Questions and Answers

Volkswagen Jetta Questions Q. I have a 1997 Volkswagen Jetta GLX VR-6. It is a manual transmission with 55,000 miles. It has fuel injection, ABS brakes, P/S, A/C, and Cruise control. Not sure about the steering and I believe it is a 6-cylinder. I have three questions.

1. The ABS light sometimes comes on during a hard breaking and then may or may not stay lit after you release the break pedal. If it comes on and stays lit, then it usually stays lit even after stopping and restarting the car. Then suddenly, after a few restarts or a few days, depending on its temperament, it shuts off. Is this an electrical problem or is something actually wrong with the ABS system?

2. The right rear passenger window fell off of its track and dropped down inside the door. I took off the door panel and found that there is a plastic part that holds the window in place. Is this an auto part that I can buy or is it part of the full regulator assembly?

3. My keyless entry has stopped working. I have tried replacing the battery on the key but it did not help. My next attempt is the fuse, but I can't find a listing for power locks on the fuse diagram. Can you tell me which fuse it is?

In general, I think the Jetta has some electrical problems. Sometimes the Cruise control works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the power windows work, sometimes they don't. Do you get many comments of this nature about the Jetta?

Thank you for all of your help.

A. 1. The ABS has self-diagnostics and will store DTCs. You will need a scan tool to access the DTCs.

2. That plastic piece broke off the window regulator, so the whole thing will have to be replaced.

3. My diagram doesn't show a specific fuse, so you will need to check them all. With a test light it will take less than a minute. It is possible the key needs to be reprogrammed. The Volkswagen Dealer will do this for you.

German cars, and not just Volkswagens, are prone to electrical problems. Mostly due to loose terminal contacts inside the connectors. I have a little kit I made up that has all the different male connectors German cars use. The second thing I do with an electrical problem on a German is to check the female connectors for tightness. I slip the male connector into the female connector and it should have a fair amount of tightness. If it is loose I use a small screwdriver to tighten it up.

Many intermittent electrical problems are fixed in this manner.