Replaced the alternator,and battery cause of the cold temps,turn the key now and it whines,starter was just fine before we changed alt. an battery,,what can i do now,

redux 1: kick is click.
yes heat can cause any electrics to fail sure can.

the alternator, is what glows that battery lamp, (bat /gen/alt/charger)
or is dead alternator or intermittent or fails hot.
or a bad battery , or intermittent. and sure heat failing.
that is 3 possible things,
battery fails load tests
when running battery does not show 13. to 15vdc , so alt is bad or
fuses for alt are bad.
great post,. very rare this kind of failure. hot. I'm sure it will get worsE as they love to do. the fuse can not fail hot, unless rusty. or has ,micro cracks on it.
BEST IS CHECK ALL FUSES FIRST.



what happens on A dead starter ,? but all you get is one tiny click){no kick)\?
that CLICK is the starter relay working. (doing its job)<< a good sign and FACT.

the battery is dead, now, or rust/loose, battery cables or lugs.
what we do is ( I will assume Alternator is dead)_
charge the battery and or have it load tested for good/ bad.?
or use jumper cables to crank the dead starter, (not backwards jumped EVER)
now the stater motor can crank the engine now and it starts
but if the "battery light on the dashboard" glows engine running the that alternator is dead and with that thje battery goes dead again (repeats)

alternators can fail many ways, (on running engine and test to find it)
1: ALT is dead (or weak or inermittant or fails hot )
2; 3 ALT FUSES , 1 OF THEM BLOW OUT. 50AMP TO 100 AMP. YES. OR IT'S FUSIBLE LINK,
3: LOOSE FAN BELT TO IT OR MISSING.
4: learn that bad battery can make the alternator seem bad but the ALT is okay.

on newer cars the ALT is smarter and it goes off line if it (thinks?) the battery might explode.
shorted cell batteries
or battery dead open circuit (inside it)
the ALT does not want to go over voltage and to prevent that it may just go off line, to not damage car. electronics.

tests,
CHECK ALL FUSES
load test the battery, most shops or autostore's do this for free, (a test)
borrow and good battery from other good car
jumper cable start car, (as AAA AUTO CLUB tow trucks do endlessly)
HOT WIRE THE STARTER soleniod, TO PROVE STARTER IS GOOD/BAD (BATTERY KNOWN GOOD FIRST.

Inside the fuel pump moduel in the gas tank is a little known part called a

FUEL PUMP CHECK VALVE ! The pupose of this check valve is to keep the fuel lines an fuel rail full of gas . Having it checked would involve hook up a fuel pressure gauge . An no it's not you starter .

http://www.thesaabsite.com/faqs/9-5%20(9600)/FAQ--fuel-system-category--fuel-pump-check-valve-issues.html?id=682

First have battery checked at shop that knows what they are doing.

The basics, your battery is used to provide power to the starter. Once the engine is running the alternator then provides current to recharge the battery and run all of your electrical components. so I would suspect the starter is not working to start the engine.

You could be right, it may not be the battery, but something to consider.
In cold weather the damand on the battery to turn and start the engine is much higher than in warm weather.

Often people buy a replacement battery without knowing what the minimum, "cold cranking amps," rating is for their car. And often there's no sign of any problem. But, when the weather turns cold not having the minimum cold cranking amps is now a problem.

Just as a procautionary measure, you could read the cold cranking amps rating on your battery, and then call any parts store to see what battery is called for as a replacement. This could prove very helpful.

Something else that may be helpful to you.

1. You could check on your battery to see if it is a maintenance free battery.
If it's not maintenance free, you should have the levels in your battery checked. If the levels are low it will prevent the alternator from charging the battery up to its peak level.

I hope this helps.

if the starter cranks but the engine does not turn on, then you have a problem with the V.A.T.S. system (V.A.T.S. = Vehicle Anti Theft System) if starter is not working then re-check battery first, then take alternator to local parts store, they have alternator bench testers, if alternator is o.k. your starter is faulty. alternators should produce bout 12.75 volts to 14.5 volts, amperage varies on alt. types

Hello kshane53
What you've described are the classic symptoms of a bad starter drive. The easy fix is a new starter. If I understand you're question correctly, the engine turns over a couple of times then kicks out and you hear the whining till you release the key. If thats the case a starter will cure it.
Also be sure to inspect the flywheel for any chipped teeth when you change the starter.
Hope this helps.

Is your starter staying engaged after starting? if so probably ignition switch.

Could be a bad switch but heat usually doesnt cause this. A starter can be affected by heat tho

Could very well be a starter problem, but I typically suggest that one should check out the condition of the battery (may not be throwing sufficient amps to crank the starter), and then the alternator to make certain the alternator is providing enough amps to fully charge the battery.

Sounds like the starter is actually turning, just not fully engaging. when a starter dies 6 out of 10 times it's a bad selenoid (causing a loud clicking sound instead of the starter engaging). Doesn't sound like your immediate problem.

Try jump starting the Beetle. If it starts that was it's probably a battery or alternator issue. If your successful in getting the car started your local autoparts store (AutoZone, Advance Auto or O'Reillys) can test your battery and alternator for Free. Call before you go to make certain that their testing equipment is functioning.