Odd Starting Issue 2001 Sport

Our 2001 Sport occasionally sounds slow to start and also sometimes cranks a bit longer. It has 38k on it and I plan to change the plugs this week. Before last week it never had any symptoms like this at all....What can it be?

Original battery ? if so it's getting a bit long in the tooth. I did all three of our jeeps, TJ's and XJ, couple of years ago with optima red tops when they were on sale for $90 at advanced...

my 01 sport has 57k and just started doing the same thing. i just replaced the battery about two months ago. hopefully changing the plugs and various other tune up things will solve the problem, but it is annoying!

forgot to mention I did just change the battery and still not diiference....Bought new pluds today to install this week. First start after sitting for a while seems to be the worst as well. CPS?

get your hands on a fuel pressure guage, sounds like your losing fuel pressure in the lines. If you run the jeep shut it off and start it right away does it fire right up? If you run it, shut it off and let it sit for an hour and go start it, do you have to crank it for a while before it starts? My guess is your having to build the fuel pressure back up in the system. My '91 had the same problem and jeep had a fix for it (replace hose and clamp to fuel pump in tank). Yours is a '01 so I don't know if it will be the same fix, but it sounds like the same problem. Could be a bad pressure regulator (pull vacuum line @ regulator and check for fuel), check valve in fuel pump, leaking injector. Definitely get your hands on a pressure guage to make certain. Hope this helps