Broken Sleeve on Electrical Harness leading to Trunk Lid - How to fix? [TOC, Photos done]

[PanEuropean]

John:

The only two part numbers that I know of are the ones listed on page 1 of this thread (about the third or fourth post from the top). Read the fine print, there are two different part numbers - depending on whether you have a power trunk (hydraulic lifting trunk) or not.

Check to see if either one of those PNs work at your VW dealer. If not, let me know, I will be at the Phaeton factory in Dresden next week and I can ask them on your behalf if needed.

Michael

[johnt26]

Hi Michael,

Apparently the numbers have been superseded several times.

Zeb at 1stVWparts.com recently helped another forum member with the harness order so he was very helpful. He made a call to "VW Corporate" and came up with the following part number:
000970053A.

He said that part number corresponds to the "short" harness for my 2004 VIN with the power trunk, I have not purchased it to confirm it but it does show up in the online parts search.

Thanks!

[johnt26]

The latest on my repair...

The result of the NTSB investigation is complete. We found that we used too much of the very potent Devcon Plastic Welder epoxy (Grainger, black in color). The glue formed a razor sharp "shelf" of glue inside the ferrule ball that slowly sawed through one wire and was on its way through a second.

We decided to repair the harness and save the $$. My 12 year old and I brought our electric R/C aircraft soldering skills to bear on the problem as we couldn't use butt connectors since the broken wires were inside the ferrule ball.

The job is complete, we used the Devcon sparingly inside and used a bead on the outside which seemed to work well.

Time will tell but I think we are back in business!

EDIT: 2/2013 check post 196 here for harness replacement

[Jorgsphaeton]

be careful on repairing the cables, mine broke and damaged the control module of the trunk because two cables touched eachother. so give it a good check.

jorg

[MichaelGa]

John,

did you ever fix your trunk / tail light issues? Curious to know how your DIY fix went. Seemed that at the GTG you knew exactly what you need to do next. How did it go?

Michael

[johnt26]

Hi Michael,

See the post 108 above. I decided to save the money and major surgery on the harness and repair it again using my experience from my first repair.

It seems fine so far, I'm pretty confident that the repair will be permanent this time.

I also ordered some adhesive-backed flocking cloth to finish the job aesthetically.
I'll post the results of that endeavor once I complete it!

EDIT: 2/2013 see harness replacement post 196 here

[WillemBal]

Last weekend I decided to cope with this little problem entirely. I cut the braided sleeve at both ends using a reflow soldering station and put it back together. I must say, that it now runs very smooth now, especially with the PTFE containing bicycle lubricant which some members mentioned earlier.
I really think this is the best solution, as the braided sleeve was not manufactured for that purpose in the first place. Secondly, there is a very strong bend while the trunk lid closes, about 30º from full closure, making things worse as the braid rubs against the edges of the guiding cassette in the trunk lid.

The photo below shows how strong the tube (already modified) gets bent during opening & closure of the trunk lid.


Although the photo is not the very best quality, you can see that the tube is bent more than 45º, causing the tube to bend strongly, with inevitable wear of the braided sleeve as result.

I found removal of the braided sleeve most easy by removing the trunk lid liner, then removing the three attachment screws of the cassette which keeps the excess cable in place. This makes it possible to slide the two halves of the cassette in the length direction, hence they will separate. John explained that in an earlier post.


Opened cassette, showing the expanding loop of the cable bundle.

Once this is done, you can take out the cable from its cassette completely, allowing access to both ends of the braided sleeve. I simply cut it away with scissors and finished the job by making a clean cut with the aid of a reflow soldering station with an outlet air temperature set to 350 ºC. (Actually, I think that a lighter might do the job just as well.) On the photo above, you can see the same type of braided sleeve, where this material was well used to keep the wires bundled during bending and straightening.


The photo below shows the reassembled cassette prior to putting the trunk lid liner back on. You can see the lower end of the cassette, which is tube shaped at the lower end. It is at this location where I suspect that the whole issue starts.


Reassembled cassette with bare cable tube & lubricant.



It is working well now and there is no sign of wear on the lubricated part. I think I can live with the slightly diminished aesthetics of the trunk.



Willem

[fdtinc]

Willem, great post and pictures.

It's hard to believe that that stiff material (when touched in the open), can be snaked by the mechanism like that.
A bunch of comments from the past called this a design flaw, but that is really putting it mildly, from you photos.

As you live in Europe: has this issue been an ongoing one for post 2006 Phaeton's also?
Did VW ever make a change to that really weak spot, or is it still in production on the current cars?

