Starting yesterday my car won't start immediately as usual. It's a manual and it feels almost like I'm not pressing the clutch to start but I am. The only thing I've noticed to be different is I no longer hear that "squirting" noise from the gas tank like it's running it up to the engine. (It usually does that noise obviously pretty loud if I can hear it in the cabin.) Now it kind of sounds like a "psst" "psst" every 5-10 seconds. Of course I have the typical improper gas reading when it gets low so I ran out of gas the other night and my CEL is on now, but the last time that happened the light turned off on it's own after a few days.
I'm afraid to go get a CEL reading in fear that if I break down at the shop they'll try to force me to get it fixed there or tow it away.
When I turn the key to ignition it's below the 12V on the meter but doesn't seem to me that the battery is the problem. I drove all day yesterday and got back in 20 minutes later and it still did it again- the battery should have been charged it's less than 3 years old. If I leave it at ignition and wait a minute then try to crank it pauses for a moment then turns over. Now it's happening on like the third try. I feel like I have to leave it there and wait for something to happen before it'll crank.

I've been meaning to change the fuel filter since it's never been done.

-I'm at 114k 30v AHA, no knocking, no rougher idle

 

Go to auto zone, they will read the cel for free

 

battery's can go bad even at brand new if you live in cold weather its even worse if you go to hot and cold all the time 3 years old is not uncommon for a battery to go bad if your running the ac and stero all the time its prob time to go

 

That's Chicago weather described perfectly. So you think it's the battery? I'll try giving it a trickle charge and see if it cranks right away after. Thanks

 

yep well there you go autozone battery's are junk ive been through so many of those i buy all my battery's at sears they last a long time im happy with the battery's there but nothing else

 

yup. It seems when I ran out of gas I kept trying to start it, that's what wore down the battery. I never drove it long enough to let it recharge enough. I guess I panicked