Roomster boot not locking

[dadof2]

The tailgate/boot lock on my Roomster 2 (2008) is no longer closing around the pin/bar when you close the boot. I've attached a video (click lock.mov) to this post (pressing a key into the lock instead as you can't see inside when closing). 1 out of 12 times I can wiggle the left part of the lock shown in the video and it will catch on the lock bar.  When the door did manage to lock one time, the door sensor alarm was going off when driving. The door was definitely locked and you couldn't open it by pulling on the door (not the handle in the boot). When you pull the cables out, the door sensor warning stops altering you, but the back window wiper stops working. (and of course you can't lock/unlock the door without the cables in anyway). I've also attached a photo showing the other side of the lock where the cables go.

 

Anyone have any ideas? Wondering if I could just find a new lock online and replace it myself, or if it could be something else more complicated (electrics?) that needs a garage to look at it.

 

Any ideas most welcome,

 

Many thanks

Chris

 

lock.mov

 

Edited 3 September, 2017 by dadof2

[RichardatWakefield]

Hello Chris,

Had same symptoms recently on mine (57plate, 2-grade trim), it'll be the wiring inside the rubber sleeve thing that takes all the tailgate wiring across from the top left rear pillar to the tailgate somewhere near the left hinge.

 

Common Roomster fault as they age and the wires and insulation stiffen up.

 

You can prise back the boot, we found several wires broken and others with split insulation.

 

My garageman did a temp bodge with deft soldering in of extra short bits of wire, wrapped the repair in insulating tape, until I could get the relevant wiring repair kit online.

 

It comes from Germany, is beautifully engineered, c/w bullet connectors at both ends of new super-soft cable sections, enwrapped in an identical rubber boot.

 

Mine in May this year was 58.67 euros, they didn't charge P&P (guess its an old item they want to sell off!), cost me £49.51, plus my local chap's modest labour charge to fit it;

 

He cut away the old boot, then spliced in the new kit wire by wire, it comes with a chart to ensure correct matching-up.

Simples!

 

You need SenCom part SKU 888913, 

SenCom Kabelbaum Reparatursatz Skoda Roomster (5J) Hecklappe.

www.sencom-kabeltechnik.de

Let us know how you get on.

Richard

[dadof2]

Thanks for your helpful reply. Went out to look some more

 

These are the cables coming from the lock

 

 

Goes along the door and up to join another wrap of wires and I guess the rear washer pipe?

 

 

Looking up at the cables leading to the rear washer/number plate...

 

The cables coming out of the car and joining the boot door at the top left joint

 

 

So you are saying the wires inside this connector between the door and body could be broken?

 

Replacing it with this

http://www.sencom-kabeltechnik.de/shop#!/SenCom-Kabelbaum-Reparatursatz-Skoda-Roomster-5J-Heckklappe/p/41040071/category=10608070

 

I guess I can't tell without cutting it open, will take it to get looked at. Trying to get as much info as possible before speaking with a skoda garage / local garage. Do you think skoda garage might be better as they can get parts for this model easier / more knowledge with error codes etc?

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dadof2]

One other thing, when the cable is connected to the lock, when you press the boot button, you can hear the relay work and it try to unlock the lock, BUT also the rear window wiper moves slightly AND the inside boot lights flash.

 

Also now when you turn the ignition on, if the cables to the lock aren't connected, you can hear this clicking noise in the boot, maybe the window wiper?

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Chris, on my car, I went to collect car from annual oil and filter service, found car boot unlocked (latch not engaging), rest of doors locked. We prised back that corrugated boot from the hatch side, several wires broken, several more with insulation broken but conductor intact.  As I recall, something else wasn't working, possibly wiper or number-plate lights; hence the temp soldered repair, which kept me mobile for a week or two till I could obtain the kit and get it fitted.

 

You should easily find from SEARCH that others have trodden this path too, that's where I learned of the SENCOM kit.

 

I have as little as possible to do with main dealers, generally charge a lot for a little ( and my trusty garageman is 15mins walk, whereas dealer is c 5miles across town).

 

Ok so his diagnostic stuff is rudimentary, but if you need VCDS diagnostics, search in the VCDS directory section on here for someone near you, they'll usually diagnose for free, or make a small charge; eg. I got my locking tweaked so all doors now unlock/lock with one click of remote; and another member ran a check to see if my car accepted the HID headlights kit once my garageman had fitted it. (It did, no error codes).

