Sunroof spontaneously opens.... then closes

grantdcol

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
TDI
2005.5 Jetta, 2003 Jetta - Saved my life
Does anybody else have this problem (didn't find anything with a search, I hope this isn't a repost)?

About once every two weeks the sun roof in my 2005.5 Jetta TDI randomly tilts up. It closes on its own within minutes.

I can hear it so I usually move the selector to the open position and back to the closed position to close it. The sunroof never slides open on its own.

What the heck is this about? Is it some sort of feature? Drastic auto-climate control?

Thanks,
Colin
 
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MAXRPM

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2008
Location
US
TDI
00 Jetta and 99.5 Golf, 2015 Passat TDI,BMW 2
For me it was a dirty conection at the switch, I sprayed some of the Deotix and problem solved, no more closing and opening on its own.
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
MAXRPM said:
For me it was a dirty conection at the switch, I sprayed some of the Deotix and problem solved, no more closing and opening on its own.
Nice to know I'm not alone, and that VW's reputation for great electrical design and manufacture remains intact...

My 2003 Jetta Wagon gets into this routine every 13 - 15 months... goes away on its own, but doesn't make me feel any better... I'll try the DeOxit routine the next time I'm working on the car...

Yuri.
 

airwolf

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Location
Cassopolis, MI
TDI
None
grantdcol said:
Does anybody else have this problem (didn't find anything with a search, I hope this isn't a repost)?

About once every two weeks the sun roof in my 2005.5 Jetta TDI randomly tilts up. It closes on its own within minutes.

I can hear it so I usually move the selector to the open position and back to the closed position to close it. The sunroof never slides open on its own.

What the heck is this about? Is it some sort of feature? Drastic auto-climate control?

Thanks,
Colin

This is known as the fart detection and elimination system.
 

doonboggle

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Location
Elgin, Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta w/Taktonic 6sp. transmission, Silver; 1981 Rabbit pick-up
Have you driven thru a cemetery lately?

Sounds like you may have picked up a ghost. :p:D:rolleyes:
 

sjeff35

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Location
Jax, FL
TDI
None yet
Well, you guys aren't alone with this. My 06 started doing this a couple of months ago when I change radio stations one day and the sunroof vented. The other day I walked outside and found the sunroof vented even though the switch was in the "closed" position. I'm going to take mine in and see what the have to say about this.

I do like the idea of the Fart detection though :D
 

nomaddmh

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Location
San Diego, CA
TDI
2009 Jetta Sedan TDI
I fixed this (at least temporarily) by rotating the switch just to the left slightly and then back to center... quite annoying though.
 

jayson9

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Location
KC
TDI
06
Just hope that the auto ejection seat feature doesn't kick-in while in the shut position!:D LOL!

BTW..... glad I traded and got the '09! No ghosts yet.
 

llmikej

New member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
WI
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
My 2006 TDI Jetta does this as well. I also suspected some weird sort of climate control, because at first it was only happening when it was really hot. But, it has happened at all manner of temperatures now. MAXRPM - Where exactly did you clean the switch to fix this?
 

SuperJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2006
Location
Waterloo, ON
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
I thought this thread was funny a couple weeks ago... but it just started happening to me this week. Not funny in the winter.
 

GdB

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Location
Cypress, California, USA
TDI
Golf IV swap 2002
MAXRPM said:
For me it was a dirty conection at the switch, I sprayed some of the Deotix and problem solved, no more closing and opening on its own.
Is this what you cleaned on the switch? I noticed a little grease on the black contact surface. I'm guessing that the pot resistance is wrong if a little dirt or grease gets in there, which fools the ECU. The funny thing is how it just happens without touching the switch while driving. I did not clean the plug contacts since those looked good.

What is Deotix?

 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
DeOxit: http://www.amazon.com/CLEANERS-LUBRICANTS-CAIG-BRAND-SPRAY-Solution/dp/B00006LVEU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1244921613&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/CAIG-DeOxit-Gold-Mini-Spray-20mL/dp/B0002E557M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1244921613&sr=1-3

The red stuff is good for removing corrosion - especially inside glow plug harnesses... the gold is a contact enhancer - similar to Stabilant-22
http://www.amazon.com/Stabilant-5ml-Kit-Makes-30ml/dp/B001E50GQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1244921752&sr=8-1

A bit of "grease" may not be a bad thing if it's the proper lubricant for this type of application... there are many types of "grease"... I don't think conductivity is an issue here... corrosion and the protection from future corrosion would rank higher in my book...

Yuri



PS: Since I believe these fluids are poisonous, I believe this is another case where you can have your Caig, but you shouldn't eat it...


(sorry... can't resist...)
 
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grantdcol

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
TDI
2005.5 Jetta, 2003 Jetta - Saved my life
nomaddmh said:
I fixed this (at least temporarily) by rotating the switch just to the left slightly and then back to center... quite annoying though.
I do that a couple times a day every couple months. It comes in fits, and then subsides for a while. VW has 'cleaned' the switch twice now.

-Colin
 

Brian B

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Location
Acton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon - Silver
Funny, I posted about this last winter and no one then I find this post when I'm searching for 2006 Jetta Oil change:p

Go to know though, I will check the switch for dirt
 

69rustneversleeps

Active member
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Location
Scotland, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Golf GLS , 2009 Jetta (bought back by VW)
OK, I know this is a really, really old thread but I just found it because my '09 Jetta sunroof just started to open by itself. The hilarious part is the first time it happened, I really did wonder if it was the "automatic fart detection and elimination" German engineered function because I had just did a one cheek sneak and the roof opened one notch. Coincidentally, Brantford VW (Ontario) has posters all over the dealership with "gute fahrt" on them so it didn't seem beyond the realm of possibility that a pressure sensor in the seat could be interpreted as a one cheek sneak lean-over.

No matter, it just did it again yesterday and no gas emissions were involved so I guess it really is nothing more than a dirty switch after all. But how cool would it have been if VW had really engineered a ventilation feature and simply not advertised it? I already brag about my car to everyone I work with, and a fart system would have been icing on the cake.

Cheers!
 
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