My car starts almost immediately (1/2 a crank) every morning, it's garaged.

When I go to start it after work and being outside all day it cranks several times before starting.

This happens here in the Chicago tundra when it's 20 or colder out.

Battery is new and voltage reads 12.7.

Any idea why the long crank?

tia

 

My idea would be along the lines of:

20 degrees x engine oil viscosity x higher internal drag x battery voltage under higher load . . . in some combination.

 

I wouldn't expect this to be too far outside of the ordinary...

At 20 deg F, most of the initial fuel spray from the injectors condenses out in the intake manifold/head before reaching the cylinder.