MrMike12

Thanks for all the above folks, helped me change my NS rear door lock when the door would no longer unlock. If it helps any one else, there are two screws at the very bottom of the door card which can be removed with the door shut. Then, after prising off the grab handle cover to remove the two cross-head screws behind and the removing the cover behind the inner door handle and disconnecting the mechanical and electrical cable connections (plus the window winder if manual), you have to really tug the door card to release it from the clips. I also used a car trim tool with a 90 degs hook to hook behind the card at rear end and pull,it towards the rear of the car which helps it clear the clips. I managed without breaking any. Once free of the clips free the top of the card by pulling upwards vertically. Then you must free the top half of the protective plastic film. I found this impossible to free without tearing it! It seemed quite brittle at the top end but was more pliable lower down the door. Tearing it necessitated the use of 2" wide clear parcel tape to repair on reassembly. Now to the door lock itself. I found that I could remove three of the screws holding the green half ( this was white on the new lock from Skoda) of the lock to the black half. After removing the screws I used a cutting wheel on a Dremel tool to cut away most of the accessible green part and get access the inside of the lock. I levered out some of the mechanism and by generally fiddling about and levering the two halves apart while regularly pulling on the inner door release cable I managed to open the door. This avoids hammering and smashing things. If you don't have and cannot beg steal or borrow a Dremel tool you might consider a purchase. They are not expensive if you avoid the big brand names and very useful for kinds of tasks. Note that to fit the new lock it is necessary to remove the outer door handle in order to connect the release cable from the outer handle to the lock.

Sorry, the above was supposed to be under the Welcome thread!

I have been an Audi fan since buying my first Audi, an 80 Quattro, in 1985. I have owned several Audis since then, including a UR 20V Quattro. They have all been used, older, models, and my wife and I still run an A6 Avant 2.4 Quattro Sport 2000 Reg. Two to three years back I sold my daily driver, a 2000 TT 1.8 Coupe, to buy my wife an 80 Cabrio 1.8 in Berry Pearl for her 60th birthday (which she still has). Generous or what! With the TT gone I needed a new daily driver and with the price of fuel at that time at over £1.40 per gallon and my daily commute running to 50mls round trip I bought a 2004 Fabia 1.4 TDi. It was mapped and was very 'brisk' when required, especially in 3rd where it pulled like a train from low revs. It was very sloppy though and I replaced all the suspension bushes and front ball joints which tightened it up a lot but it stilled rolled a lot in corners at moderate speeds. My wife hated the drumming of the 3 cylinder engine at low revs around town though which affected her ears badly. As my daily commute had become much less due to a location change I sold the Fabia and bought a 2003 Octavia Elegance 4x4 Combi 1.8T. This car is of course running on virtually the same power train as my earlier TT. What amazes me about this car is that although it is based on the same chassis as the Golf, TT and A3, it has more room both in the passenger and the load area than either the first or second generation A4 Avants, of which I have had both! This is great as, due to redundancy combined with my advancing years, the A6, our workhorse load carrier, needs to go early next year. My particular Octavia is in excellent condition for its age and I look forward to long and happy ownership.