More door handle issues

T

TDIL3dad

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Location
N. VA
TDI
96 B4, 96 B4V project
Original problem was the door handle didn't work and to open the passenger door, I had to physically open from inside. So I had a friend in Germany purchase thru his local VAG dealer, a new OEM passenger door handle (still available apparently) and then had local locksmith transfer key cylinder so ignition and both my doors are still keyed to one key.


This has now generated a new problem for me. If I key open the front passenger door, I set off the car alarm!


What on earth ? If I key close the passenger door, it locks the passenger door only but does not activate central locking. This was supposed to be a plug and play repair with a new OEM part!
 
Steve Addy

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
TDIL3dad said:
Original problem was the door handle didn't work and to open the passenger door, I had to physically open from inside. So I had a friend in Germany purchase thru his local VAG dealer, a new OEM passenger door handle (still available apparently) and then had local locksmith transfer key cylinder so ignition and both my doors are still keyed to one key.


This has now generated a new problem for me. If I key open the front passenger door, I set off the car alarm!


What on earth ? If I key close the passenger door, it locks the passenger door only but does not activate central locking. This was supposed to be a plug and play repair with a new OEM part!
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like the passenger handle you got from Europe doesn't have the microswitch to activate / deactivate the alarm system for the US cars. Either that or the switch inside the handle has failed? Would seem unlikely with a new part though.

This behavior (alarm goes off when unlocking) on a US car (my Mk3 does this with driver door) is a symptom of a failed microswitch.

I'm assuming here that the handle has the wiring for connection to the harness inside the door?

Steve
 
T

TDIL3dad

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Location
N. VA
TDI
96 B4, 96 B4V project
Steve Addy said:
............

This behavior (alarm goes off when unlocking) on a US car (my Mk3 does this with driver door) is a symptom of a failed microswitch.

I'm assuming here that the handle has the wiring for connection to the harness inside the door?

Steve
Click to expand...

When I installed it I could not see anything missing or different in the new door handle assembly. It was straightforward plug & play . Can the "working fine" microswitch be transplanted from the old handle assembly to the new one?


This is not a show stopper but more nuisance trouble shooting to do! Yikes.
 
Steve Addy

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
TDIL3dad said:
When I installed it I could not see anything missing or different in the new door handle assembly. It was straightforward plug & play . Can the "working fine" microswitch be transplanted from the old handle assembly to the new one?


This is not a show stopper but more nuisance trouble shooting to do! Yikes.
Click to expand...
I tried to extract one once and was unable to make it work. That's not to say it can't be done but I tried several times to no avail.

A solution to this would be to install the white box alarm module if you haven't already and get yourself a remote. That's what I have done with my Mk3 to avoid the pain of dealing with the faulty switch.

One question I have though, did he buy it based on part number at the dealer or just with a request for a handle for a 96 Passat?

Steve
 
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