If your 1997 Volkswagen Jetta starts slowly, or will not start at all, a faulty starter may be the problem. The starter provides electricity to the engine so that it will crank over. If you have determined that your starter has gone bad, you can replace it yourself. While this is not an easy task, doing it yourself is less expensive than having the vehicle towed to the service shop for a starter replacement. Most amateur mechanics should be able to complete this project in about two thours.
Park the car on a hard, level surface, and set the emergency brake. Open the hood and disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery terminal.
Place blocks behind the rear tires of the Jetta. Raise the front of the vehicle with a floor jack. Some Jettas are built on A3 platforms--if this is the case, you should place a floor jack beneath the engine, and place a block of wood under the engine for increased support. Do not jack up the engine with the floor jack, as it is only there for support. Raising the front end of the vehicle places strain on VW engines built on A3 platforms.
Locate the starter on your 1997 Volkswagen Jetta. It is located on the rear underside of the engine, near the transmission. Look at the transmission from the top of the engine and draw a mental line vertically down to the ground. Use this mental line as a guide for locating the transmission from the underside of the vehicle. The starter will be in front of it, closer to the front bumper. Also, look for the positive battery cable and electrical wires, which all connect to the starter.
Wrap a piece of masking tape on each of the starter wires. Since the starter wires on a 1997 Jetta are not color coded, it is easy to mix them up once they are disconnected. Write a number on each piece of masking tape and note where each numbered wire connects to the starter. This will help save time and confusion when you install and connect the new starter. Disconnect all of the starter wires, including the positive battery cable.
Locate the mounting bolts. On a 1997 Jetta, there are four bolts holding the starter to the engine. Remove the mounting bolts with a torque wrench, supporting the weight of the starter with your other hand. The design of the Jetta's starter makes it difficult to get to the lower bolts, so you may need to place a six-inch extender between the socket and the wrench. As you remove the bolts, put them in a lidded container or sealable plastic bag so they don't get lost.
Remove the bolts on the bracket holding the starter to the engine, if there is one. Jettas come with this bracket, but mechanics do not always replace them.
Check the bushing where the shaft of the starter fits into the bell housing. These bushings tend to incur significant wear on Jettas with manual transaxles. If it is worn, replace it.
Position the new starter and replace the bracket bolts if necessary. Replace the mounting bolts and tighten them with a torque wrench. You may need an extender to reach the bolts.
Reconnect the starter wires, using the numbers you wrote on the wires as a guide. Connect the positive battery cable and gently tighten the retaining nut to secure it to the starter.
Lower the vehicle and remove the jack. Replace the negative battery cable.
