'03 wagon shuts down and resets clock and trip odometer

wncre8r

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Location
M
TDI
2
I am having an intermittent problem with an '03 wagon. It shuts down while driving and in doing so the clock and trip odometer reset but not the radio. I have to pull over and turn the key back to off and start again. Any Ideas? The battery terminals are tight. This has happened 3 or 4 times in the last month
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
Check the primary fuses (on top of the battery) and the ground lead at the engine block end. Good bet it's the negative cable that has the problem.
 

flee

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Location
Chatsworth, CA
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS wagon
Also, how old is the battery?
I had the same symptoms and later needed a new battery.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Loose or poor connection somewhere!

Has the problem caused any issues with the radio? If not, the problem is not the battery or battery terminals nor the circuit that involves power to the radio! Otherwise, you would be looking for the radio code in order to re-set it.
 
Last edited:

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
Andy: Nope. The radio will not lock if the ECU and radio combination remains the same. I've pulled my battery for over 24 hours before while doing work on the car and did not need the code -- it checks the ECU serial number and if the same it comes right back up.
 

Rxfire

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Location
Dripperley-Blanco Triangle, TX
TDI
2 each 03 5 speed Jetta wagons, 1 NA Isuzu P'up (a keeper)
Andy and Genesis--

Same here, never had to use a radio code when pulling batteries with any of our 03's.

I was all worried, maybe they changed it somewhere in the 2000-2003 years
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Never had to use Radio code either due to pulling battery. But, I have as a result of the negative cable losing connection as I hit the ignition to start the engine.. had that to happen a couple of times about 18 months ago!

It's a bad connection somewhere! Obviously, it is not just affecting the engine, it's hitting the power to the Cluster (which is Computer).
 

wncre8r

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Location
M
TDI
2
so should I be looking for a loose neg terminal cable at the block or should I concerned about a 109 relay or ignition switch problem, what would be your best guess. why would it be intermittent and why would it only affect the trip odometer, clock on dash and shut the engine off?
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
I doubt it's relay 109 as that wouldn't kill the cluster.

I'd be looking for a loose primary power connection and the most-likely is the negative cable -- but it of course can be either of them.

Be aware that you can have corrosion INSIDE the cable jacket; if that is going on it is detectable by flexing the cable along its length -- if you feel "cracklies" when you do that it's a good bet the cable has wicked up salt and other corrosives into the jacket and the wire has been compromised internally and should be replaced.
 

wncre8r

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Location
M
TDI
2
took off and cleaned the neg terminal at the block and also at the battery. looked at the fuses in the battery box, they look fine. Will see if that solves the problem. what does the 109 relay do?
 
Top