Why does fuel soak the plug head causing it hard to start

the plugs are fouling from fuel leaking past injectors and injector seals into the inlet manifold
it is nor a plug problem but injector and excess fuel problem as the fuel rail retains pressure when the ignition is off so any faults in the system will leak that pressure into the manifold

Is the check engine light on? How long has it been since the engine was tuned up? A worn plug that is "hot soaked" can create a longer cranking time. Hot soaked means it may have some un-burned fuel in the cylinder since the first cold start. A weak or worn plug has a harder time getting this fuel burned out of the cylinder when more fuel is being added during a warm start.

hot soak ,no starts 101:
which engine?, cant guess that. say it. please."name /size"
is it flooding or starving
hard to start , so that is easy you are parked, and makes diagnosis so easy, (no need to move)
you skipped the fuel filter:?
why not use a scan tool now.?
you crank for 5 seconds, see P03xx errors. DTC'
THE ECU REPORTS ALL CMP AND CKP SENSOR ERRORS!
bingo now you have your answer , finding this, scan tool free is hard hard work. am i to tell you that hard way, sure.
1:test spark on all cylinders ,same way 100 years, google it.
2: ok sparks good, i check all spark plug tips, for wet and dry or soaked in fuel.
3: i see dry, , i use test fuel (same way for 100 years,)
run on test fuel (my Model a ford, same way works.....)
4:; ah one plug is soaking , ah leaking injector
5:ah, all plugs wet, (too high fuel pressure, ECT stuck cold
if all are wet, I stop, there are lots of tests for this.(bulleted below)

• fuel pressure (KEYON, cranking and running and W.O.T.)
• injector leak down tests. all of em;'
• injector balance test (ALL)
• Fuelpump regulator 4 tests

all this perplexing, get your ASE mechanic in the loop.

which engine option? 4L I-6? four liter inline 6?
tune up ever? or at 60k mile service points?
hard starts are:
1: low compression.
2: weak spark (tune ups)
3: bad fueling.

will it starter easier with WOT, throttle (wide open) ? cleans fooding.
or 10% throttle.? (bad ISC, this works great)
so when it does start, can you use the throttle to keep in going???????
are the spark tips black and soaking in fuel?
or are they white/or cream/lt. tan and dry.
if dry does test fuel start car?

all my posts assumed tuned up.. no mech beats head on dead sparkplugs at $100/hr. not ever. so
nostart , page, see bullets?
http://www.fixkick.com/nostart.html


add one more,,, is the ASD relay dropping out cranking?
if yes, that is caused by 6 things.
post answer to that and get reasons. ask.

CODE PO300 - RANDOM MISFIRE DETECTED. POSSIBLE CAUSES ENGINE HAS A MECHANICAL FAULT.CLOGGED OR FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS.FUEL PRESSURE TOO LOW OR HIGH FUEL SUPPLY CONTAMINATED.EVAP CANISTER FUEL SOAKED.EGR VALVE IS STUCK OPEN OR THE PCV VALVE SYSTEM HAS A VACUUM LEAK.COULD HAVE FAULTY IGNITION COIL OR BAD SPARK PLUG. MAF SENSOR CONTAMINATED IT CAN CAUSE VERY LEAN FUEL CONDITIONS. CODE PO316 - MISFIRE IN THE FIRST 1000 REVOLUTIONS

this is most likely a fuel vapor issue.

fuel boils in the fuel rail causing a hard start after a 'hot soak'.

the fix is to replace the fuel pressure regulator and the pcm. good- day !!

Sounds like maybe the starter is getting heat soaked. Does it crank at all?

if you have a bluish type spark at the plugs its very good.check the fuel pressure regulator.may be over loading

Dheck all your ground straps. Also, check your fuel pressure regulator with a pressure gauge. But if you have one ground off it can cause the car to overfuel. Hope this helps. Phil