Microswitch behind Trunk Lid Logo (for opening power trunk) does not work [TOC, Photos done]

[car_guy]

Quote, originally posted by paulkountz »

my car's trunk has opened while driving down the highway while both of my hands were on the steering wheel.....but then again it has not happened again so it might have been my cars way of telling me to slow down!

Well, maybe that body in the trunk wasn't quite dead...

[PanEuropean]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly, but the New Jersey escape handle is wired in parallel with the driver door switch, so it won't work once the vehicle is moving above about 5 km/h. Hope VW doesn't get sued over this by any gangsters that might get locked in the trunk...

[Aristoteles]

Quote, originally posted by PanEuropean »

But, no keyless entry, is that correct? Michael

That's correct. And lacking keyless go, if I could unlatch the boot using the logo switch, presumably so could anyone else.

Incidentally, the car doesn't automatically self-lock on moving off, which surprises me. Is it a cost option?.

[Prince Ludwig]

I think the automatic locking is something that as to be doen by the dealer or with a VAG-COM.

[Aristoteles]

Quote, originally posted by Prince Ludwig »

I think the automatic locking is something that as to be doen by the dealer or with a VAG-COM.

That makes sense.
How many other no-cost dealer-initiated options are there? I mean, is the car like a fully-optioned software program that's a bit crippled but for a few quid a techie with a laptop can come round and activate all those hidden features?

[Prince Ludwig]

The conveniance settings are mostly to do with door unlocking (which doors open upon first plip etc...), automatic locking at speed, conveniance closing. If you can find a forum member with a VAG-COM who lives near you they can probably change things for tea and biccies.

Alternatively, you could do what I did. Because of an "Engine Fault - Workshop" message that came up but later went away, I took the car to a dealer in Gatwick to see if they could have a look at it under warranty. Assuming that to check the fault codes they'd already have got access to the OBD port, I also asked them if they could change the door locking (one plip to open all 4 doors). A day later, no problems were found and it would be £75 for the changed conveniance settings

Modified by Prince Ludwig at 3:09 PM 10-26-2007

[Aristoteles]

Quote, originally posted by Prince Ludwig »

The conveniance settings are mostly to do with door unlocking (which doors open upon first plip etc...), automatic locking at speed, conveniance closing. If you can find a forum member with a VAG-COM who lives near you they can probably change things for tea and biccies.

How much time does 75 quid buy?

I would happily get a plip reversal ie one plip opens everything and two closes everything except the driver's door, which is left open.

This reminds me of the upgrade wish lists customers sent every time a new program went into alpha. Trouble was, everyone wanted upgrdes and no-one wanted to pay for the upgrades...

[Prince Ludwig]

The £75 apparently covered 30-45 mins work (can't remember exactly). When I pointed out that to check the error codes they had to plug the same machine into the car that changes the conveniance functions they hummed and harred a bit...

[PanEuropean]

Quote, originally posted by Aristoteles »

How many other no-cost dealer-initiated options are there?

Hi Richard:

OK, a few answers for you here, hopefully this will sort everything out.

1) Software Configuration

There are a number of behavioral options that can be set by the staff at your VW dealer to suit your personal preference. Normally, a dealer will leave the vehicle in the 'default' configuration - meaning, as shipped by the factory - unless the owner asks to have the vehicle configured otherwise. Because the car is kind of complex, and it takes a little while (perhaps a month or so) to get used to how everything works, the dealers normally don't ask the customer how they would like things configured on the day the vehicle is delivered. This is understandable - the customer hasn't even had a chance to read the owner manual yet.

If you look at the Phaeton Forum 'Table of Contents' (FAQ by Category) (a sticky post that is always near the top of page 1 of the forum topic list), and then scroll down to the second post on that thread entitled Programming and Configuring the Phaeton After You Take Delivery, you will find numerous posts that provide a full description of how you or your VW technician can set the car up to suit your exact preferences. It's worth taking the time to read all the information there, because it is a real treat to get the vehicle configured exactly the way you want it. Plan on about 3 hours of work doing the reading of both the posts here on the forum and your owner manual. The owner manual also explains what all the configuration options are, but perhaps not in as much detail as we provide here on the forum.

Make a written list of how you want things set up, for example, driver door unlocking only, or both doors on the same side, or all doors unlocking at once; auto-locking at 15km/h (a good idea); auto-unlocking when you take the key out of the ignition (an even better idea), and so forth. Then, make an appointment to visit your VW dealer and spend about half an hour with the Phaeton tech while he sets the car up to your exact wishes. It is interesting to see how it is done. You have a 2007 car, that's a 'new' car, and your selling dealer should not charge you anything at all to carry out these configuration changes.

