MKIV door locks explained - why you're having problems!!! :(

[VgRt6]

It looks like the F6 switch. I have a picture of the 4th micro somewhere that we should be able to compare it to.

Gary

[GTIinTHErye]

Gary,

I've successfully taken my door apart and removed the door lock module and taken that apart. However, I'm scratching my head now trying to figure out what to do about that 4th microswitch to fix it. Am I supposed to take that apart and resolder those 2 wires?

update:

Upon removing the main circuit board, I noticed that a protective coating has been applied over the solder joints, probably to prevent any solder joint issues that have come up with earlier model cars. I'll upload a picture of it later tonight.

Modified by GTIinTHErye at 5:44 PM 6-23-2005


Modified by GTIinTHErye at 5:45 PM 6-23-2005

[Turtle20vT]

Quote, originally posted by Der Kommissar »

Awesome write up-it seems that the 99.5 cars have a lot of problems with this. Thanks

yeah .. mine work whenever it wants

[VgRt6]

In my experience, when the 4th micro fails, it's the actual switch that's the problem and not the wires/solder. Since we don't have a replacement switch for it yet, the only way to fix it in this case is to replace the whole module. If I were you, I would test the operation of the 4th micro with a multimeter to see if the problem is in the switch or contacts. If it's just the contacts, then resoldering should help in this case.

Gary

[LC]

Both of my front door lock sensor switches (on my 2002 Jetta TDI wagon) have been not
working right, for several months. I took apart the lock module on the passenger side, and
not only didn't fix anything (the solder joints looked o.k. and I got tired), but when reconnecting
the lock release cables, etc. did something wrong so that the inner release handle doesn't
work, and the outer handle works all the time (doesn't lock i.e. the outer handle always
opens the door). I decided to just buy 2 lock modules (from Impex). But here's a pretty good
price that I found (from 1stvwparts.com) --

Body hardware - Door - Front door - Lock
p/n 3B1837015AK LOCK, Golf, GTI, R32, Left 1999 - 2004 $91.30 each
p/n 3B1837016BH LOCK, Golf, GTI, R32, Right 1999 - 2004 $69.11 each

Hope that helps someone; Larry.

[golfhm472]

Quote, originally posted by LC »

Both of my front door lock sensor switches (on my 2002 Jetta TDI wagon) have been not working right, for several months. I took apart the lock module on the passenger side, and not only didn't fix anything (the solder joints looked o.k. and I got tired), but when reconnecting the lock release cables, etc. did something wrong so that the inner release handle doesn't work, and the outer handle works all the time (doesn't lock i.e. the outer handle always opens the door). I decided to just buy 2 lock modules (from Impex). But here's a pretty good price that I found (from 1stvwparts.com) -- Body hardware - Door - Front door - Lock p/n 3B1837015AK LOCK, Golf, GTI, R32, Left 1999 - 2004 $91.30 each p/n 3B1837016BH LOCK, Golf, GTI, R32, Right 1999 - 2004 $69.11 each Hope that helps someone; Larry.

thanks great info

[Dan Halen]

Fantastic! The one I need is actually the cheaper unit!

[golfhm472]

Quote, originally posted by BRM10984 »

Fantastic! The one I need is actually the cheaper unit!

damn you Brian! I need both

[Dan Halen]

Quote, originally posted by golfhm472 »

damn you Brian! I need both

Shut up. I will as well if you start talking all that nonsense.

I've actually gotten used to it not working. If it weren't for the fear of accidentally locking the key in the car, I'd not even bother fixing it.

That, and my girlfriend doesn't seem to know how to put the right amount of pull on the door to close it, so the interior lights give a nice visual confirmation for her.

[dasGolf01]

Mine started with my trunk and it's an early 02. Unlocked the trunk.. now the trunk won't lock when I close it. Can't manually lock it and the remote doesn't register to lock/unlock the doors. If I manually lock them, they both unlock then I can lock the driver door and have to press down the passenger door to lock it. Apparently the windows and sunroof have failed too.. but the power locks "work" if I engage the switch on the door, then they unlock again, I'm assuming due to the trunk not locking. Doesn't seem to be quite the same problem but perhaps similar. Checked all the fuses including the two above the relay panel. Any ideas/clues/hints or is it dealerland for me..

[sammypunx]

My 2000 Golf (4-door) has been having lots of issues with the alarm randomly going off and not beeping when I lock the doors, but none of the more commonly mentioned issues in this thread. Does anybody have any recommendations for what to check first (even using Vag-Com) so I don't have to take apart all four doors to figure out which is broken?

Thanks for the awesome threads by the way! Very helpful.