Finally, would you recommend the PTFE as a preventive measure for this part? Our V8 had the whole thing already repaired under warranty at <19k, so one tends to look there all the time with a certain sense of dread...

[just say "read above" if its in the long, long thread already!]

[dlouie]

The tubing doesn't really extend to the portion that snakes.
Damon

[PanEuropean]

Damon is correct. The portion that 'snakes' (the portion that is in the cassette) appears to be the same as the straight part that moves in and out of the bottom of the cassette, but in actual fact, the flexible portion in the cassette is just the wire bundle covered by a net-like material that prevents the wires from rubbing against the inside of the cassette.

Michael

[PanEuropean]

Willem:

After looking at the first picture that you posted above, NOW I know why the braided sleeve on the wire tube of your trunk was damaged (abraded). Something - I do not know what - is preventing the round ferrule from freely rotating in the assembly at the edge of the trunk aperture.

The tube should not ever bend like that. That round ferrule should be free to rotate within its enclosure. Below are photos that shows what the construction of the base with the ferrule looks like. I am going to guess that perhaps a piece of debris might be present in your car that is preventing the ferrule from freely rotating.

Michael

Disassembled Base of Ferrule

[WillemBal]

The flexible tube ends right there, where I kept my finger on the second photo. The “snaking" part of the wire bundle is covered only by a braided sleeve, which is similar, if not identical, to the sleeve which originally was used as cosmetic improver for the tube. The snake moves freely inside the cassette with negligible friction and therefore doesn’t require any modification nor lubrication. As Damon and Michael indicated, there is no tube in this section of the wire bundle and isn’t part of the problem.
I merely made this photo in order to indicate that, for the purpose of removal of the worn braided sleeve, it is recommended to disassemble the cassette. I’m sorry for the confusion.

Willem:
After looking at the first picture that you posted above, NOW I know why the braided sleeve on the wire tube of your trunk was damaged (abraded). Something - I do not know what - is preventing the round ferrule from freely rotating in the assembly at the edge of the trunk aperture.

Michael,

This ferrule can rotate freely and without obstruction. Everything is as clean as can be. I think that the angle of the ferrule, as shown on the first picture, is correct, because any other angle would cause either an “S” curve or even a stronger bend in the tube.

The tube should not ever bend like that. That round ferrule should be free to rotate within its enclosure. Below are photos that shows what the construction of the base with the ferrule looks like. I am going to guess that perhaps a piece of debris might be present in your car that is preventing the ferrule from freely rotating.

After taking a closer look today, I noticed that the bending angle is slightly exaggerated on the photo, on account of the fact that the visible part of the trunk lid liner is also angled with respect to the orientation of the cassette. I only made the photo after final assembly and I’m sure that the real angle is not more than 45º. Surely this is still enough to cause a significant amount of friction of the braided sleeve. If I have some time and mood, I'll take another picture with the trunk lid liner removed, so you get a clear view of the cassette as well.
But I guess that you will inspect this issue as soon as you return home. I’m already looking forward to hearing your comments on this.

Willem

[chillson]

A few weeks ago the plastic sleeve finally separated at the bottom exposing the bundle of wires. I have been careful to push the sleeve back down to cover the exposed wires before closing the trunk and this has worked fine. I had the car in the shop a couple of weeks ago for the timing belt service and made sure everyone there knew not to open the trunk (could result in damaged wiring, even broken rear window). I got the car back in great shape. Last week I had the car back in the shop to replace a CV boot. Again I emphatically told them not to open the trunk. Picked-up my car yesterday and drove it home. This morning as I was going to start my attempt to fix the sleeve separation, I open the trunk and notice the sleeve is crimped/bent in a way I have never seen it. I immediately knew someone had opened and closed the trunk carelessly. My heart sank as upon closer inspection the rear glass was cracked!

Thankfully, my shop has taken full responsibility and will replace the rear glass. They are also going to take care of the harness repair as the sleeve is now deformed (bent/crimped) and many of the wires are more bent than I am comfortable with. The issue is that my shop is not a VW dealer. They want me to order the replacement part and take it to them. I was on the phone with my VW dealer today they came up with part number 000 970 053 "sectional wiring harness for rear flap" for my '04 V8 with non-power operated (manual) trunk lid.

I am not confident that this is the correct part number. In an earlier post, Michael gave part number 3D1 970 053 AH for the manual trunk partial harness. His number seems much more specific than 000 970 053 which the parts guy quoted me today. The kicker is that, because this would be a special order, it would not be returnable. The quoted price is $453 plus tax. Obviously I am not going to place the order without knowing I am getting the correct part.

