Hi everyone,

 

I need some help fairly urgently...

My rear driver side door has stopped unlocking. It started playing up a couple of days ago but would unlock with a few bashes on the button on the center console but has now stopped unlocking all together.

 

Can someone advise as to what the problem might be and how i can remove the door card with the door shut.

 

Need the help urgently because i'm expecting my first child due in the next week or so.

 

Thanks in advance

OK, here is one trick to try.

With the car locked, lean against the door to release the tension on the lock mechanism, then try to open the car with the remote.

Here is another, give the door a thump as you unlock the car.

IF the door opens, then proceed to remove the door card and investigate.

Hope this helps.

One very quick thing to check is the positioning of the little cable on the end of the external pull handle: if this is out of adjustment, the latch doesn't release when you pull the handle. Pull out the handle and look at the end of it (beside the 'keyhole'): you should see a cable with a plastic noodle at the end which is clipped into the handle. Popping the noodle off and moving it in or out in its mounting might get the door open.

 

If it's like older VAG cars, it could well be an electrical fault in the lock module. Cracked solder joints used to be a real problem. A quick scan with VCDS will tell you if this is the case. Unfortunately, there's no easy/quick solution if this is the case.

 

If Merckenzie's suggestion works, you'll probably want a replacement lock module ready to drop in as you may not get another go at it.

 

If it turns out to be an electrical issue with the lock (or any other issue where you can't unlock it any more) you may be looking at having to destroy the plastic door card to gain enough access to undo the lock and open the door. There are usually a bunch of screws along the bottom edge of the door card that are covered up by the door seal - getting these off is the hardest bit. Beyond that, the whole card is partially hidden behind the door seals, so you'll be trying to pry it off around those (having removed the screws in the middle).

 

When you get to the inner door card, the lock module is secured to it, and the lock module is also held onto the door shell via some bolts either side of the latch (bolts you can't get at while the door is shut). If you're not worried about saving the lock module, you can drill out the fixings securing it to the inner door card and pop it off.

 

Given the stress you're about to face over the next week or two I'd suggest making do with it as is and deal with it when the little one is home and settled in and you have a little bit of time to deal with the challenges this job is likely to throw up.