Passenger door is jammed shut and will not unlock :(

[delroy]

On 05/09/2022 at 23:19, prt57 said:

As another option to try which has helped with the locks on my Mk 4 Golf when they have played up. 
sit inside the car in the relevant seat and repeatedly thump the area of the door where the lock is situated with the side of your clenched fist. At the same time keep on pressing unlock repeatedly on the remote whilst a couple of people operate the inside and outside  door handles. Sometimes the thumps on the inner door are enough to unlock it. 
Don’t lock the car again until the lock is changed and the quality  of the latest ebay 

I've also had my Fabia since new in Sept 2004. My passenger door did this a few years back. I tried something similar to above but I hit the door from the outside while operating the handle & the lock/unlock buttons on the remote. It did eventually release after about 15mins or so. I just cleaned it all up &, touch wood, it hasn't happened again. I put it down to the door not being used enough. I now regularly open each door using inside & outside handles. I'm sure this technically has nothing to do with the deadlock mechanism but seemed to work for me. 

[TMB]

2 hours ago, jifster said:

Thanks TMB, I can see the pictures now, so it must have been my work blocking the image hosting. Thank you so much.

 

No problem 🙂

[olddog]

I wonder if sometimes this common fault might be down to insufficient voltage getting to the non functioning deadlock motor.

 

Has anyone tried to unlock a stuck deadlock with the engine running sufficiently fast to have the alternator fully up ?      ( at a guess 2500+ rpm might be plenty fast )

 

 

 

OP, TMB's pic on "To remove the connector plug, push the whole plug upwards to relieve strain on the catch while also pulling the tab downwards to release plug." is very useful and important.  If the Fabia is like the Octy then the connector is hidden away in dark corner. In fact, I found getting that connector off was the most difficult part of the entire escapade !

[prt57]

In my experience of this over the last 5 years or so, before the lock completely dies, you get odd things like the interior lights not working or the door re locking in spite of you opening it if it’s the drivers door. Or the fuel pump not priming as the door is opened. 
Now at the first signs I try to get it sorted out. 
My big tip to anyone is to remove any screws holding the door card on at the bottom or the front as if the door won’t open with the door card in place you stand a good chance of ruining the door card getting it off. The side clips will hold it in place until disaster strikes and the lock dies. 

[sepulchrave]

The door card is smaller than the doorframe, the rubber sealing strip around the doorframe seals against the painted metal of the door, not the card, therefore the door card will come off with the door shut. Duh!

[prt57]

2 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

The door card is smaller than the doorframe, the rubber sealing strip around the doorframe seals against the painted metal of the door, not the card, therefore the door card will come off with the door shut. Duh!

 
If there is no seat in the car, then you are correct. 
However in most cases the seat will be in the car and it is virtually impossible to access the screw to the bottom rear of the card unless the seat is removed or raised up in some way. 
 

So as I said earlier, best to leave the screws out or at the very minimum remove the screw bottom right of the drivers door or bottom left of the passenger door. 

[sepulchrave]

34 minutes ago, prt57 said:

 
If there is no seat in the car, then you are correct. 
However in most cases the seat will be in the car and it is virtually impossible to access the screw to the bottom rear of the card unless the seat is removed or raised up in some way. 
 

So as I said earlier, best to leave the screws out or at the very minimum remove the screw bottom right of the drivers door or bottom left of the passenger door. 

 

I already told the OP to remove the passenger seat, you're just saying stuff for the sake of saying stuff and what's more you're not reading the replies properly.

 

This is a self-help forum, telling a poster that the job can't be done doesn't count as helping.

 

There is only one rule here, ask yourself, "am I really helping?" lest a dribbling stream of brown consciousness issues forth....

[Crasher]

12 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

I already told the OP to remove the passenger seat, you're just saying stuff for the sake of saying stuff and what's more you're not reading the replies properly.

 

This is a self-help forum, telling a poster that the job can't be done doesn't count as helping.

 

There is only one rule here, ask yourself, "am I really helping?" lest a dribbling stream of brown consciousness issues forth....

 

ouch 😮

[jifster]

12 hours ago, jifster said:

3 hours ago, Crasher said:

 

ouch 😮

 

 

OK guys, let's keep it friendly here. Nobody is dead.

 

I came up against a silly issue as soon as I looked at the front seat. My old socket set is a bit to large. i thought one did fit but the actual socket itself is just to bulky to get in there.

 

What kind of nut is that to remove the seat as I need to search for a reasonably priced set to replace this box of junk I have. 

 

Also are there any other surprises tool wise i may have. Any special screw drivers I may need lol.

Edited 7 September, 2022 by jifster

[TMB]

1 hour ago, jifster said:

What kind of nut is that to remove the seat as I need to search for a reasonably priced set to replace this box of junk I have.

 

M10 XZN/triple square (12-point).

 

[TMB]

Bolts are part number N 90892101

 

[prt57]

5 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

 

I already told the OP to remove the passenger seat, you're just saying stuff for the sake of saying stuff and what's more you're not reading the replies properly.

 

This is a self-help forum, telling a poster that the job can't be done doesn't count as helping.

 

There is only one rule here, ask yourself, "am I really helping?" lest a dribbling stream of brown consciousness issues forth....

I was passing on a general tip widely acknowledged as being useful on Golf Mk 4 forums as these cars suffer very badly from door lock problems as a way of not ruining the door card if the seats are in the car. The idea is that some sort of prevention can assist with the cure. 
 

I’m disappointed with your unnecessary  comments. 
 

[sepulchrave]

55 minutes ago, prt57 said:

I’m disappointed with your unnecessary  comments.

 

These cars are are based on the Polo platform, not the Golf and they have very little indeed in common with each other, it's the Octavia that's based on the Golf.

 

It's a difficult and unpleasant job but it is do-able, I had to use a hammer and chisel to smash the plastic lock body so I could expose the innards and release the deadlock, there aren't any 'tricks' or shortcuts, once it's deadlocked you have to take the doorcard and regulator panels off which means removing the window glass as well.

 

I'm sorry you're disappointed but if you're helpful and encouraging you'll find that I'm the same.

 

 

[Breezy_Pete]

This inventive fella worked out that if you drill a small hole in just the right place you can release the deadlocked lock with a Tx20 tool inserted through said hole and turned a little in the appropriate direction. Quite tempted to make a suitable template or two for the Fabia and drill some 'get out of jail' holes ahead of need.

9N3 doorlocks | UK Volkswagen Forum

 

 

[jifster]

Looks interesting Pete, shame we don't have something like that. Can you have the template ready by Monday? 😆

[Breezy_Pete]

Shouldn't be tricky TBH. 🙂