Does anyone have an opinion or advice? Thanks...Jay

[WillemBal]

I am not confident that this is the correct part number. In an earlier post, Michael gave part number 3D1 970 053 AH for the manual trunk partial harness. His number seems much more specific than 000 970 053 which the parts guy quoted me today.

Hi Jay,
You are right being suspicious about it. This "Splice-in sectioned trunk lid wiring harness" comes in 2 varieties:
3D1 970 053 AH is for non-powered trunk lid closing
3D1 970 053 AJ is for powered trunk lid closing
The part number which your shop quoted, indeed isn't very specific, as even the 3D1 prefix is missing.

Willem

[chillson]

I just re-read post #107 from John above and now believe the part number I was quoted from my VW dealer is the correct part number at 1stvwparts.com. 000970053 would be for non-powered (manual) trunks and 000970053A would be for the powered trunk lids. An additional bonus is that the price from 1stvwparts.com is $275.96 vs. $453 from the dealer. I am pretty sure they have a reasonable return policy just in case it is not the correct part. I think I will pull the trigger and order it and see what I get. I will let everybody know what happens next.

If anyone has any other opinion or advice, it is most appreciated. Thanks...Jay

[johnt26]

Hi Jay,

Zeb seemed to know the issues with the part numbers and the problem.

Had I not fixed my harness, I would have felt comfortable ordered from Jeb.

Please keep us posted, Best of Luck!

[chillson]

Hi John! Thanks for the reply. When I get this kit, at what point (location) do you think the actual wire cutting will take place? In other words, will I have a new harness that includes the cartridge (maybe not), the plastic sleeve with braided cover, and the ball shaped end? So will the part coming out of the cartridge have a connector end and the part coming out of the ball end just be loose wires? Thus, I will cut the bundle of wires somewhere behind the ball shaped area? Is there a recommended method for splicing this type of job together? It seems like the bundle will get pretty thick.
Thanks again...Jay

[johnt26]

Michael has some great information in post #29 about the splice work here, check that out when you get a chance.

Best!

[dlouie]

Hi John! Thanks for the reply. When I get this kit, at what point (location) do you think the actual wire cutting will take place? In other words, will I have a new harness that includes the cartridge (maybe not), the plastic sleeve with braided cover, and the ball shaped end? So will the part coming out of the cartridge have a connector end and the part coming out of the ball end just be loose wires? Thus, I will cut the bundle of wires somewhere behind the ball shaped area? Is there a recommended method for splicing this type of job together? It seems like the bundle will get pretty thick.
Thanks again...Jay

They will be loose wires. VW has a spec for splicing wires and I believe its mentioned in the previous post's link. The factory procedure for the repair is quite detailed and specific. The splice should be located under the hat shelf area.
Damon

[chillson]

Damon, thanks for the reply. I hope to get the harness this week. I am not sure if I should complete the repair myself or let my non-vw shop do the work. You state that the procedure is quite detailed and specific. Where can I find this info? I didn't see any vw specs in the link. Do the specs instruct as to what needs to be disconnected (battery?) or anything else to protect the electrical system? Any thoughts or advice is much appreciated. Thanks...Jay

[PanEuropean]

Jay:

Be very careful not to accidentally mix up two wires in the harness that both have the same colour coding. This is easy to do, and difficult to troubleshoot later.

Michael

[chillson]

Yes, Michael, I am very aware of this thanks to your great post. Is there a way to know which is which from the get go or do you just take your 50% probability of getting it right and switch them if you get it wrong? Thanks for the reply...Jay

[dlouie]

Damon, thanks for the reply. I hope to get the harness this week. I am not sure if I should complete the repair myself or let my non-vw shop do the work. You state that the procedure is quite detailed and specific. Where can I find this info? I didn't see any vw specs in the link. Do the specs instruct as to what needs to be disconnected (battery?) or anything else to protect the electrical system? Any thoughts or advice is much appreciated. Thanks...Jay

I had mine replaced under warranty but gave the dealer a lot of information I gathered and printed. I'll have to see if I can find it. As I recall, they did have an issue getting the correct part.

Damon

[chillson]

Michael,

I saw in FAQ that there is a 37 page document entitled "Wiring Harness Inspection & Repair" that you had attached in 2 parts. Neither part is now available on the post. Is this document still available? I would love to have it before starting my repair. Please let me know. Thanks...Jay

[PanEuropean]

Hi Jay:

Here you go - it's attached below.

