Starting problem question

[Matt Yohann]

I have a 99 Explorer and I have been having starting problems lately. I was wondering if anyone can give me advice as to what the problem might be.
For the past couple of weeks my truck won't start right away after I have been driving it for awhile. The engine cranks, but it doesn't start for awhile. It doesn't do this in the mornings or if the truck has been sitting for a little while though.
Today I went to the store and when I went to start the truck to leave the engine was cranking really slowly, almost as if my battery was dying. I stopped cranking for about 15 seconds and when I cranked it again the engine spun really fast as normal and started up. Thankfully!
Can anybody tell me what might cause this?
Advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[koda2000]

Dirty, loose or corroded battery terminals/cables would be at the top of my list. Second I'd be suspicious of the starter motor.

As far as the not starting up easily once hot, my 2001 EB 5.0L did this when I first bought it back in 2012. I don't drive it that much, but it continued to do this until this past winter. Sometimes it would do the long-crank, once in a while it didn't want to start at all, but eventually did. This past winter, after being parked in my garage for months, it would not start at all. I did not hear the fuel pump running. I changed the fuel pump and it's started perfectly ever since. In my experience with Explorers (which is not inconsiderable) the fuel pumps start giving your trouble between 170K-200K.

 

[david4451]

Clean and clean again the connections to the starter solenoid then tighten them down really well.
This happened to me cold engine, started first time when engine hot sometimes it started and sometimes nothing. Leave truck half hour and it would start ok.