98 mountaineer hard start when warm...HELP!!!

my friend has a 98 mountaineer 8cyl and i drove it the other day when we went away on vacation. in the morning it started up fine then after about 1 hour driving it we pulled into a rest area to get something to eat the car was off for about 5 minutes. i tried to start it and it took about 15 seconds to start..can someone please help me.....thanks

Based on the limited information provided, my first suspect would be a weak fuel pump. Check with your friend though to see when the last tune up, including fuel filter, was performed. If they give you a questioning look, ask you "What's a tune up" or say they don't remember, then that might be the place to start.

Is the hard start easy to duplicate? There are a few things you can try, such as turn the key to acc, then off for 5 seconds, then back to acc, off for 5 more seconds, then try to start. If it readily starts now, that would indicate a fuel pressure problem (weak pump, restricted line/filter).

If that doesn't seem to have an effect, or makes the issue worse, then try holding the throttle all the way to the floor (Wide Open Throttle - WOT). This shuts off the fuel injectors allowing a start in the event that a vehicle is flooded with fuel. If the truck starts easily this way, then you may have a fuel pressure regulator issue or leaky fuel injector(s).

If that doesn't work, then try just holding the throttle plate open slightly. If the vehicle reliably starts this way, the Idle Air Control (IAC) could be the issue. Also check the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) vacuum and valve.

-Rod