil pack plugs/terminals...they tend to corrode...they are nickle plated iron as opposed to brass on the OEM units...and rust....a bit of sandpaper and dielectric grease is a cheap fix.

 

Now you got me thinking it is a bit rumbly. I took the head off to replace the head gasket, but the injectors and o rings seemed fine.