Thanks for the replies. This car is relatively new to me. I bought it with 134000 and it now has 138000.
I will try the suggestion of letting the pumps prime before starting and continue to monitor the situation.

Regards to all!

How many miles on the car?

I just went through a situation that sounds similar to your symptoms.

My 945T had 260k+ mi on it. Original pumps. Long story short, I replaced both pumps and haven't had a problem since.

I disassembled the main pump just to see what I could see and the commutator was worn down at least 1/4 inch along with the brushes to the point they were only making intermittent contact. New pump was the answer. I posted pics of the old pump for posterity.

Most fuel pumps make some noise. On the next nice day, drive with your window down in traffic and pay attention to sounds of other vehicles. You'll hear lots of fuel pumps.

As to your priming problem, you've answered it. Give the pump 5 seconds or so with the key on, and see if you eliminate your problem. My startup routine in my Jeep Cherokee is to turn the key on (but not start), fasten my seatbelt, then start the truck. Pump gets primed, works every time.

There is a fuel pump check valve on your pump designed to keep pressure in the system. It's POSSIBLE that it is a little leaky, but if you let the pump prime a few seconds and fix your problem - I wouldn't worry about crawling under to replace just that part. Next time you change the fuel filter, replace the check valve as well.

Hope this helps.