Volkswagen Repair: volkswagon jetta, volkswagon jetta, coil wire

Question
hey. just wondering if you can help me out here. i have a 2001 volkswagon jetta. i drove it to school today and then came home and it ran perfectly. i went out to start it 4 hours later and it was dead. the engine wont turn over. i can hear the fuel pump running so i know its getting gas and its not the batter because i checked it, load tested it, and i even tried boosting it to give it some extra power.
this is the first time it has happened, and it is an automatic transmission. any idea what the problem is?

Answer
I'll go out on a limb and guess that this is a 1.8T car.  The coils can be defective.  At least in the 1.8T cars.  If it's a 2.0 liter, then I'd have to say it's your "power distribution relay" (incorrect, but common name).  The name of the relay is actually the "load reduction relay."  This relay takes all power from other consumers in the car, and makes all power available to the starter, or the "50 power" circuit.  If it can't, then the start circuit may, or may not work, and if parts of it do, then there is a possibility that other parts of it will not.  You may be getting fuel, but no spark. There is only one other possibility I'm familiar with, and that is a very restrictive, very hard to qualify for recall, or campaign.  The coil wire harness is called an "overlay" harness for 1.8T powered cars.  If the insulation has cracked on the wires that feed power to the coils they may not be energized at all.  The power may be "leeched" out before it get to the coils.