96 explorer 4.o liter hot start

I have a hard time getting my explorer to start when it's hot. It spits and sputters and dies. I can usually get it to start but it's pretty hard, and it runs rough for a few minutes. This never happens from a cold start. It will start fine if I let it sit for a while and cool off. Any ideas?

could be the mass air flow sensor (maf) just replaced mine, seems to helped, with mileage and sputtering. You can replace this yourself, but you'll need a gasket. It's only a suggestion take in to a shop for a diagnostic check.

m f

Did you ever find out what was causing your hard start problem when the motor was hot. I have 97 explorer 4.0 sohc that is doing the exact same thing. You drive it for 30min and then let it sit for 30min to and hour and then it just cranks and cranks. Finally it will start but it spits and spudders and then runs fine. Strangest thing I have ever seen. I have checked the fuel pressure regualtor and the coolant temp sensor, but both those items checked out ok.

I haven't fixed it yet but I have narrowed it down to a sticking injector. I haven't figured out which injector yet, and I'm not sure how to, but I think one of them is sticking open and causing the problem.

sticking or clogged?

Why don't you run some injector flush w/ some b12.
Its only like $2 a bottle, plus you need one of those canisters. (fuel injector cleaner canister).

just pull ur fuel pump fuse let your engine shut off by it self, hook up canister full of b12 to your schrader valve on your fuel rail, start ur engine and let it use all the b12, take off canister then put fuse back in.

It works good, b12 is a paint thinner, dealerships use this meathod and charge like $70 bucks.

What do I use to hook the b12 to the fuel rail?

Stuck injector. How did you determine that? This hot start problem appears to be a common problem with many different causes on the explorer. Stuck injector would cause one cylinder to flood out. I discovered something new the other day. I had a friend tell me that the engineers at ford designed a "Clear flood mode" into the EEC. When you turn the key and start cranking you immediatly stomp down on the accelerator and let up. This is supposed to put the computer in "Clear Flood" mode and stops all fuel from being sprayed by the injectors. I tried it and it worked for my vehicle. It lit right off, reved to about 2000rpm for a few seconds and then stablized at normal idle. Try it and see what happens. I don't know if there is any truth to this 'clear flood mode" but it did seem to work on my vehicle.

sticking or clogged?

Why don't you run some injector flush w/ some b12.
Its only like $2 a bottle, plus you need one of those canisters. (fuel injector cleaner canister).

just pull ur fuel pump fuse let your engine shut off by it self, hook up canister full of b12 to your schrader valve on your fuel rail, start ur engine and let it use all the b12, take off canister then put fuse back in.

It works good, b12 is a paint thinner, dealerships use this meathod and charge like $70 bucks.

I cleaned the injectors today, finally. I spent $100 on the cleaner, 3M 08912, and the hose to hook it to the fuel rail, 3M 8838. The hose was the expensive part, $80. I originally bought 3m injector cleaner #08956. I was told that I would need to use a regulator with the 08956 but not with 3M injector cleaner 08912. Interesting. Any way I pulled the Fuel System / Security fuse. (Located under the hood) and hooked up the cleaner using an adapter from my fuel pressure tester. I couldn't get it to run. After toying with it and scatching my head a lot I decided to remove the core from the valve on the fuel rail. (I could get cleaner to flow through the adapter) After removing the core I got the engine to run using the injector cleaner 08912.