Battery drainining/ driver door harness PN

relumalutan · Dec 22, 2016

It drained twice in last two weeks overnight despite being inside a garage. It does that only when it's unlocked. I've scanned it and I get an error:
00928 locking module for central locking, front driver side.
008 implausible signal, intermittent.
I've already ordered a new locking module. The problem is: I'm not sure if the locking module is bad, or maybe there are broken wires in the door harness that go to the locking module and cause this intermittent error. I will also inspect the door harness for broken wires.
Replacing the lock it's a pretty involved procedure, might as well replace the door harness too. Can anybody please tell me the door harness PN and a place that sells it? My car's production date is 12/06, it has 217k miles. I'm also planning to go to dealer and ask for the PN, based on my VIN.

tactdi · Dec 22, 2016

Door harnesses are a dealer part. Any dealer can order the part based on your VIN. Better prices will be from the on-line dealers,

http://1stvwparts.com/

http://www.keffervwparts.com/

And others.

Vince Waldon · Dec 22, 2016

My understanding is that this is the important part:

tactdi said:
order the part based on your VIN.

...since there are three different harnesses available.

relumalutan · Dec 22, 2016

Went to dealer the part number is 1K5-971-10-AB. They want $192 plus tax. I've found it online for $138.

1sloVR4 · Dec 22, 2016

More than likely the short or break is going to be in the large rubber grommet/boot on the fender side of the door. $138 for a wiring harness? No thanks. For these type of issues, either I'll spend 30 minutes finding the short or spend just a fraction of the cost of a new part on a good quality used part.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VOLKSWAGEN-...ash=item4b0e16d4e6:g:j-cAAOSwA3dYUHRz&vxp=mtr

tactdi · Dec 23, 2016

$138 for the new harness is about as low as you will find.
The new harness has slightly longer wires that are in the door grommet,
a used harness, unless it is the same part number as the dealer quotes, would
have the shorter wires.
Search and read up on the other threads concerning this issue. Fixing the broken wires in the door grommet (where the problem is), is typically a short term fix.
If you are taking the door apart to replace the lock module, the harness is exposed and can be replaced at the same time, you only need to remove the
inner door card.

1sloVR4 · Dec 23, 2016

$138 seems like a good price for an dealer part, but I have a hard time spending that kind of money on a 10+ year old car for a new wiring harness when it can easily be fixed and there are plenty of good used ones available. On the other hand, I just spent $150 at the dealer for a new engine support bracket because the old, badly designed one broke. Touché

oilhammer · Dec 23, 2016

1sloVR4 said:
$138 seems like a good price for an dealer part, but I have a hard time spending that kind of money on a 10+ year old car for a new wiring harness when it can easily be fixed and there are plenty of good used ones available. On the other hand, I just spent $150 at the dealer for a new engine support bracket because the old, badly designed one broke. Touché

Plenty of good used ones available? HAHAHAHAH!!! LMAO!!!!

The car is 10 years old. There are several different ones. And they are a common failure item. If $138 and some time to install it makes your butthole (and wallet) pucker, boy did you buy the wrong car.

1sloVR4 · Dec 23, 2016

lol ^

It's a damn wire, which can be cut and spliced. I don't see the need to replace the entire harness when it's just a wire or two that needs to be fixed.

Kids, these days...

narongc73 · Dec 23, 2016

All I did was push the rubber boot to the side and extended the broken wires. Bit of solder and electrical tape. No sweat. Much less hassle than taking the door apart and spending dough on a new harness.

Vince Waldon · Dec 23, 2016

1sloVR4 said:
lol ^
It's a damn wire, which can be cut and spliced. I don't see the need to replace the entire harness when it's just a wire or two that needs to be fixed.
Kids, these days...

Perhaps the point is that *all* the wires in the harness are too short... which means they are *all* eventually going to break, in short order. That's why a redesigned harness was released in the first place.

Had mine apart yesterday looking for an intermittent ground: at least 10 wires, three different gauges, some of them twisted pairs for noise reduction... even though I've been soldering since I was 6 if my harness goes I'm spending the $134 for a new harness.

narongc73 · Dec 23, 2016

Only the 2 larger gauge wire broke. The others will last. so no need for a new harness.

1sloVR4 · Dec 23, 2016

narongc73 said:
All I did was push the rubber boot to the side and extended the broken wires. Bit of solder and electrical tape. No sweat. Much less hassle than taking the door apart and spending dough on a new harness.

