Driver Side Won't Lock with Button on Key

Schwrtz27

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2004 Jetta Pd
I cannot lock my driver's side door with my button on my key. When i shut my door, and press the 'lock' button, the other will lock, and hte driver side will stay there. I must lock with the the physical key itself. Once inside the car, i can push down the rod sticking up and lock it my manually. I can also unlock it by using either the button attached to the door or my keyless entry unlock button.

I have tried to take the inside panel off the door but ran into a roadblock. Does anybody have a 'how to' to take the inner panels off the door? I can't seem to get it off very easily.

Thanks for all the help with this problem!
 

rdkern

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2004
Location
Humboldt Co CA
TDI
Passat 1997 silver (sold after 11 years), Jetta 2000 atlantic blue
Is this your 04 Jetta? Odd issue with such a new car.

I don't have an answer, just trying to help those who follow know what vehicle is under discussion. Most of these types of problems boil down to a broken wire in the cluster that goes between the door and body.
 

Schwrtz27

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2004 Jetta Pd
Yes, this is my 2004 Jetta TDi. I did have a stereo system installed and i bet it was their fault, but its been so long since i've had that installed, so i dont know if they will fix it for me. Thanks for all the helP
 

Schwrtz27

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2004 Jetta Pd
I looked at that but it seems that that problem is related to having the door open/closed. Mine just doenst lock electronically. There are no lights or beeps or anything warning me that my door is open. It just won't lock! Anybody have any suggestions?

Has anybody taken the door panel off a 2004 Jetta GL? Do you just pull it off (after removing all noticeable screws etc.), or is there a latch or what? Wires to worry about? HELP!
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Well first scan the CCM and see if there are any DTCs. My bet is you get a DTC for the lock actuator implausible signal on that door, which will require the lock/latch/actuator assembly replacement. Also a good time to go ahead and replace your window regulator (if it is powered) as you'll need to remove it anyways. Easy job to me, but kinda involved and time consuming.
 

tdijud

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2007
Location
Millville, NJ
TDI
99 Beetle
bedubya said:
Got the same problem with my '98 Beetle. Hope someone has a solution.
My 99 beetle had a loose wire in the harness that plugged into the lock. (a design flaw I thought, to much stress on the harness) Try and unlocking the door with the remote then locking it with the remote. Its a temporary fix but it gets the alarm to arm. I usually press the unlock twice then lock twice and the door locks. Do the red & white lights in the lower door panel come on? If not check the two red and white striped wires in the harness, they are the two closest to the back of the car if the harness is plugged in. Good luck, I ended up having to solder the wires to the terminals.
 

Schwrtz27

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2004 Jetta Pd
I've tried to unlock and lock many times. It will only unlock remotely, after manually locking.

oilhammer, do i need vag-com to test this? I'm not throwing any codes that are detectable through OBDII. Thanks!

Also, could you please descrieb how the inner door panel is attached. Thanks. How to i take the door panel off?
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
You need a VAG-COM or equivelent. That generic OBD2 crap is useless.

Taking the door panel off is the easy part. Getting the regulator assembly and wiring harness out is the tricky part. Then you have the outside handle and cable, the rods, and finally the lock/latch assembly.

Your best bet is to get a Bentley manual for your car if you want to attempt this yourself. And give yourself lots of patience and time.
 

bobla

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2004
Location
Williamsburg, Virginia
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS, Silver
I have the same problem in my 04 Jetta. Driver door won't unlock or lock with remote, interior lights don't come on when door is opened. Using VagCom I got a code 00928 - Locking Module for Central Locking Front Driver Side (F220) 27-00 - Implausable Signal.

From reading above it sounds like I need to repair or replace the locking module! Looking at the step by step in the link above it seems a bit tedious. I'm thinking that since the lights don't come on either, the $3 fix may not be sufficient, so am leaning toward replacing the module.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
bobla said:
I have the same problem in my 04 Jetta. Driver door won't unlock or lock with remote, interior lights don't come on when door is opened. Using VagCom I got a code 00928 - Locking Module for Central Locking Front Driver Side (F220) 27-00 - Implausable Signal.

From reading above it sounds like I need to repair or replace the locking module! Looking at the step by step in the link above it seems a bit tedious. I'm thinking that since the lights don't come on either, the $3 fix may not be sufficient, so am leaning toward replacing the module.
Yep, that is the DTC and symptoms of a dead locking module. It is tricky and time consuming job, but not horribly difficult. I can give a step by step if you like...going off of memory but I have done lots of them... :p
 

bobla

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2004
Location
Williamsburg, Virginia
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS, Silver
Ok, so I'm on my way out to Radio Shack today to get the $3.00, #275-016A switch, and the locks work fine. I bought the switch anyway,(which by the way is listed as #275-016 on their website and is what comes up when they scan the bar code at the store. But the bag label does say #275-016A. The store clerk couldn't explain the two similar but different numbers for the same switch).

We went out tonight and the lock is not working again. This indicates to me that it may be a cleanliness issue, more than a failed switch. I saw somewhere in one of these threads that someone had had success cleaning the switch with electrical contact cleaner and lubing with graphite. I'm guessing I need to take the door apart to do this. I'll look around for the thread again.
 

Bora_Bora

Well-known member
Joined
May 13, 2003
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta
I think I am having the same issue. I turned off my lights inside cause my car seems to think the door is open. It keeps the lights on inside and wont lock cause it thinks a door is open. Same problem or different?
 

bobla

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2004
Location
Williamsburg, Virginia
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS, Silver
I used a can of electrical cleaner, sprayed it into the door latch mechanism and voila after 2 quick sprays all was working. Then the door light and lock stopped working again a few minutes later and so after some more spray, all is now working and remains so after several days. (I did remove the door panel, but that does not provide any better access to the sticky switch.

If I knew exactly where to drill, I would drill a 3/16 or 1/4" hole in the door panel edge, below the lock to provide better access to spray the switch instead of blindly spraying around the latch. (Could easily plug the hole with a screw and be able to remove it the next time the switch needs cleaning.) Went to the dealer to see if they had a door lock module in stock I could look at to measure a distance from the latch to the switch to drill a hole. The $200 lock module was not in stock, so no luck. Anyone have any idea about the location of the switch relative to the latch that would give me a dimension to use for drilling an access hole? From what I can see in some of the pictures in other threads it looks like the switch is directly below the latch, but I can't really tell how far. (By the way the electronic cleaner running out of the door drains, makes the bottom door gasket very unhappy!)
 

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
Just for clarification, is the above mentioned lock/latch actuator assembly part #3B1-837-015-AS? I too am having the same symptoms mentioned here with the 01358 and 00928 DTC's. I do have this genuine part.
 
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