Michael

[chillson]

Michael,

Thanks so much for the quick reply. I haven't read through the docs yet but I will let everyone know how the wiring harness repair works out for me. Thanks again...Jay

[chillson]

So I ordered the wiring harness repair kit in early July from 1stvwparts.com. I was told it was one of only nine units available in the U.S. About a week and a half later, I received the unit but one of the plastic flanges on the cartridge that attaches to the trunk was broken off. 1stvwparts.com told me to send back the unit and they would order me another. This time there were only four units available in the States. Another week and a half and finally I have the part in perfect condition. Zeb at 1stvwparts.com was great to work with and they really helped me out (no hassle about returning the broken part for exchange).

Last week my shop (non-VW) repaired the harness free of charge. When I dropped off my car (along with the new replacement harness), I sat down with the service manager and showed him this thread, 2 VW wiring harness repair tutorials, and even wrote a message about the two wires woth the same color code. They did a great job. The trunk cover and plastic parts were put back with excellent fit and finish (can't tell there was any work done) and the new sleeve with virgin mesh looks brand new. My unit does have the reinforced plastic neck above the ball joint (like in Michael's pictures above). I am now waiting for the back glass to arrive from Germany before I take my car back for them to complete the job.

Moral of the story: I am very lucky to have such a good relationship with this shop. The harness was separated but still reparable when I took it in for a minor repair. They damaged the sleeve further and broke the rear window by opening and shutting the trunk against my instructions. To replace both the harness and back glass free of charge (including reimbursing me for the cost of the harness) is going above and beyond great customer service. I have been going there for over 13 years.

Imporatant to consider: If the info I received from 1stvwparts.com is true, there are only 3 wiring harness repair kits (for manual lift trunks) available in the U.S. If any of you think you are going to have to undergo this repair, you may want to get the part while you still can (if it's not already too late).

One last question: Is there any reason I shoudn't spray the mesh-covered sleeve with WD-40 to help reduce friction? Is there a better lubricant for this?

Sorry for the long post but much thanks to many of you who helped me along the way. If not for this forum, I never would have known about the possibilty of cracked rear glass and I would have broken mine for sure. I would guess conservatively that the above repairs (wiring harness and rear glass replacement) would have cost me a combined $3000. Thanks again...Jay

[dlouie]

I would refrain from using any petroleum based lubricant on the plastic. It may attack the plastic. I use silicone based detail spray often to make the whole thing slick.

Damon.

[gartracescort]

On mine, the rigid tube came out of the spherical bottom joint and began to distress the wiring there. A few months of giving it a tug each time the boot closed was ok but annoying. eventually a wire did break (LH inner tail lamp). I spent some of a Saturday morning taking the trim off the bootlid and having a good look and a think.

In the end I removed and dismantled the bootlid cassette assembly and cut/sectioned off the rigid tube. This liberated about 2 feet of harness that I double bound with electrician's tape after soldering and heat-shrink protecting the broken wire. Inside the cassette there is a serpentine guideway for the harness. There is one small section about 1 inch long (just by the thumb in post #112) that can be trimmed out to allow a straight run for the harness to then go straight through, using the cassette merely as a guide to keep the cable run stable inside the bootlid trim, stopping it tangling and ensuring it exits the trim in the same place as originally. The difference now is that the cable is more than long enough to take care of itself when the boot operates. The cable movement is such that there is little chance of future fatigue due to excessive movement. My only regret is that I only had red tape on the day, but that's easy!

It is a pity that some idiot designed such an utterly stupid (but almost clever) method of getting power to the boot electrics. Its not even as if it looks good from new; beautiful engineered hinges, hidden edges, subtle mechanism and fine trim covers. And a stupid black prong to break up the lines. Why not just run it conventionally or even use sprung contacts like on the Q7?

And why have a premium car with a sat nav that won't take post codes!!

Other than those two issues, a great car!

[Jxander]

I would refrain from using any petroleum based lubricant on the plastic. It may attack the plastic. I use silicone based detail spray often to make the whole thing slick.

Damon.

I do the same, using silicone spray for the same reasons. So far mine looks and functions like new. However, I am VERY careful when I close my trunk and try making sure that no one else touches it.

I think this is another of those significant but generally preventable repairs on the Phaeton.

Jim X

[gartracescort]

On mine, the rigid tube came out of the spherical bottom joint and began to distress the wiring there. A few months of giving it a tug each time the boot closed was ok but annoying. eventually a wire did break (LH inner tail lamp). I spent some of a Saturday morning taking the trim off the bootlid and having a good look and a think.