I'll take a free, reliable fix over a $138 fix any day!

Vince Waldon said:
Perhaps the point is that *all* the wires in the harness are too short... which means they are *all* eventually going to break, in short order. That's why a redesigned harness was released in the first place.
Had mine apart yesterday looking for an intermittent ground: at least 10 wires, three different gauges, some of them twisted pairs for noise reduction... even though I've been soldering since I was 6 if my harness goes I'm spending the $134 for a new harness.

Both of you have made valid arguments and there is a time and place for buying new dealer parts but wiring, IMO, is not one of them unless it's not worth spending the time repairing it (ie burnt harness, damage from rodents, broken connectors, ect). For some reason, I have a feeling with your many moons of soldering experience, you'll opt to repair the one or two broken wires when your "harness goes". You should know that soldered connections are very reliable when done properly. But I could be completely wrong.

Vince Waldon · Dec 24, 2016

Yup, I'd agree....it's a judgement call for sure. One or two wires that are pretty obviously broken and the rest looking like they will last till the end of time...out comes the wire strippers.

oilhammer · Dec 27, 2016

Hey, if you want to mess around with constantly fixing wires, knock yourself out. I just prefer to FIX it once, and have it last at least another 10 years.

narongc73 · Dec 27, 2016

I prefer component repair if it's feasible. Anyone can swap parts, it's just usually not cost effective. For example I replaced a blown cap on a washer instead of buying a whole new board. Judgement call for sure though. Who knows what will happen in another 10 years. Car might get totaled or it gets too costly to repair.

relumalutan · Dec 27, 2016

I didn't imagine my post will start a war on the forum. I've received the locking module, still waiting on the door harness, as the seller seems to take his time when it comes about shipping the item.
I've removed the door harness rubber cover and found out no damaged wires. Who knows, maybe the previous owner had the harness replaced (bought the car at 123k miles). I tend to believe that nothing is wrong with the door harness, as the only problem I have is the battery drainage caused by the locking module). I'll wait to receive the harness and then I will take the door apart and assess the situation, if the harness is the original one, I will replace it, if not, I'll return the harness.

biggy238 · Dec 28, 2016

So, the only revision to the design was to lengthen the harness? I'm searching/posting as I sit in my car, watching the door lock switches *not* time out. Driver door won't lock and the window won't roll down.
It started eating the battery intermittently in September /October.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

relumalutan · Jan 11, 2017

Update:
Received the driver door locking module and door harness. I've could not find any damaged wires at the door junction, so I suspected that maybe the previous owner had the door harness replaced with the the upgraded version. I've removed only the door handle from the door card and through the little gap I've read the part number on the door harness: Bingo! it was 1K5-971-120-AB just like the one the dealership told me that I need. I will return the harness and get my money back.
I've removed the door skin and replaced the door locking module, it works OK. The old one sometimes could not detect when I had the door open, and now I realize why I had the intermittent battery drains: probably sometimes it could not detect when the door was closed, preventing the CANBUS from turning off.

buratino1117 · Jan 11, 2017

I highly doubt that the dealership will take the part back, due to their policy regarding the returns of electrical parts. I just installed exactly the same part in my car...The old part has the wiring boot somehow straight while the new , upgraded part is somehow curled, somehow like an S letter. If you want to avoid future issues and still have the old, part I d strongly would install the new part, unless an upgraded one is there already. Remember that while the plastic wire isolation may look intact, the wiring may be damaged inside.

relumalutan · Jan 12, 2017

buratino1117 said:
I highly doubt that the dealership will take the part back, due to their policy regarding the returns of electrical parts. I just installed exactly the same part in my car...The old part has the wiring boot somehow straight while the new , upgraded part is somehow curled, somehow like an S letter. If you want to avoid future issues and still have the old, part I d strongly would install the new part, unless an upgraded one is there already. Remember that while the plastic wire isolation may look intact, the wiring may be damaged inside.

