Hi all

 

How do I remove the bright metal trim that sits above the triangle housing and covers the boot catch?

 

The boot locking mechanism is playing up,  When I open the boot lid the motor moves the catch to the 'open' position but immediately moves back to the 'closed' position, so that when I close the boot lid I have to push it down instead of the motor pulling it. Anyone know how to fix this?

 

I've also noticed that the hinged metal flap over the boot locking catch has come adrift, so I also need to refit this at the same time.

 

Thanks in advance

Edited 17 November, 201312 yr by Figment

The trim is fastened to the larger black plastic trim. That trim is released by unscrewing two bolts which go though the vertical surface of the black trim, about 3" below the top of the boot opening. If you have a warning triangle clipped there, they are behind that. I had the well-known issue with the boot only opening in "boot" mode, not hatch mode, caused by the latch not detecting its position properly. It may be a similar issue.  

 

See http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/203980-now-cant-open-the-trunk-as-a-hatch/?p=2499407&hl=hatch%20open&fromsearch=1

 

Stuart

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by StuartAB

Thanks.

 

Having investigated further, it appears to be a wiring issue rather than the latch. If I open it slowly in "boot" mode the latch moves to the 'open' position and the boot light comes on. As the boot lid gets to around 3/4 open, the boot light goes out and the latch moves back to the 'closed' position. Lowering the lid again causes the boot light to come back on (but the latch stays where it is).

 

If I open it in "hatch" mode, the latch and boot light work as intended. Therefore I suspect an issue with the wiring between the two halves of the twindoor (i.e. where the boot lid hinges up from the glass)

 

The retaining pins for the hinged flap are missing/broken which explains why it was not doing it's job.

 

I also noticed that the rear fog and reversing lights do not work with the boot/hatch open. Is this normal? Discovered this when I replaced a blown tail-light bulb. Before putting it all back I looked to see if the maxidot fault had cleared, only to find it was now telling me to check fog and reverse bulbs on both sides!

The rear lights on the twindoor don't illuminate when the door is open.

 

If you haven't seen already, the wires break at the l/h hinge, just after they have exited the hollow l/h boot lid support. There are 10 wires in total, as the bulbs are fed through individual feeds (so the car knows which bulb has blown?).

 

To access the wires the plastic trims need to come off, obviously.

 

The 'inside' one that runs down the side of the rear window has two torx screws which are not seen until the two 'upper' and 'lower' rear window trims are removed, and one further screw that is easily spotted.. These horizontal (one of which goes behind the high-level brake light) trims are very tight and they have no securing screws..

 

Actually, just remembered this useful link!:-  http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/286139-superb-twindoor-wiring-fix/

 

If you have the older, long radio aerial, best unscrew it. When the you're experimenting with the boot lids, the aerial will easily strike the second boot lid.

 

A dealer suggested some 'special' VW 'flexible wire' to patch in a new diy loom section (crimping or soldering required here) with this:-  10M x 0.5mm wire part number: 000979 981 B    £10.48 + vat..

 

At least one of the wires is thicker than the others so he also suggested 10M x 1,5mm wire part number: 000979 983 B    £13.50 + vat. for that one.  I've never ordered these, though.

 

It would seem the pvc wire insulation cracks first, the copper conductor (underneath the crack) follows suit later.

 

To get both boot lids open (which you need to do to examine the loom), the catches half way along the lid need releasing one at a time, but the saloon lid is powerfully sprung as it's not at it's normal angle, so watch your fingers as it's released. It will stop short of crashing into the roof.

 

HTH.

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by CombatWombat

Hi CombatWombat, thanks for this.

 

I can still open it in "boot" and "hatch" modes, so do I still need to release those catches to examine the loom?

Hi,

 

You only need to release the catches shown in the seventh picture in the link.

 

Once the second catch of the two is released the boot lid will be fairly unstoppable until it's reached the end of it's travel. but provided your fingers are out of the way and you don't have the older style radio aerial, this shouldn't be a problem.

 

Mine was fixed under warranty 2 years ago and has now gone again (reversing light fail this time). It depends on which wire breaks as to the symptoms noticed e.g. boot release doesn't work, fog light out, reversing light out etc.

 

A main agent said £280+ to fix (Progress Skoda Letchworth, so, near you?). Skoda UK are 'unaware of any problem' with the design, but both dealers I spoke to knew about this fault immediately and had done several each. Skoda UK won't put their hand up and admit it's a poor design.

 

I have now bought the wire with the part number mentioned above, it's only available from VW dealers and is nothing special. It's just general-purpose wire, I think, but the insulation is thin/fairly flexible. Only time will tell if it's any good in this application.

 

I am looking to replace all 10 conductors. 

 

Where the wire bends and breaks there may be some welding spatter on the metalwork right next to it, this may be aggravating things.

 

I'm sure the Japanese wouldn't sign off a wiring loom designed like this, I suspect all twindoors will all fail eventually.

Edited 24 November, 201312 yr by CombatWombat

Sorry to sound thick, but do you mean these catches?

 

Yes.

 

You have to move the leftmost jobbie (the lightly sprung interlock) a little against it's spring - nothing will happen at this point!), then the bigger plastic pin is turned anti-clockwise about the bright metal (pivot) pin. When the other side is similarly operated, the hatch WILL slowly and forcibly start to move.

 

But the wires still won't be visible until the plastic covers/trims are removed as well.

 

HTH.

That's brilliant. Thanks.

 

Progress are my local dealer, but I have it booked in at my local independent garage to do this. I will give them the link you provided for reference.

 

Thanks again