1997 Jetta - Alarm? Power To Starter Solenoid?

Hello -

Hoping you can help... After jumping a friends car last week, a
colleagues 1997 Jetta won't start. The problem is unusal... The
electrical system sees to be OK - power to the lights, radio, signals,
wipers, etc. However, turn the key to start and nothing!

I checked all fuses - they're good.

Working backwards, I found that there was no power to the starter
solenoid. I made up a wire and jumped the solenoid to 12V on the
battery... starts right up!

After a good deal of internet searching, I suspected a problem with
the alarm system. I disconnected the 6-pin connector from the alarm
module and jumpered pins 5 & 6. Still nothing.

Any thoughts on where else we might look...? How best to further
troubleshoot this problem?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best Regards,

A.

stick or automatic?
Stick will have a safety switch on the clutch pedal.
automatic will have some neutral safety switch.

might be ign switch

Did you make sure you jumpered the correct wires at the alarm module?
One should come from the ign switch and the other go to the starter. Fat
red? wires.
Probably bad wiring in the driver's door harness causing the alarm to stay
armed.
--
later,
(One out of many daves)

"Avestruz" > wrote in message
...
>
> Hello -
>
> Hoping you can help... After jumping a friends car last week, a
> colleagues 1997 Jetta won't start. The problem is unusal... The
> electrical system sees to be OK - power to the lights, radio, signals,
> wipers, etc. However, turn the key to start and nothing!
>
> I checked all fuses - they're good.
>
> Working backwards, I found that there was no power to the starter
> solenoid. I made up a wire and jumped the solenoid to 12V on the
> battery... starts right up!
>
> After a good deal of internet searching, I suspected a problem with
> the alarm system. I disconnected the 6-pin connector from the alarm
> module and jumpered pins 5 & 6. Still nothing.
>
> Any thoughts on where else we might look...? How best to further
> troubleshoot this problem?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> A.

I'll do with Dave's guess on the ignition switch.

Any of the doors can cause the alarm problem. Had the most problems on
my '95 with the driver's side rear door. Once I got stuck and 'fixed'
it by opening and closing that door, trying it, repeat until success.
Took about a dozen times.

I repaired the harness later that weekend.

Mark
'95 Jetta GLS (sold)
'08 Jetta

I have a '97 Jetta stick and the darn alarm system is the worst mess ever
invented. After waking up to wailing horns several nights in a row I went
to VWVortex and found the directions to totally disable the darn mess. No
problems since.
No wonder the Germans lost both world wars............................


"Mark" > wrote in message
.. .
> I'll do with Dave's guess on the ignition switch.
>
> Any of the doors can cause the alarm problem. Had the most problems on
> my '95 with the driver's side rear door. Once I got stuck and 'fixed'
> it by opening and closing that door, trying it, repeat until success.
> Took about a dozen times.
>
> I repaired the harness later that weekend.
>
> Mark
> '95 Jetta GLS (sold)
> '08 Jetta