Clarification, since there seem to be people that didn't understand my previous posting:

1. Battery drained intermittently overnight, I was suspecting the door harness to be the culprit, VCDS was also saying the driver door locking module has an intermittent implausible signal.
1. Dealer told me that I need harness 1K5-971-120-AB, $195+tax
2. Bought the harness from eBay, OEM part for $138, also the door locking module for $125.
3 Inspected wiring at boot, found no damage.
4. Removed the driver door handle, inspected the harness P/N, realized the previous owner had the upgraded harness already installed (1K5-971-120-AB), therefore I left it alone.
5. Replaced the door locking module.
6 Returned the unopened door harness to eBay seller, received refund.

relumalutan · Nov 10, 2017

Reviving this old thread, battery keeps dying overnight when cold outside. I've cleaned the grounds in the engine bay area: one by the passenger headlight, two by the driver headlight, the one that connects the negative cable to the chassis and the one that goes from the starter to the chassis. I've removed the battery tray and looked for any other ones, could not find any. Can someone please tell me if I'm missing any of them, a list of them would be appreciated it.
Battery dies intermittently (about once a week), only overnight and only in the cold season. I didn't touch it for 3 weeks in May and it started right away.
Thanks.

sptsailing · Nov 10, 2017

I had problems with my wiring harness, which resulted in my deciding to replace it. The new harness was quite different and enormously improved over the original one. If you value your time, listen to Oilhammer.

Our cars are 99% wonderfully engineered. The remaining 1% appear to have been engineered either by people on drugs or by idiots. If you want inexpensive and reliable transportation, these may not be the car for you, as the costs associated with correcting that last 1% of incompletely thought through design erases most of the wonderful fuel economy financial reward brought to you by the primary engineering genius designs.

relumalutan · Nov 11, 2017

sptsailing said:
I had problems with my wiring harness, which resulted in my deciding to replace it. The new harness was quite different and enormously improved over the original one. If you value your time, listen to Oilhammer.

Our cars are 99% wonderfully engineered. The remaining 1% appear to have been engineered either by people on drugs or by idiots. If you want inexpensive and reliable transportation, these may not be the car for you, as the costs associated with correcting that last 1% of incompletely thought through design erases most of the wonderful fuel economy financial reward brought to you by the primary engineering genius designs.

Sptsailing, the driver's door harness has been upgraded to the correct one, before I bought the car. I have removed the door panel and verified the part number, per dealer. Still waiting for someone to chime in in regard to the location of grounds on this car.

Ol'Rattler · Nov 11, 2017

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=483557&highlight=parasitic

specifically this: http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/TSB_27_08_04_Matrix.pdf

Pulling fuses on these cars for diagnosis is a waste of time. What you need to do is Put the car in "sleep mode" and without switching anything of pulling fuses, measure current draw at each of the fuses.

To put the car to sleep, you have to trip the drivers door and hood latches so you have access to the fuse panels without causing a door or hood opened signal, arm the alarm and wait something like 30 minutes for the data buss to go to sleep.

Ol'Rattler · Nov 11, 2017

oilhammer said:
Hey, if you want to mess around with constantly fixing wires, knock yourself out. I just prefer to FIX it once, and have it last at least another 10 years.

I suppose the next thing you will say that what people refer to as a "proper solder and shrink or tape repair" on wires that flex is bogus because solder will wick up the wires and the solder will crack over time.

Ya I know. Doing a permanent repair correctly that will last is just so overrated.

Ol'Rattler · Nov 11, 2017

relumalutan said:
Still waiting for someone to chime in in regard to the location of grounds on this car.

What do grounds have to do with parasitic loss? In any case, a very important chassis ground is hidden by the airbox and that ground does get loose and cause problems.

Mine worked loose twice and the second time I replaced the acorn nut with an all SS locknut. If you replace the nut, get 2 because the negative battery cable uses that same P/N acorn nut to ground to the chassis.

relumalutan · Nov 11, 2017

Ol'Rattler said:
What do grounds have to do with parasitic loss? In any case, a very important chassis ground is hidden by the airbox and that ground does get loose and cause problems.

Mine worked loose twice and the second time I replaced the acorn nut with an all SS locknut. If you replace the nut, get 2 because the negative battery cable uses that same P/N acorn nut to ground to the chassis.

Ol"Rattler, thank you for the links. I am planning to do the parasitic loss test per the TSB issued by VW, my problem is that battery dies only once in a while, I'm guessing the parasitic loss happens only sometimes?. Other members mentioned the ground cleaning so I thought that I will give that a try. I've also ordered a Wi-Fi battery monitor, it will send an alert to my phone once the parasitic loss occurs. Waiting to receive it.

Ol'Rattler · Nov 12, 2017

Intermittent problems are kinda like a thief in the night except an intermittent will usually leave a DTC (fault code) behind so at least you will know that there are bodies buried, jut not were. Many codes will clear themselves if the problem has a period of time when it is not active.

Battery drainining/ driver door harness PN

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