91 Jetta Starting Problems -HELP!!!!

I have a 91 VW Jetta with about 133k on it. Every so often (about 4 times in the year I've owned it) I have this problem where it won't start. No warning, no problems beforehand, it just refuses to start. I can turn the key and I hear a relay clicking, but that's it. I cannot determine a source for the problem because it seems to fix itself. The last time it happened I came back to my car a few hours later to put it on a trailer, and it started no problem and ran great until today (2 months later). Any idea what on earth is doing this?? It's highly frustrating, as you can imagine. I'm positive that in a few hours it will start again, but I'd like to prevent this from happening again. Any help would be great.

I have a 91 VW Jetta with about 133k on it. Every so often (about 4 times in the year I've owned it) I have this problem where it won't start. No warning, no problems beforehand, it just refuses to start. I can turn the key and I hear a relay clicking, but that's it. I cannot determine a source for the problem because it seems to fix itself. The last time it happened I came back to my car a few hours later to put it on a trailer, and it started no problem and ran great until today (2 months later). Any idea what on earth is doing this?? It's highly frustrating, as you can imagine. I'm positive that in a few hours it will start again, but I'd like to prevent this from happening again. Any help would be great.


I just purchased a 92 Jetta about a month ago and I have had the same
exact problem twice now. I turn the key and all I get is a click. I thought
I was going to have to get it towed but then out of the blue it started.
I contacted the previous owner and he said it happened to him 1 time
over a one year period and never happened again. I did take it to a shop
but the the mechanic could not find anything wrong. Of course it cranked every time he tried it. He checked the starter and supposedly
it checked out good. I still suspect the starter as the most likely
cause of the problem though. If it has a bad spot in it, that will cause
the random problem of not starting. I don't know much about Jettas,
maybe this is a common problem and may or may not be related to the
starter. Hopefully someone can help us out. If not, I may just go ahead
and replace the starter and see if that corrects the problem.

It's the starter no mattwer what your mechanic says i had the same problem when i first got my 91 jetta and i took it straight back to the dealer (towed back actually) they replaced the starter, and it's been fine ever since

I had the same problem, some times my 92 jetta carat didn't want start , the fuel pump doesn't run , no positive to distribuitor .................. the problem was non+ coming to the ECU... look if it arrives to the Ecu