Relay, position 16, 1997 Jetta TDi

clyde

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2000
Location
confluence, Snake/Clearwater
TDI
1998 Jetta, 1959 DeSoto with leopard-skin seat covers
Installing TDi engine from 1997 Jetta in 1990 Jetta.

The Bentley manual (1993–early1999 Golf, Jetta, TDi) shows relay position 12 (bottom right of panel) as glow plug relay. The relay in that socket has the large terminals found on a glow plug relay.

However, the relay in position 16—fourth from the left above the relay panel—is piggybacked on a large (50 Amp) fuse. The wire colors (red, red-white) connected to this fuse show it to be the glow plug fuse.

The Bentley manual gives no description of relays 13–24. It dismisses their function as for "optional equipment."

What is the function of the relay in position 16, just above the glow plug fuse?
 

vwmikel

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 5, 2005
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
'94 Golf Sport TDI
clyde said:
Installing TDi engine from 1997 Jetta in 1990 Jetta.

The Bentley manual (1993–early1999 Golf, Jetta, TDi) shows relay position 12 (bottom right of panel) as glow plug relay. The relay in that socket has the large terminals found on a glow plug relay.

However, the relay in position 16—fourth from the left above the relay panel—is piggybacked on a large (50 Amp) fuse. The wire colors (red, red-white) connected to this fuse show it to be the glow plug fuse.

The Bentley manual gives no description of relays 13–24. It dismisses their function as for "optional equipment."

What is the function of the relay in position 16, just above the glow plug fuse?
IIRC Position 12 is the fuel pump relay on gas cars. I'm still using it as the fuel pump relay for the in-tank pump on my Golf. That extra relay in the carrier with the large fuse is in fact the glow plug relay regardless of what the Bentley tells you.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
The 1996 Passat TDI has a glow plug relay in position 12.
The 1997 Passat TDI has a jumper in position 12. The jumper feeds the power to the remotely mounted glow plug relay. I suspect that you'll find the 1997 Jetta similar to the 1997 Passat.
I removed the position 12 fuel pump relay from my 1997 Passat and installed the position 12 glow plug relay from my 1996 TDI engine donor.
 

clyde

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2000
Location
confluence, Snake/Clearwater
TDI
1998 Jetta, 1959 DeSoto with leopard-skin seat covers
VW Mikel, the socket in position 16 cannot accept the glow plug relay—its connectors are standard size, too small for the current carrying terminals on the glow plug (GP) relay. The GP relay on the donor 97 Jetta was in position 12 (the only socket that will accept the large prongs on the GP relay), and the glow plug fuse (with the 8 gage red-white wire) is underneath the still-anonymous position 16 relay.

I'll use a meter to trace the origin and destination of the two red wires on #16 relay. The wires on relay 16, by the way, are much too small to carry 50 amps without roasting the insulation.

Relay 16 may furnish +12 to the ECU…
 

vwmikel

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 5, 2005
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
'94 Golf Sport TDI
I don't recall which relay position is what off hand but I can tell you that my relay carrier for the glow plugs was seperate from the fuse block with it's own large fuse. Yours may very well be different if it is from a different model or build date.
 
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