2000 Saab 9-3 Aero Starting Issue

[Captain Answer]

I was wondering if someone could give me a spot of advice on an intermittent starting issue I've been having...

Usually the car will start just fine, pop the key in and hold it on start & after around 3/4 spins she will catch and start just fine.

However I've now got an issue where the car is taking much longer to start, having to hold the key down for around 4/5 times longer.

This started last week and is happening maybe twice a week at the moment, both from cold starting and warm starting.

Anyone any ideas on what this may be?

[Lady Summerisle]

Could be the crankshaft position sensor... fairly common fault on these cars.

[Lexual]

How old is your battery? I was having problems, new battery... no more problems.

[IroningMan]

Ditto - longer crank time is a good indicator of a dying battery.