Most of the configuration changes are accomplished by way of controller 46, which is the central convenience controller. The technician will be presented with a list of 'adaptation' choices, and once that list is up and in view on the diagnostic scan tool, it takes about 20 seconds per choice to make the changes. There are also a few configuration changes (e.g. seat belt warning) that are accomplished via controller 17, and daylight running lights preferences are set in controller 09.

2) Your Trunk Lid

I am going to make an educated guess that if you have a power trunk lid, complete with a microswitch behind the trunk logo, but you don't have keyless access, you will still have antennas in the rear bumper to allow you to open the trunk lid without a key by pressing the logo when the key is within range. This is a guess, I could be wrong, but logic suggests that if the logo does have a microswitch, it should be functional.

When you are at the dealership getting the configuration changes made, ask your technician to 'adapt' (calibrate) the trunk lid range of motion using the guided functions portion of the diagnostic scan tool. This is done in controller 46. This 'adaptation' is a one-time task that tells the trunk lid controller what the fully open and fully closed positions of the lid are. I suspect that your trunk lid microswitch is not functioning because the controller has some uncertainty about the position of the trunk lid, therefore, it is declining to take any action for safety reasons. Again, this is a guess, but it is an educated guess.

If there is any uncertainty about whether or not the logo microswitch should open the trunk lid when a key is proximate to the rear bumper area, ask the technician to look under the bumper cover (best accomplished by lifting the car up) and see whether there are two antennas installed behind the rear bumper cover, as shown in the picture below. If you have these antennas, then you should have keyless access to your trunk, even if you don't have keyless access to the rest of the car. If you don't have these antennas, then your car has no way of knowing if there is an authorized key proximate to the car when you press the logo button.

Let us know how it all goes. FYI, experience has taught the rest of us that it is much more trouble-free if the owner is present when the technician does all the configuration programming. This allows for a bit of discussion, and also allows you to get to know the Phaeton tech at your dealer - something that really breaks the ice and will make future visits to the dealer far more pleasant. All the configuration programming can be done out in the parking lot, the tech just brings the scan tool to the car, the car does not have to be brought inside, or lifted up, or anything else. Just leave the engine running while you do the work so as not to deplete the battery.

Michael

[Aristoteles]

Well, thank you for your time and trouble Michael.

I am fairly well acquainted with the manual but will need to follow up the post-delivery config links you've directed me to. I bought the car over the phone from a dealer (Inchcape Shrewsbury) some 250 miles away. They have a branch about an hour's drive away in Chelmsford, Essex so perhaps Shrewsbury will set up a meeting with them to reconfigure the car when I've decided how I want it set up.

Re the boot, I've placed the keyfob against the closed and latched boot's logo while operating the microswitch, having unlocked the car, and still no deal. So I guess the dealer should move to the next stage, as you've suggested, and take a look at signal acquisition.

Although the closing/opening system works fine I had occasion to override it manually when my step-father's walking frame allowed the lid to shut without latching. The dashboard warning display alerted me to this but neither the keyfob nor the door-mounted switch would raise the lid. Then the sensors got out of sync and I had a fine time sorting it all out in the car park, finally hitting on the solution described elsewhere on the forum.

I never feel comfortable about having work done on any car unless I can talk to the technician before afterwards. Plus, they usually tell you things you'd never hear from customer service. Probably the only really straight-talking people to be found in the motor trade - or am I being unfair?

[Aristoteles]

A few days ago I approached the boot-mounted VW badge key in hand, as always, with a sudden premonition that the influence of the key was operating correctly. (No, not going New Age in my old age, just telling it straight.) I pressed the badge and it worked - the boot opened at my touch and has ever since. If the key is more than four or five feet from the boot, the lid won't open this way.

The only logical explanation I have is that the key-sensing system had somehow reset itself.

I'm beginning to wonder if this marvellous vehicle is developing its own personality. I've had just one or two cars that did this kind of thing and found it rather endearing.

Everything comes to he who waits.

[PanEuropean]

Photos re-hosted.

Michael

[HunterST]

Interestingly, I just discovered that you can close the trunk lid by pressing the emblem microswitch. Previously someone mentioned that the "close" button was the only way to close the lid - the key fob button and the driver door buttons will only open, not close.

Reaching the microswitch while the lid is open requires long arms and I'm not sure why anyone would need this feature, but it's there.

[PanEuropean]

Photos re-hosted again...

Michael

[mullet5]

I bought an '04 V8 a few weeks ago, and the trunk microswitch was not working. I did a little Vortex searching, and I came across this thread. Well, guess what... My car had exactly the same problem as Alex's car (the original post). The two plugs from the harness were plugged together, and the two plugs from the microswitch and the inside release handle were plugged together. Thank goodness for the Phaeton forum, and Michael in particular. Thank you!

[PanEuropean]

I'm happy all the information that all of us has assembled has been useful to you.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write the note above, that was nice of you.

Michael