Hello all....

I have a 2005 onwards estate tdi 1.9. It has central locking but only key operated. The drivers door lock has had plenty of use (car now 124,000 miles).

The problem is quite difficult to describe in words...When I turn the key in the lock it usually feels normal ie. I can feel a normal sprung resistance, but it only turns about 45 degrees before something within the mechanism slips and the lock mechanism (not the barrel) feels like it is clicking back to the rest position. Sometimes I can actually turn the lock 180 degrees and on those occasions the lock barrel does feel as if it is not engaging with whatever it should engage with behind the barrel and the central locking does not operate. When I can catch the central locking switch before the lock mechanism slips back to neutral everything works correctly. I suspect that something worn or even something has come loose. This has happened over a recent short period but is now becoming quickly worse

I have researched the problem and can only find the repair kits for locks up to 2004.

I hope I have conveyed the meaning of what I am trying to describe. I would appreciate any advice on how to repair this problem etc...diagrams or links would be particularly helpful.

Thanks etc

Tom

Are there no clever bods out there..........?

I am certainly a clever bod, but locks are not my particular area of expertise.

Sounds like the key no longer fits the lock. Have you tried the passenger side? If the lock is on the way out and you want a cheap fix you could swap the locks over.

Ok, for anyone interested.........

The removal of the lock is actually quite easy but one has to have confidence with it. I was so scared of damaging/losing stuff down the inside of the car that I thought I would ask here first.

There are two small plastic caps on the back edge of the door just behind and in line with the lock barrel - remove these and with a good torch you see the top hole allows access to a very small torx screw (who invented those screws!!!).. This needs to be unscrewed about three turns. Underneath there is the other hole and in there is some kind of oddsized allen screw....this is the clamp tightening bolt that keeps the lock barrel tightly held in position. This one seems to unscrew for quite a while and doesn't want to drop down inside the door, however the lock barrel itself is held in place just by the fitments around it and it was jolly difficult to get it out but after persistence it comes out quite easily once it has 'let go'.

The lock problem itself was not a fatal problem. I managed to lubricate the parts and it now seems to work much easier but has developed 180 degrees of free movement in between locking and unlocking that it didn't have before but it is now back in and working fine.

A little bit of useful info that I discovered is that if you have the original locks in your car and you still have the white plastic tag that came with the keys, if you go into your skoda dealer it is possible (£45) for them to order a new lock for you that fits the original keys. I think this is a good service, although I hate approaching the dealers at any time.

So, thanks very very much to everyone who read and especially those who volunteered a bit of info to help.

It was all vey much appreciated

Tom