 

The wiring within the hatch doesn't move, whereas that laying within the rubber boot certainly does, being flexed twice each time you open and close the hatch. The repair kit's bundle of crimp-ended wires also includes a section of hose with appropriate push-fit connectors, to serve the rear wiper. Also I suspect the wires and pipe within the boot/grommet thing will be subject to more extremes of temperature and humidity than their more shielded adjacent parts that sit behind trim within body panels where, as your pix show, they are mostly supported and enclosed in cable wrap.

 

My chap carefully cut away the entire corrugated boot/grommet thing, then spliced in the new wires and pipe, pushed the new connections back into rear pillar/hatch, then finally clipped the new boot/grommet pipe onto the car body and hatch apertures.  Job done! Hopefully he wrapped the clusters of bullet connectors and wire that now sit back into pillar and hatch.

HTH.

Richard

[dadof2]

Took car into local garage also armed with details of the Sencom kit. Turns out a single wire was broken in the door loom as you suggested. As it was just 1 wire, they soldered a new bit in, rather than ordering the kit. Now the door locks fine. 

 

Thanks for your help

[Ewan]

It seems that I have this problem with my Roomster boot lock.  If I can get away with crimping or soldering in a new section of wire, rather than buying the SenCom loom, that'd be great.  Does anyone know what rating of wire is required?

 

Thanks.

[joeski]

I had similar symptoms although my rear demister also didn't work, there was one wire completely broken in the gaitor and a couple where the wire was exposed through broken sleeving.

Bit of insulation tape and a short section of very over-rated 13A wire salvaged from a kettle flex and it's been fine for a few months now.

[Ewan]

Finally got around to trying to fix this on my Roomster.  I opened up the sleeve of the wiring loom at the boot hinge and one fat brown wire was completely broken. No others appeared to be damaged.

 

I've crimped that wire back together but it hasn't fixed the lock. Now it locks but won't unlock (except by the emergency release). The constant ticking sound when the electrics are on has stopped but at least the demister works again!

 

Does this still sound like a wiring problem or something else?
 

[KenONeill]

@Ewan - Still sounds like you don't have adequate continuity for full function.

[blinker]

cant open the hatch has to be done from inside but were roomster 2007

[b1ackb1rd]

Had this with our 2007 last year, bought a used one from a later Roomie and swapped it over - a very easy DIY job

 

What amazed me was that my 13 year old car was totally free of corrosion inside the tailgate, not like the Yeti or the last 2 Tourans that had raging tin worm in both tailgates. 

[Leapy]

On 05/01/2021 at 20:14, b1ackb1rd said:

Had this with our 2007 last year, bought a used one from a later Roomie and swapped it over - a very easy DIY job

 

Hi. I have the same issue as the OP. My Roomster boot does not lock. 

 

When you say "bought a used one" , what exactly did you buy? Sorry to appear thick.

 

Thanks

[b1ackb1rd]

15 minutes ago, Leapy said:

 

Hi. I have the same issue as the OP. My Roomster boot does not lock. 

 

When you say "bought a used one" , what exactly did you buy? Sorry to appear thick.

 

Thanks

 

SKODA FABIA 5J REAR BOOT LOCK CATCH MECHANISM 2007+ 5J0827501B CATCH HOOK 

 

This is a year old link and may not be active, but it gives the part number. It was £35. 

[Leapy]

Thank you very much for the rapid response. I will take a look. 

 

 

[bobspark]

As someone who has followed this forum for about 10 years and seen this broken wire problem come up time and again , would it be possible to put this information as a special thread at the start of the forum under a heading along the lines that most electrical faults are down to broken wires in the rubber gaiter between body and door. New visitors to the forum could then go straight to the remedy.

Just a thought.

[Leapy]

That would be brilliant if possible. 

 

Lee

[WAUOla]

Boot light been out for a long time (I guessed a damaged wiring inside the cabin).

Rear wiper gave up some weeks ago.

Rear lock gave up some days ago.

 

I suppose I need the Febi/Vevo cable repair kit to get this going (after getting the rear hatch lock opened), but can I believe the boot light to return from this ?

[ChrisTids]

When our boot failed to unlock I don’t remember of the boot light failed at the same time although it does work now, I guess it may depend on the wires that have been damaged.

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/497263-sencom-tailgate-loom-repair/?tab=comments#comment-5579133

[yeti12p]

my rear demister failed too,broken wires in the rubber grommet ,easy fix thanks to this forum