Malfunctioning Door Switch--Quick Question

My driver's door switch is acting up. Occassionally after I unlock the car with the remote and then open the door the alarm sounds or after I unlock the door with the remote and get in the car and shut the door, the car locks itself again in about 30 seconds if I do not insert the key into the ignition.

Question: If I do not want to replace the door latch assembly can I somehow prevent the alarm from sounding after I unlock the car (perhaps by using the actual key to unlock the door)? Is there a simple way to disable the alarm?

I found it odd that I have two modes of failure (alarm going off or the door locking itself again). Are there two seperate door switches that could be failing? This is the driver's door.

Thanks.

--Nate

You are gonna need to replace the latch. They are much more complex than you think, electrically anyways. There is an 8-pin connector, several switches, etc. all contained inside.

You can just not lock the car, too. If you wanna take the latch out, take it all apart and try to clean the microswitches you may have a 50/50 success rate. But my time is not worth the effort, too much work involved taking the door apart only to have to do it again later.

This is a SUPER common problem, I replace a latch a week it seems like. When I got my Golf, 3 of the 4 doors' latches were bad...

Thanks Oilhammer. I agree with you, especially after scrolling through the "$3 door switch fix thread". Great thread, but it looks quite tedious fitting a new aftermarket switch. I don't think the latch assembly is too expensive if I order from 1stvwparts.com. Do you have a part number for the '04 Jetta TDI?

Thanks again.

P.S. for grins I just called my local dealer and talked to the service writer. $250 for the latch and another $250 to install it. I bet there would be a diagnostic fee too, because he said the problem has to be diagnosed first and that 2004s do not experience latch failures often (that's not what my research shows).

I'm ready to order the latch from 1stvwparts.com and install it in a couple of weeks. I get really great service from them. I guess the latch will be about $150.

--Nate

Driver's door should be 3B1-837-015-AS. Usually about $170 list.

oilhammer said:

Driver's door should be 3B1-837-015-AS. Usually about $170 list.

Click to expand...

Thanks OH!

Leave to my local dealer to charge WELL above list, as usual. This is not the first time!

--Nate

LATCH [New Part# 3B1837015AK] Quantity: VolkswagenPrice:$169.23List Price:$169.23 Your Price:$123.88

Nice!

On 1stVW's web site, if the part number has superceded it changes the number to the new number.

--Nate

I just don't understand how that dealer can charge that much. Don't think any of the dealers around here charge OVER list, because there are enough in one area that you'd think nobody would pay that much.

I'd call them back, and ask them if they will sell it to you for 'normal' list price.

Hi .my rear passenger door will not open. It stop working. Any ideas how I may open this door?

I'm gonna watch it a while longer. Its intermittent now, works most times. When the switch does not work, I simply hit the "unlock" button again and when the locks in the other three doors open, this tells the convience module the doors are unlocked and the alarm is turnd off, so the alarm won't go off when I open the door.

At some point I'll order the latch from 1stvwparts.com and fix it.

--Nate

03 golf 4dr

PDJetta said:

I'm gonna watch it a while longer. Its intermittent now, works most times. When the switch does not work, I simply hit the "unlock" button again and when the locks in the other three doors open, this tells the convience module the doors are unlocked and the alarm is turnd off, so the alarm won't go off when I open the door.

At some point I'll order the latch from 1stvwparts.com and fix it.

--Nate

Click to expand...

1ST My door ajar lite on ,i checked and found its something in hatchback, intermitintly its malfunc.
then today i had car locked after driving 1 hour ,then horn started honking ,then stop for awhile ,then honk for minute ,stop and i went out there to car with remote unlock doors and horn would stop honking ,i locked doors with remote and was walking back to house and horn started honking again? ,so i see that unlocking door ,horn stops, so i get in car ,lock doors and as i sat their ,something was clicking from under hood and same time clicking at hatchback lock area ,so i had to just disconect battery ?its beyond me what to do other then back to dealer ouch..