Electrical Problems

I have a 1998 TDI Jetta with 68K miles. Sometimes when I start the car the AC fan/AC indicator light and recirculate button all are inoperative along with the windshield wipers. Basically, I have no ac and no wipers intermittantly at startup. If I completely shut down the car, it usually will work after a couple of restarts? If I try to drive the car while the AC and wiper aren't working, I hear this terrible sound (like a belt squealing) when I engage the clutch. It stops when I release it?

Help?

I would suspect a faulty ignition switch or load reduction relay. Try jiggling the key in the switch, turning slightly back & forth, to see if the dead items come back. The load relay is on the main relay panel (not the upper auxillary add-on section) upper row, fourth from the left. Or think of it as the second row from the bottom (fuses), fourth from the driver's door.