[slugman]

Well, that was a fun afternoon of innerdoor exploration, thanks a lot for this writeup. My issue was the driver's door lock stopped working two weeks ago unless you used the key in the door. I took it all apart and found the soldered points to be fine, touched them up just in case and managed to melt the pad of one finger in the process, ouch. Got it back together and found that the lock was moving now so went ahead and buttoned it all up only to find now that the door unlocks, the alarm arms, but the car never actually locks and the pin doesn't move as it should (just goes up and down halfheartedly/not as much as when it all worked) Decided I should stop setting off my alarm and gave up for the night.
Anyways, looks mostly like I'll need a new module or 4th switch, but also a strong chance I just didn't put it together properly so we'll see what my motivation is like tomorrow.
Oh, fun stuff in the door, found that when the dealer replaced my window regulator parts, they left the broken window clip inside the door, two of the bolts holding the inner panel were missing along with two of the plastic clips holding the door panel, figures.

[darkd]

you would think a problem like this would be recalled.. no?

Like the window falling. Both my doors had the windows fall due to poor supports (made of plastic) and they replaced it for free (with some stronger material) because of recalls that gave us 7 years on the window supports.


Modified by darkd at 9:51 PM 7-23-2005

[mainframe]

I wonder what it would take to get this listed by VW as a warranty repair, from what I understand the window clips were not actually a recall, but a fix they would do for free if it failed, or you asked them to.

[slugman]

Took it apart again, and found as I sorta figured that I put part of it together incorrectly. It was a connection between the 'mechanical' and the 'electronic' sides, I didn't line the pawl up properly so it wasn't engaging, thus the door pin moving in a funky manner. It's all back together again and working and I'm happy to not have to buy a new module... yet.

[georgekelp]

OK here is the deal. I own a 98 Golf. I have the remote and i cannot lock the doors using the remote, all the other buttons work fine. Also sometimes if i leave the doors unclocked the alarm will just set by itself and lock the doors. Does this door lock module problem apply to MK3's as well? And would I be able to follow the same procedures to solve it? Also how do I know which door to take apart?

[cha$e]

I did this procedure, and now I'm having a much bigger problem - when I lock the car with the button, I can still open the driver's door just by pulling on the exterior handle! The alarm goes off, of course, but still a big concern. Any ideas what I did wrong? Thanks in advance!

[VgRt6]

It sounds to me like you probably put the two portions of the lock module back together incorrectly.

And this problem does not apply to the MKIII cars, at least not to the same magnitude that it does with the early MKIV cars.

Gary

[cha$e]

Eh, nevermind. Still don't know exactly what was wrong, but redoing the whole job fixed it.

[cha$e]

Thanks, VgRt6 - didn't see your reply before I posted my "nevermind".

[VgRt6]

Gary

[rocketPack]

I've got a 2001 (it sounds like lockdown when I hit 15mph - so I'm most likely in this boat) and I've not had this problem yet, but I would much rather know before it happens then freak out when it does! Thanks a ton to all the contributors of this excellent bit of information. I can't imagine how much money & headache your write ups have saved my Gary!

I second the nomination!

BETTER YET, GARY FOR PRESIDENT OF VW!

Early Mk.IV owners:

Modified by rocketPack at 8:15 PM 8-21-2005

[jdob]

My symptoms:

Driver's side would not lock unless I first un-locked all the doors and then re-locked.

Lower courtesy light on drivers door would not illuminate.

If I un-locked and opened the drivers side door and did not insert the key or close the door the alarm would go off after a very short period of time - not sure if this is normal or not???

I could not lock/unlock all doors or roll up/down all windows with the key.

My alarm LED would not illuminate.

My Fix:

Broken solder joint...Resoldered and everything is just like new again!

I think my alarm LED was not illuminating because the connector had been pulled apart/broken when VW Service replaced my window regulators because of the recall...???

Also the two little plastic "drift pins" that secure the mounting of the door lock module to the inner window carrier assembly had either been removed and not replaced (again by VW Service???) or fallen out (they were hanging out down in the bottom the door rolling around) - as hard as it was to press them back into place - I don't see how they could have worked loose all by themselves!

Just wanted to express my experiences and say MANY, MANY, MANY thanks for the great write up above!

One last thing - make sure you have the M8 12-Point Triple Square bit for removing the actual door lock module from the door. I though my set of 6-Point bits would be good enough - WRONG...I went everywhere to find the 12-Point bit: Auto Zone, Advance Auto, Ace Hardware, Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, the VW Dealer, by friends house, everywhere with NO LUCK. After my exhaustive dead end search I found a set of four 12-Point Star Bits on-line from http://www.toolking.com for $3.99 and paid about $12.00 to have them delivered Second Day....

Anyways that's my story...Thanks again for the GREAT DIY!

[boi retro]

In case anyone is interested, I bought a brand new driver's side door lock module on ebay for $20. That's about $100 less than what the dealer is charging.