In the end I removed and dismantled the bootlid cassette assembly and cut/sectioned off the rigid tube. This liberated about 2 feet of harness that I double bound with electrician's tape after soldering and heat-shrink protecting the broken wire. Inside the cassette there is a serpentine guideway for the harness. There is one small section about 1 inch long (by the thumb in post #112) that can be trimmed out to allow a straight run for the harness to then go straight through, using the cassette merely as a guide to keep the cable run stable inside the bootlid trim, stopping it tangling and ensuring it exits the trim in the same place as originally. The difference now is that the cable is more than long enough to take care of itself when the boot operates. The cable movement is such that there is little chance of future fatigue due to excessive movement. My only regret is that I only had red tape on the day, but that's easy!

It is a pity that some idiot designed such an utterly stupid (but almost clever) method of getting power to the boot electrics. Its not even as if it looks good from new; beautiful engineered hinges, hidden edges, subtle mechanism and fine trim covers. And a stupid black prong to break up the lines. Why not just run it conventionally or even use sprung contacts like on the Q7?

And why have a premium car with a sat nav that won't take post codes!!

Other than those two issues, a great car!

[Zaphh]

...
And why have a premium car with a sat nav that won't take post codes!!
...

I don't know about Germany but in France, a post code corresponds to a town, or a group of hamlets or smaller towns (in fact, the postcode is the code of the main post office of the town that then redistributes the mail to smaller postoffices that then redistribute the mail to residents).

In Paris, there as are many postcodes as there are "quarters", i.e. only 20, with as many as 30k inhabitants for the 75020 postcode.

All this to say that this is different from England, where a postcode is more or less specific to a block.

In France, there would be no point in typing in a postcode as it would get you to the town (67000 = Strasbourg).

If this postcode system is comparable in Germany and the GPS system was designed in Germany, nobody would have seen the point of putting a postcode as a direction.

P.

[EnglishPhaeton]

I don't know about Germany but in France, a post code corresponds to a town, or a group of hamlets or smaller towns (in fact, the postcode is the code of the main post office of the town that then redistributes the mail to smaller postoffices that then redistribute the mail to residents).

In Paris, there as are many postcodes as there are "quarters", i.e. only 20, with as many as 30k inhabitants for the 75020 postcode.

All this to say that this is different from England, where a postcode is more or less specific to a block.

In France, there would be no point in typing in a postcode as it would get you to the town (67000 = Strasbourg).

If this postcode system is comparable in Germany and the GPS system was designed in Germany, nobody would have seen the point of putting a postcode as a direction.

P.

Pierre,

never even thought of that!
Our postcode in France is 9500, small town called Mirepoix. I am guessing you could find us by asking someone on arrival!!! Defeats the object somewhat!
However our UK post code would indicate the Town, Street, and odd or even house number!

Stu

[dlouie]

This liberated about 2 feet of harness that I double bound with electrician's tape after soldering and heat-shrink protecting the broken wire.

Note that VW does not recommend soldering as an acceptable repair for wiring. Please see Michael's posting above with attached documents.

Damon

[Zaphh]

Pierre,

never even thought of that!
Our postcode in France is 9500, small town called Mirepoix. I am guessing you could find us by asking someone on arrival!!! Defeats the object somewhat!
However our UK post code would indicate the Town, Street, and odd or even house number!

Stu

Err...,

I'm afraid you didn't get what I said.

I have the pleasure to inform you that your postcode 9500 corresponds to no less than 22 towns or hamlets !!! (cf. below).

So I have no doubt that in Mirepoix, everyone knows about that English guy with his strange VW, but if you gave me your postcode only (9500), how would I know I would need to go to Mirepoix to have the pleasure to meet you ?

09500 is the postcode of the following towns:

09500 BESSET
09500 CAMON
09500 CAZALS DES BAYLES
09500 COUTENS
09500 LA BASTIDE DE BOUSIGNAC
09500 LAGARDE
09500 LAPENNE
09500 MALEGOUDE
09500 MANSES
09500 MIREPOIX
09500 MOULIN NEUF
09500 RIEUCROS
09500 ROUMENGOUX
09500 ST FELIX DE TOURNEGAT
09500 ST JULIEN DE GRAS CAPOU
09500 ST QUENTIN LA TOUR
09500 STE FOI
09500 TEILHET
09500 TOURTROL
09500 TROYE D ARIEGE
09500 VALS
09500 VIVIES

Btw, mirepoix is the name of a famous French side dish http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirepoix_%28cuisine%29

It would be interesting to know if the mirepoix mix of vegetables originated from Mirepoix.

Could you ask around ?

P.