Blunders, am sorry to hear your car is giving you, well Blunders
Sorry had to mate
What is it that you drive? I just had a recent bout with a perculiar NSC ( No Start Condition ) My 98 Jetta like yours got progressively harder to start. It would start after having to cycle the key 3-4 times. Then for some odd reason it would only start in the morning
Contacts in the Start Switch cold???
When I was leaving for work in the evening I would have to have a fella give me a bump start. I owe my co-workers a few pints for that week of help
I RULE out your 109 relay because if that was suspect it would be like having someone pull the plug on the cars electronics. Your GP lights wouldn't cycle when you turned the key. NOTHING would work.
It can be the starter ( had it checked at a parts distributor for free ) , the igntion switch ( Both I repaired because they were shot ). The wiring in between. Dont rule out corroded battery cables, or freyd cables.
Have a mate turn the car over while you have you hand on the starter solenoid ( On top of starter ). Do you hear a click or feel anything? Give it some whacks with your BFH while you fella is turning the key. Remove the starter and have it bench tested at a parts distributor. Normally its all the clutch dust that stops the bendix from activating. Mine had alot. Was all excited when I first turned the key after I had R+R'd my starter. It fired up first try. I parked the car, and went back to work. I was rudely presented with a NSC when I wanted to go home that evening!!!
I purchased the electrical portion of the ignition start switch around $ 30 USD, and that too took about an hour to replace. The hardest part was the FGKHF^%$%$%^#$ Set screw that VW put in at the worst angle on the steering coloum. Do a search for R+R of the ignition Switch. There is a good thread with pictures that helped me out emmensly. The only thing I did wrong was not to mark on the coloum where I removed the steering wheel, and am a few teeth off. That bugs me. Does anyone have a fix for that???
Blunders I wish you luck. Do some searching, and let us know how you make out. If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask
Cheers,
Papa Bulldog
Bart