[bbarbulo_one]

with regards to the last edit of the very first post... the link to TDIclub.... since there are no pixorz there, I just did this dirty lil job and I took some pics along the way. dear moderator, feel free to add those pics to your post as you see fit since they prolly won't be seen here on the last page.

assuming you read the rest of the thread.... you can get this far. so this is the mechanical portion of the latch, and the switch is at the bottom there.

the culprit removed by way of using a knife to cut the melted plastic off

replacement part as explained in the tdi link

I used #2-56 machine screws to attach the new switch. Use your trusty Dremel tool to elongate the holes down and outward.

this is how it looks attached

now I used some plumbers metal epoxy putty to fill the elongated part of the holes so it doesn't start to creep up over time.

and this is the end result after the epoxy putty

and the wires get soldered on to the C (common) and NO (normally open) terminals. I don't think it matters which wire goes where, since it's just a simple switch.

Thanks to the dude at TDIclub for the part number, and to VgRt6 for this awesome thread!!!

[VgRt6]

Awesome info!

Gary

[Eljay]

Thanks for the excellent instructions with pictures.
Fixed UK 2001 Jetta/Bora drivers door not seen as open (system locks after 30s if key not in ignition, interior light not illuminating etc) by replacing external microswitch, switch 5, internal pcb has 4 switches. Extra one seems to be to detect for deadlocking. Note also that pcb coated with varnish to protect against damp. Fitted a Burgess X4 microswitch after filing the holes.
Problem with the original (a custom Burgess microswitch probably based on the V4NCSK2. Why not use a standard part) appears to be the mounting pegs flexing and allowing actuator to miss the cam.



Modified by Eljay at 3:21 PM 10-2-2005

[dygoro]

Hey Gary,
You really are a vw driver's advocate to stay involved with this topic for so long and by continuing to add new observations and advice.
I want to list the symptoms I've been experiencing for sometime on my '00 golf and confirm which ones we think are more than likely to be from the cracked soldering or a mechanically issue with that 4th micro-switch. Then there's a couple of other symptoms I want to run past you and anyone else that has experienced this.

symptom 1;
Alarm auto-arms after the front driver or passenger door is open 20secs or so, but does not if either rear door is opened as well or by themselves. Interestingly; when it faultily rearms this way the alarm led also does not light.
-typically intermittent, sometimes it will work correctly and not auto-arm if either front door is opened.

symptom 2;
Red /white lower lights do not light on either front door at anytime.

symptom 3;
Opening the rear doors lights the dome but opening either front door does not.

symptom 4;
The pin on the front driver side does not go down while alarm is arming unless I press unlock twice and then lock/ arm quickly on the remote. It also does not go down very often while it is faultily auto-arming.
-although occasionally it goes down like it should.

symptom 5;
Occasionally the windows do not go up with the key from the outside.

^^^^^^ I think these first 5 we've seen so often that its pretty certain it would be cleared up by repairing or replacing the locking module but what about these?;

symptom 6;
The pin on the front passenger side does not go down at all unless you push it, it doesn't goes up unless you pull the handle from the inside. Does not change, never works period.
-I did see a few other people talk about this but from reading the thread I couldn't completely confirm that this fix worked for that symptom.

symptom 7;
Nothing works on the front passenger door actually, no lights, no mirror, no pin, no window.
-not intermittent, never works. I haven't seen anyone else mention that they have experienced this.

I'm suspecting that I've got an issue with power not getting to that passenger door and this is causing an otherwise non-faulty module not to work.
Each thing that stopped working happened 1 at a time though, it didn't go down all at once, the first thing was the pin not going down.
Any suggestions on how to check for power to the door -all the fuses seem fine etc.

Then finally; what is the locking module we are talking about here labeled in the Bentley wiring diagrams? F221 (driver) F222 (pass) locking unit for central locking? or J386 (driver) J387 (pass) door control module? or are one of these part of the other?

Thanks for any further input you can give to this topic!

[dygoro]

ok Im going to take a stab at my own question now that I've found even more info;

The lock module and control module are 2 differeent parts

My drivers door has a bad lock module and my passenger door has a bad control module

Does anyone have the part #s for these?

I've seen 3B1 837 016 D and 3B1 837 016 R for the locking module. I think one is the older (loud version) and one is the newer (quiet) version. Are these for either 2 or 4 door cars?
Then I saw someone list 3B1 837 015 AK????

I can't find a # for control modules

[Aero_Pat]

Thank. Great job. I hate to bug you after so many months and so much detail, but I can NOT figure out how to split the lock module into its pieces. Please point the way to a link or let me have it: ...the info.

Thx

[VR6 Seige]

to the faq/diy!

[AustinTXVR6]

So, I guess it's safe to say that VofA has not issued a tech service bulletin/repair for this issue? I have a 99.5 new GTI and i have recently been experiencing weirdness with my door locks...

[Aero_Pat]

I went through this list and found nothing.
VWvortex Forums The Official VgRt6 MKIV-VR6 DIY Thread Master List.htm
Is there another place to look?

[TMTuned99.5Golf]

Adding to my watched topics list so I can do this repair!

[Killerbab]

WOW!!

Fantastic write up!! All write ups should be this detailed!!

Great work!