Sratching my head with these door locks!

[G Men 08]

First let me start off that I haven't had an issue with my regular door locks since I've owned the car. Just recently I acquired a remote and flip key from sidewinder (finally!!!!) So before that I just had the (news to me thanks to Mark) valet "NAA" regular key. I always used that to manually lock and unlock the driver door and ignition etc.

Well a few weeks ago I discovered that my hatch never locks?! Nor does it sound an alarm if opened when alarm is enabled. After doing some research this is ultimately what prompted me to finally get a remote/flip key. Fast forward to a few days ago when I programmed my new key and remote. I noticed that the hatch still didnt lock! I looked into it further and found that the lock mechanism was unplugged (scumbag dealer I bought the car from, dont get me started) OK so I plug it in. Hit the lock button on the remote and i hear the mechanism come to life for the first time! It locks the hatch. cool!

The hatch doesn't unlock though unless I hit the button on the drivers door for the hatch? Which I just discovered today while toying with the locks.

What I have come across today (and like I said I have never had any issues with locking the car and enabling the alarm etc)

-Driver window down, doors locked and alarm enabled, I can reach in and pull the door handle to unlock and open the door, and nothing happens with the alarm?

-Hatch was locking with remote only. And only unlocking with drivers door switch. It still actuates the mechanism with the door switch to unlock, but isn't locking all the time regardless of how I try to lock it.

-Before all of this, whenever I lock the doors whether it be with the remote, or the key in the door, the alarm would enable. Now it is either delayed a minute or two, doesn't enable at all, or enables right away like normal. This is something that just happened as I was playing with the locks a few minutes ago. I locked and unlocked the car beforehand (today) 4-6 times with no issue.

- When I unlock the car with the remote, regardless of me opening the drivers door or not, it automatically locks itself within 1 minute (or so). As far as I know that is a safety feature if you unlock the car but don't enter it within a certain amount of time, it locks. If you enter the vehicle, the automatic re-lock is disabled.


Thoughts?

 

[TDI in MT]

-Driver window down, doors locked and alarm enabled, I can reach in and pull the door handle to unlock and open the door, and nothing happens with the alarm?

Driver's door switch is bad. Or some door switch is, maybe the hatch. Does the dome light come on when any one door is open, or the trunk light when the hatch is open?

-Before all of this, whenever I lock the doors whether it be with the remote, or the key in the door, the alarm would enable. Now it is either delayed a minute or two, doesn't enable at all, or enables right away like normal.

Bad door switch somewhere.

- The hatch doesn't unlock though unless I hit the button on the drivers door for the hatch? Which I just discovered today while toying with the locks.

That's normal. Only way to unlock the hatch is with the key, the fob or the switch on the driver's door. On the fob, you have to hold the hatch button down for 1-2 seconds for it to unlock. For some reason, that button behaves differently from the door lock/unlock buttons.

- When I unlock the car with the remote, regardless of me opening the drivers door or not, it automatically locks itself within 1 minute (or so).

Now this is funky. The hatch relocks itself after a minute or so if it is not opened, not the rest of the car. Everything auto-locks after the speed reaches 10mph I think.

If you have VCDS, check for and clear any faults.

 

[G Men 08]

OK, I checked the lights via door openings. The rear doors activate the lights. Front doors and hatch don't work.

With the issue when I lock the car, and the alarm enables, I think I found something. I locked the doors (no beep to verify alarm), opened the hatch, went to un plug the electrical connector for the lock, wiggled the plug and the hatch locked, car beeped. Clearly an issue with wires there.

I will read up on the cheap door fix DIY and see if that fixes the issues with that. When I get the time this weekend I will hookup VAGCOM to check for codes.

The auto locking is a bit puzzling because it never did that with the regular "NAA" key.

I'm sure it is there if I search, but when I program the remote, is there a separate procedure for the hatch as well? Or should that program at the same time? (in order to unlock the hatch with the remote)


Thank you, much appreciated Montana!

 

[TDI in MT]

here's a good start: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=77648

I had to do that to the driver's door. Major pain to do as everything in the door must be removed, even the glass. The switch is part of the door latch mechanism.

But, 14 months later, my Radio Shack switch is still working.

 

[Powder Hound]

Resolder the pins in the door latch mechanism. They are on the circuit board inside the assembly, down by where the plug for the assembly is. Much better than mangling a microswitch. The chances are very high that is the problem rather than a failed switch.

The other locking behaviors - not sure. Some of it might clear up after fixing the door latch. Or maybe you have finicky plugs back there.

 

[G Men 08]

Yeah, I really need to clean up and correct the seemingly loose plug/wires/pins in the hatch mechanism. I was fiddling with it today, locked the car, the hatch didnt lock, nor did the alarm signal. I opened the hatch and wiggled that plug, hatch locks and the alarm beep sounds.