I read in Motortrend that turning your key to just before the ignition point for a few seconds causes some oil to lube the engine a bit before the harseness of a cold start. I also read that it saves your starter as well. I have been doing this in my '02 TL-S for about a year now and I am starting to doubt the benefits.

About half of the time, my engine make a strange sound like it is having some type of compression problem. It always starts, but it sounds like it is working hard for a second or two before the engine catches.

The other times, it starts just as quiet and as smooth as can be. I stopped waiting until the initial beeping sound stops, about 7 seconds, and just turned the key all the way from the start and have not heard that harse sound since.

Has anybody experience similar things?

 

Do what the owner's manual says.

No one knows your car better than the engineer's who designed it.