Passenger door won't open
Discussion
Morning gang,
I've already posted over in the VAG ( http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...)section but I'm not getting any response; I'm hoping you knowledgeable chaps can help me out.
56 Plate 1.9tdi Polo (two door), passenger door is refusing to unlock. Makes no difference if I use the remote fob, internal "master" door lock/unlock button (for both driver and passenger doors), key in drivers door or pulling on the passenger door internal/external handle. There is no key hole in the passenger door (never noticed before, what a great idea).
I can't get the door card off to start poking around as the door won't open. I'm assuming the fault will be inside the passenger door? Unless there is some "master" solenoid type thing in the drivers side that has gone tits up? When I operate the remote or use the key, I can hear something trying to happen on the passenger side, but the pop up button at the edge of the door panel/glass remains down (the thing that pops up when the door unlocks). I tried putting some long nose pliers on this button and lifting it up but it does not make any difference.
Any help much appreciated!
I've already posted over in the VAG ( http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...)section but I'm not getting any response; I'm hoping you knowledgeable chaps can help me out.
56 Plate 1.9tdi Polo (two door), passenger door is refusing to unlock. Makes no difference if I use the remote fob, internal "master" door lock/unlock button (for both driver and passenger doors), key in drivers door or pulling on the passenger door internal/external handle. There is no key hole in the passenger door (never noticed before, what a great idea).
I can't get the door card off to start poking around as the door won't open. I'm assuming the fault will be inside the passenger door? Unless there is some "master" solenoid type thing in the drivers side that has gone tits up? When I operate the remote or use the key, I can hear something trying to happen on the passenger side, but the pop up button at the edge of the door panel/glass remains down (the thing that pops up when the door unlocks). I tried putting some long nose pliers on this button and lifting it up but it does not make any difference.
Any help much appreciated!
Door lock module is goosed. It was a very common problem on MK4 Golfs and Polos of that era shared a lot of parts with the Golf.
A new one costs around £100 from VW and they're easy enough to fit once you get behind the door card and inner panel, but as you've discovered, that's the hard part.
Undo the door grab handle and anything else you can get access to, and then unfortunately you just have to be brutal with the door card. You'll probably break it because there's usually 3 or 4 screws holding the card to the door, which are only accessible when the door is open. As well as that, the card needs to be lifted up and out to unhook it from a plastic channel.
I don't envy you!
A new one costs around £100 from VW and they're easy enough to fit once you get behind the door card and inner panel, but as you've discovered, that's the hard part.
Undo the door grab handle and anything else you can get access to, and then unfortunately you just have to be brutal with the door card. You'll probably break it because there's usually 3 or 4 screws holding the card to the door, which are only accessible when the door is open. As well as that, the card needs to be lifted up and out to unhook it from a plastic channel.
I don't envy you!
Early Range Rovers are far worse believe me.
Toilet duck,unbolt and unplug the passengers seat first and plop it on the back seat it will make life easier and lessen the risk of having to break something you may not be otherwise able to get to.
Getting the door panel off though,is just the beginning.
Door locks are tough cookies especially in the confines of a door,you will need to break off all the locking module part first(black plastic part).
If you are lucky its just the dead lock siezed and you will be able to flick it unlocked once the motor is removed.
Try not to damage any of the main metal lock/latch operating parts as a bent release lever or such in an anti burst lock would leave you in a worse situation than you are now,needing some drastic action to resolve.
Toilet duck,unbolt and unplug the passengers seat first and plop it on the back seat it will make life easier and lessen the risk of having to break something you may not be otherwise able to get to.
Getting the door panel off though,is just the beginning.
Door locks are tough cookies especially in the confines of a door,you will need to break off all the locking module part first(black plastic part).
If you are lucky its just the dead lock siezed and you will be able to flick it unlocked once the motor is removed.
Try not to damage any of the main metal lock/latch operating parts as a bent release lever or such in an anti burst lock would leave you in a worse situation than you are now,needing some drastic action to resolve.
Just to update this thread.......
The passenger door miraculously unlocked and I was able to open the door. I removed the doorcard etc and eventually got to the solenoid thing. It seems the lock is a two piece affair, part mechanical, part electrickery. It seemed to me that the electronic part was kaput, so I tried looking inside it. After it flew apart in a shower of springs and small plastic kinder egg type bits, I ended up getting a brand new unit for £40 off eBay, its all fitted and working now. However, when the doors "auto lock" once over about 10mph, the passenger door locks then unlocks itself. Everything else works fine.
I'm surprised this design is "legal.' If the electronic side of the lock fails in this way, the passenger door cannot open from inside or outside. If I crashed and the car was on fire, the passenger wouldn't be able to get out.
The passenger door miraculously unlocked and I was able to open the door. I removed the doorcard etc and eventually got to the solenoid thing. It seems the lock is a two piece affair, part mechanical, part electrickery. It seemed to me that the electronic part was kaput, so I tried looking inside it. After it flew apart in a shower of springs and small plastic kinder egg type bits, I ended up getting a brand new unit for £40 off eBay, its all fitted and working now. However, when the doors "auto lock" once over about 10mph, the passenger door locks then unlocks itself. Everything else works fine.
I'm surprised this design is "legal.' If the electronic side of the lock fails in this way, the passenger door cannot open from inside or outside. If I crashed and the car was on fire, the passenger wouldn't be able to get out.
Toilet Duck said:
I'm surprised this design is "legal.' If the electronic side of the lock fails in this way, the passenger door cannot open from inside or outside. If I crashed and the car was on fire, the passenger wouldn't be able to get out.
Suspect it's deadlocked from the last time it was locked, and since it's not unlocked, can't be opened from either side. Had it just been locked normally, or by the autolock mechanism, then it could still have been opened from the inside.It had been locked "normally." The car auto locks when you go over about 10mph, it wasn't manually locked. When it was intermittently failing to unlock, you simply couldn't open the passenger door from the inside or outside, pressing the remote didn't unlock it, nor did the "master" lock/unlock button on the inside of the drivers door. I don't know if it would "auto unlock" in the event of a crash, but unless it somehow bypasses the broken solenoid thing I don't see how.
Toilet Duck said:
It had been locked "normally." The car auto locks when you go over about 10mph, it wasn't manually locked. When it was intermittently failing to unlock, you simply couldn't open the passenger door from the inside or outside, pressing the remote didn't unlock it, nor did the "master" lock/unlock button on the inside of the drivers door. I don't know if it would "auto unlock" in the event of a crash, but unless it somehow bypasses the broken solenoid thing I don't see how.
When you lock the car at night, do you deadlock it. When I said 'normally' I meant locking without deadlocking.feef said:
When you lock the car at night, do you deadlock it. When I said 'normally' I meant locking without deadlocking.
I always use the remote to lock/unlock, just one press of the respective button each time. Does that activate a deadlock? Or do I have to do something else to activate that? Sometimes (when the fault was originally intermittent) the passenger door would unlock using the remote and a passenger could get in. Drive off and the doors all auto lock. Get to where I'm going and the passenger door would play up and not open, so they had to climb across and out the drivers side. The missus loved it 
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