Trouble starting

[cft073]

My '98 Beetle started very hard this morning after running fine yesterday. The engine turned over very slowly, cranking slowly many times before speeding up and starting. After driving for a while and shutting it off, it started hard again.

Could this be the battery or alternator? There were no electrical devices on inside the car when I started it. The car alarm also went off after removing the key from the ignition one time today. Could there be a short that drained the battery?

Any suggestions before I go to the dealer are appreciated.

Thanks.

[hestersu]

How old is the battery in the car? Are you in an area that has been experiencing significantly cold temps for the last few weeks/month?

If you have an old battery (3 or more years) and/or experiencing the cold weather, I would say it was the battery. If you have a relatively new battery and still experiencing the deep freeze, it could still be the battery as severe cold can kill a battery that is not intended for severe cold weather (cold crank power may not be good enough).

If none of the above are true, then it could be the alternator.

Autozone or the like can test your battery. They may be able to test your alternator as well. Most of the time, this is a free test. Try that.