Door lock issues?

[yashicamat]

My passenger side front door lock has started playing up recently, seemingly deciding at random if to work or not. All other electrics on that door work perfectly. It might be my imagination, but when it does work, it makes a very slightly odd sound . . . I wonder if this is the solenoid?

Has anyone else had a problem like this? I'd ordinarily happily start fishing around with electrics, but I know from past experience to be careful with car doors because of the faff associated with the window carriers etc.

Cheers.

[pauldazzle]

Usually the door lock microswitch at fault.

[smallbloke1]

My passenger side front door lock has started playing up recently, seemingly deciding at random if to work or not. All other electrics on that door work perfectly. It might be my imagination, but when it does work, it makes a very slightly odd sound . . . I wonder if this is the solenoid?

Has anyone else had a problem like this? I'd ordinarily happily start fishing around with electrics, but I know from past experience to be careful with car doors because of the faff associated with the window carriers etc.

Cheers.

If it is your door lock mechanism please change soon as when mine went it was a nightmare to open the door with the door lock mechanism not working.

[yashicamat]

OK guys, well I've pulled it apart and can't find any obvious fault (all the circuitry is intact, tested the microswitches I could get to without opening the mechanical half up, the electric side was fun enough with gears and motors flying everywhere!).

I've come to the conclusion that a new unit is needed (especially as since reassembling this one the inner door pull doesn't seem to be working properly . . . ), plus it sounds a little bit sick anyway so I wonder if it is more than just a connection problem. I am certain, however, that the unit is at fault here, not anything else (e.g. wiring to it through the door) so replacing the unit should cure my problems.

I have two issues now really; firstly is identifying the part number! I've attached some photos, the only thing that looks like a part number is 'PA66 GF30' but that doesn't look like a normal VAG p/n . . . can't find anything else on the unit though! Does anyone else know? edit; some googling suggests it might be 3B2 837 015 L ?

Second problem is now I have a car which I cannot lock the nsf door and where I have to park for work is not the nicest of places . . . is there any way to manually make the door lock? I can't seem to get it to at the moment.

Any help is appreciated, cheers!

[yashicamat]

OK folks, well I thought I may as well take everything apart again as I've not got anything to lose, in doing so I managed to eventually find the problem. Not a circuit board issue, in fact, it was an issue I'm not aware has been one before . . . it was the spade connectors on the motor! So I bent them outwards then used a cable tie to tension them, resulting in a better connection. So far, so good!

FYI, for anyone following the VW vortex guide on changing this . . . the interior of an Octy door isn't the same as a Golf mkiv; I didn't have to remove the window carriers to get the lock out, just take off two bolts (secured the window with tape though) then I managed to get it out. We do have to contend with a big sheet of glued on foam though (I used an old knife with insulation tape around it to remove the foam, worked well then glue-gunned it back on after) . . . sound insulation I presume? Some photos below anyway should anyone else come across this;

[Sinz]

Same issue as above, checked all the micro switches etc and found them to be fine, but a slighlty loose connection on the motor spade.

After putting back together, it makes all the right sounds, but, fails to lock the door..grrrrr.

Going to take it apart again to make sure I reinsatlled all the internals properly :(

[yashicamat]

Same issue as above, checked all the micro switches etc and found them to be fine, but a slighlty loose connection on the motor spade.

After putting back together, it makes all the right sounds, but, fails to lock the door..grrrrr.

Going to take it apart again to make sure I reinsatlled all the internals properly :(

Make sure the internal mechanism has the pin in the groove correctly - this happened to me the first time around and wouldn't lock properly. One you've put the lock back together, just plug it into the socket in the door and test it by using your finger to close the door latch, then open it with the outer door pull cable, lock it and try again. If all is well, reinstall in the door.

[Sinz]

Lol...I was just about to write the same thing after re-examining the mechanism and getting the car back together!

The devil really is in the detail

Good luck to anyone else who might have the same issue.

On the brightside, I now have £200's of new tools to play with, oh, and all is working as intended!

Edited 4 November, 2011 by Sinz

[yashicamat]

What amazes me is this particular issue doesn't seem to be documented! At least with the Octy doors we don't have to remove the window carriers to do the job!