Chrysler Repair: 2001 Chrysler Concorde Starting Difficulties, chrysler concorde lxi, 2001 chrysler concorde

Question
Hi Roland, I just need to be pointed in the right direction.  I have a 2001 Chrysler Concorde LXi with approximately 65k miles.  It recently began having difficulty starting.  I'll get in, turn the ignition and nothing.  Next time I turn the ignition it starts right up.  Next time maybe it takes 3 turns, next time it starts on the first turn.  I tried jumping, and the same thing happens.  I'm not sure where to begin looking for the fix.  Can you help point me to a few different possible solutions?  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Craig,
Of course there is always the possibility of a fault code that is stored in the engine controller. You may be able to get a self readout by turning the ignition key: on-off-on-off-on and leave on, doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then see if any codes appear in the odometer window. Let me know if it works and you get something with four-digit number(s). Or you may get a free readout at Autozone stores.
But my favorite suspect is the egr valve, which may be sticking ajar when you shut off the engine. Then when you come back to start it the mixture will be too lean until the valve closes, which might take a couple of tries of the starter motor to shake it loose. Take a look for it in pipe between one of the exhaust manifolds and the intake throttle body. You didn't say which engine so I can't tell you specifically which manifold has the pipe and the valve nearby to the throttle body. But once you find it notice the round vacuum actuator on top of the body of the valve. Between that actuator and the body is a flange inside of which you should find a rod with a circumferential slot (this is the valve stem). You can move the rod in and out with the tip of a screwdriver, and that is opening and closing the valve, the valve is closing with the help of a spring. If the valve doesn't close tightly by means of the spring then spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the body of the valve. Then move it back and forth again to be sure it moves freely. If it had been stick this should not have corrected the hard starting problem. (Now that I think of it the EGR on the 2.7/3.2 is a bit more modern than earlier versions, so there may not be an exposed valve stem. So if you don't see one, forget all this and go for the fault code readout.)
Let me know what happens or you get some codes.
Roland