Jeep: Jeep Cherokee, jeep cherokee, magnetic induction

Question
I have a 98 Jeep Cherokee with about 84000 miles.  When I start it cold, you have to crank it for a second or two to get it going.  Once you run it for a couple minutes, it fires right up every time you try to start it.  Do you think it is the battery, or  should I be looking at something else.

Thanks

Answer
The long crank time is normal for jeeps. As they get older This is the norm, I dont know if it is slow bleed down in the fuel lines over night or if it is just that the TDC sensor has to make a couple of rotations around before it can have give a good enough spark signal to the coil(The TDC sensor works on magnetic induction and as the magnetic field weakens it needs more rotations to generate the proper power). This has been a debate issue among some of my peers for some time.
It is always a good idea to clean the terminals of the battery, if you want piece of mind you can get your battery load tested at most parts stores.