Door Electrics gone Nuts :(

[fionny]

My 2001 Occy VRS is driving me mad... no sooner did I finally get a MAF sorted and still stuck with a fault regarding Bank 1 Too Rich which my mechanic cannot figure out too easily, now the door electrics have gone haywire.

 

It all seems tied to the drivers door and its intermittent... it started out with me noticing the immobiliser light was staying on when driving... then one day I got in to the car and could hear the front passenger door motor clicking.. another time it was the back passenger door.

 

Then yesterday all the other doors stopped working... the drivers door unlock but the rest remained locked... the drivers window controls didnt work on any windows but its own... I opened my drivers window to let any moisture out.. only opening it a crack at first to make sure it would close again which it did... so I opened it a bit more but by the time I got home it wouldnt close...

 

After slamming the door a bit (seems to help for some reason) and then leaving it a bit the drivers window closed.

 

All the doors started working fine again then, but this morning once more I could hear more than 1 motor clicking when I opened the drivers door for the first time and also amusingly the drivers side back window opened itself a crack... (I was able to close again thankfully)

 

My instinct is that its moisture related as there was a bucket of water inside the windscreen yesterday and I also suspect that seen as it all triggers when I open the drivers door it might be originating there?

 

I also noticed that when I pulled off the boot panel (as that motor had been sounding sick for a while) the hose onto the rear washer pump had fallen off which explains why it wasnt working (i thought the pump had died) and I realised I must have been spraying the lock with water when trying it?

 

Any idea's?

 

Fortunately the other electrics such as radio fans and more importanlty lights all seem fine.

 

Thanks,

[trundlenut]

Check the connectors in the door and behind the trim below the bonnet release in the car. Also check the wiring in the gaiter between the car and door. Either water has got into the wiring or door controller, or the wiring is damaged.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[fionny]

Check the connectors in the door and behind the trim below the bonnet release in the car. Also check the wiring in the gaiter between the car and door. Either water has got into the wiring or door controller, or the wiring is damaged.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

 

Thanks, Ill take a gander this evening to see if I can spot anything funny.

[KBPhoto]

Probably the microswitch in the door lock that has gone. It causes some of those symptoms and is fixed by replacing the door lock containing the microswitch (official method) or by replacing the microswitch for less than £2.

Have a search on here you'll find instructions with pictures and parts.

Some other symptoms do suggest broken wiring between door & body of the car.

[fionny]

Thanks again folks!

[fionny]

Probably the microswitch in the door lock that has gone. It causes some of those symptoms and is fixed by replacing the door lock containing the microswitch (official method) or by replacing the microswitch for less than £2.

Have a search on here you'll find instructions with pictures and parts.

Some other symptoms do suggest broken wiring between door & body of the car.

 

If it is the microswitch would that affect the windows etc... does everything route through it? 

[trundlenut]

If it is the microswitch would that affect the windows etc... does everything route through it?

It shouldn't do. I had similar symptoms and found water had run down the cable from door and collected in the plug behind the trim below the bonnet release. I dried it, cleaned the bit of corrosion and then smothered it all in silicon grease.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[fionny]

It shouldn't do. I had similar symptoms and found water had run down the cable from door and collected in the plug behind the trim below the bonnet release. I dried it, cleaned the bit of corrosion and then smothered it all in silicon grease.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

To be honest this sounds likely for me. Especially seen as the rain has been lashing down for a few weeks now here...

Is it difficult to get to or just a matter of pulling up the trim? Any chance you might have a pic handy of what im looking for.

 

Thanks again!

[KBPhoto]

If it is the microswitch would that affect the windows etc... does everything route through it? 

It shouldn't do, but it is a possibility that the microswitch may be causing some of the issues.

 

However, it is more likely, that the wiring is the main culprit.

[pauldazzle]

Check out the large connector in the drivers door, it's a known weak point for moisture ingress which causes corrosion & in some cases broken pins. Will cause most of the problems you have described.

Edited 4 November, 2014 by pauldazzle

[fionny]

Check out the large connector in the drivers door, it's a known weak point for moisture ingress which causes corrosion & in some cases broken pins. Will cause most of the problems you have described.

 

Hi Paul,

 

Thanks where is that do I need to take the inner panel off to get to it?

[pauldazzle]

Yes take the door card off & you'll see the connector. You should also check the wiring where it enters the door from the A pillar as it's very common for wires to break inside the rubber shroud.

[huwants2no]

You'll be looking for something like this..can plainly see the corrosion caused by the water ingress

[kentphil1]

This may also help you form a "mind's eye" version of what to look for - http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/222541-central-locking-problem-help-needed/?hl=+central%20+locking%20+problem

[fionny]

Well its deffo the box in the drivers door...

 

I have the panel mostly off the door and as I was even touching the box the doors started going... then the windows went back up (after opening earlier today, luckily first dry day in ages) Right now just trying to figure out how the hell to get the plug bit out... seems quite stiff.

 

EDIT: pried the latch back using a screwdriver handle as a level... pulled down plug... water poured out... problem identified.

Edited 22 November, 2014 by fionny

[fionny]

Well managed to clean the connections and dry it all out sprayed with silicone grease etc...

 

The windows now all work and the locks bar the drivers door works.

 

However I can hear the windows motors going again now.... at least its a stop gap fix... maybe that whole box unit needs to be changed.

[kentphil1]

You may have a door loom broken on the drivers door or a dirty pin connector there.- the bit you removed to drain the unit. There is also the faint chance you may have a door solenoid gone too. Does the door electrically lock if you press the button on the door card?.

[fionny]

You may have a door loom broken on the drivers door or a dirty pin connector there.- the bit you removed to drain the unit. There is also the faint chance you may have a door solenoid gone too. Does the door electrically lock if you press the button on the door card?.

 

Hi,

 

I guess that couldve fried itself alright. If i press the lock button in the car all the other doors lock not the drivers.. 

 

The window motor in one of the doors is still clicking away... I guess I will go to an auto electrician now and say that im relatively confident the issue lies in the drivers door unit.