Odd electrical problems

I've had some odd electrical problems with my 99.5 Jetta TDI. The most obvious and aggrivating of the bunch deals with my radio and stock CD changer. When playing CDs, the changer seems to "skip" but the CDs play fine on all other CD players. It isn't a normal skip either, its almost like the changer loses power then resumes very quickly (within a couple seconds). Also, when trying to adjust the base or treble (for radio, CD, etc.) the level is locked on either A or D (I don't remember exactly). Both the AM and FM reception is horrid, but I checked to make sure the antenna is grounded correctly and it is (holding balance for 10 seconds then hitting CD twice).

Also, the car starts very rough. It will usually turn over for a few seconds the it seems to jerk to a start. It runs fine afterward with the exception of the CEL for a possible bad glow plug/harness/relay (I'll find out this weekend).

Do you guys have any idea what's going on? Could it be a bad battery, relay 109, or loose wire?

Check the ground point under the battery for being clean and tight. This has been a know point of corrosion problems.

The amp in the base of the antenna may have become deceased.

Start of injection timing needs to be verified and possibly corrected.

Verify the changer is securely mounted, the connector is securely together and there is no chafing along the visible part of the wiring harness.

How bizzare ... a Jetta with electrical problems? No way!

Sorry, I couldn't resist ...

On a more serious note, you should get find someone in your area with VAG-COM and read the code. That will at least help correct one of the problems you are encountering.

Yeah, I took it down to the dealer quite some time ago and they told me it came up with a code for the glow plugs. Then they told me that it could either be a glow plug or the relay and they needed $100 more to figure out which part was causing problems. I then took my key and left, quickly.

For a $100 dollars you could buy a multimeter and learn how to use it.

For a $100 dollars you could buy a multimeter and learn how to use it.

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I'll be doing that this weekend.... I was just wondering if you guys had run into any of these problems.

Of the 20,000 odd members here (some more odd than others ), I'd venture to say half have had glow plug issues.

The radio reception is almost always the antenna. you need to physically look at it. The CD changer may be a loose or corroded connection. I would check the socket in the rear of the car.

Thanks guys. I've been browsing the forums here for quite some time and I am finally starting to do a lot of repair work on my car.

I'll have to put some pictures up of the BS that the repair shop did after I hydroplaned going 80MPH