driver door lock actuator not holding in lock?

hello all, my latest headache involves the driver door lock actuator. when i lock it, the lock pin goes down with all the other doors. a second later, the driver door pin comes up slowly, unlocking itself.

bad actuater? check it somehow? vacuum line leak? anyone have this before? thanks, rune. 97 passat tdi, power locks.

That's interesting.

I would suspect the door lock actuator. Fortunately they are relatively easy to change, albeit a little spendy for a new actuator, at about $60 new.

Tony

Mine had done that often! Even before the button goes up, the door is not locked yet. It's not the actuator but a mechanical resistance in the lock system. You have to remove the black plastic cap of the door locking part that locks on the b-pillar, and put lubricant everywhere in it. After that, with the window open, I use a pair of vise-grip to hold the lock button and do firm repetitive lock/unlock untill I hear the click indicating the lock position is reached. Some more lube until there's no resistance.

thanks Tony and Ralphy for your input. i'll try the lube way first and report back, thanks, rune

tried white lithium spray. no change. where can i get the actuator?

I don't think you need the actuator...it's the lock mechanism.

My preference: 1stvwparts.com Auburn VW in Auburn, Wa.

Tony