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home|passat|maintenance & repair|Door Lock Mechanism Repair

Door Lock Mechanism Repair

Symptoms:

Door(s) fail to respond normally to lock/unlock signals. In several cases, sending a lock signal via remote locks all but one door. Subsequently sending an unlock and second lock signal then locks the problematic door. Also, when the door in question is the driver's side front door with an aftermarket window controller (AlienTech, etc), the controller usually fails to operate as usual.

Problem:

The door locking mechanism - responsible for coordinating the activities of the handles, key, and alarm - is having an electronic malfunction, most likely a cracked solder joint from repeated door opening/closing. This is combined with a poor design layout that stresses internal solder joints if the locking mechanism screws loosen and allows movement of the entire unit in the door.

This, of course, is assuming that the door locks and unlocks mechanically without problem (through the interior handle, exterior handle, and key insertion).

Replacing the part with a new one will be a definite fix, but you may also want to consider popping the unit open and look for any obvious problems - despite appearances the internal parts susceptible to failure are simple to troubleshoot and repair.

Also, considering that you'll be removing the inner door panel to access the locking mechanism, now would be a good time to add some noise dampening material to the metal door skin if you desire. There is a damping panel in place from the factory, and it would be interesting to hear if adding additional material would have a noticeable effect.

Part Information & Sources:

Note - always confirm part numbers by looking at the actual part mounted in the car! Mistakes will happen sometime, somewhere.

Part numbers:

'98-01
Driver's front door lock module
pre VIN 3B-X-090000
post VIN 3B-X-090001
3B1 837 015 E
3B1 837 015 J

Passenger's front door lock module
pre VIN 3B-X-090000
post VIN 3B-X-090001

3B1 837 016 D
3B1 837 016 R

'01.5-05
Driver's front door lock module 3B1 837 015 AK
Passenger's front door lock module 3B1 837 016 BH

OEM Pricing: ~$105-$130
Specialized German Recycling: $45
Austin VeeDub: $65

Tools:

  • Socket wrench
  • 10mm socket
  • Torx drivers/bits: T10*, T20, T25
  • 12 point star driver/bit (aka triple-square or spline bit): M8
  • Soldering iron*
  • Solder* (try Kester! Good stuff.)
  • Desoldering braid*
  • Multimeter*

*Only needed if disassembling the locking mechanism.

Autozone carries a good variety of bits, more so than the other chains I've tried (O'Reilly's, PepBoys, Sears Hardware). You should be able to find the triple square bit in a multipack - buy it, the pack is useful for other work on the car. While you're there, also pick up the large hex driver set - it even includes a 17mm hex driver for removing the auto transmission drain plug. No other store carried the item or had any idea where to obtain it.

Time Required: 1.5-3 hours, depending on individual pace.

Locking Mechanism Removal:

Start by removing the door trim panel.

  1. Begin by lowering the door window glass completely.
  2. There are two black Torx T25 screws at the bottom of the door - remove them. (illustration)
  3. Use a thin-bladed flathead screwdriver to pry off the inner door handle cover (not the door release handle). (illustration)
  4. For the driver side door, you can now pull up on the entire handle/switch assembly as a unit - use moderate force to unclasp the clips holding it in place. Remove the brown wire harness from the handle/switch assembly and set the assembly aside.
  5. For the drivers side door, there are three bronze color screws anchoring the door trim panel to the rest of the door. The passenger's side door has two of these screws. Use a large philips-head screwdriver to remove these. (illustration)
  6. The rest of the door trim panel is now held in place by snap-in anchors and can be loosened by pulling the trim panel away from the door. Begin with the bottom of the door and give it a good tug to pop out the connectors. Take care not to pull the trim panel far away from the door, as there are several wire/cable connections still in place between the trim panel and door. After the lower portion of the trim panel is separated, pull the entire panel upward to unhinge the panel from the window sill. The trim panel should now be free from the door, with several wires and cables still in place. (illustration)
  7. Disconnect the following from the trim panel: (illustration)
    1. Wire harness plugged into the door release handle.
    2. Door release cable. To remove this, pull the cable insulation away from the hooked end and slide the exposed cable out of the slitted retainer. Release the hooked end.
    3. Security alarm LED wire connector.
    4. Bottom door sill lamp - it's easier to pull out the entire wire harness + lamp assembly than to disconnect the wire harness.
  8. Pull the door trim panel away and set aside.

Next, window glass removal:

  1. Remove the two large, circular rubber inserts from the metal door panel. If you pry with a screwdriver, take care not to damage the mating surfaces. (illustration)
  2. Reconnect the handle/switch assembly to the brown wire harness to allow window control. With the key in the On position (no need to start the engine), roll up the window until the window clamp screws are accessible through the circular cutouts.
  3. Use a 10mm socket to loosen the clamps holding the window glass in place - it will only take a few turns to loosen the clamps, no need to remove the screws entirely.
  4. Roll the window down until a third of the window glass is left visible in the window frame.
  5. Disconnect the handle/switch assembly.
  6. Remove the window glass. Reach over the top of the door and pull the window glass upwards (towards yourself). As you raise the window glass, angle it towards the hinge side of the door to allow the window glass to clear the window slot. Set the window glass aside.

Unhooking the lock mechanism:

  1. On the end side of the door, pry off the black plastic cap above the lock mechanism screws. This cap covers the access hole for the lock set screw. (illustration)
  2. Use a Torx T20 driver to unscrew the set screw. Unscrew it as far as it will go, then reinsert a few threads to keep the screw from falling out of its mounting.
  3. Pull on the exterior door handle - with the door handle in this position, pull on the lock cylinder. It should slide out without much trouble. Set the lock cylinder aside. (illustration)
  4. There is a cable hooked into the side of the exterior door handle. The cable can be positioned at various points along the handle. Note the current position of the cable and release it from the handle. (illustration)
  5. Use the M8 12 point star driver to remove the two screws in the door side. On my car, these screws were loose and allowed the lock mechanism to move around, causing solder joint stress - keep reading... (illustration)

Removing the metal panel:

  1. Disconnect the various wire harnesses on the metal door panel - don't worry about what goes where - each connector can only fit in one and only one place. Also use a flathead screwdriver to unclip the various snaps holding the wiring to the panel.
  2. Use the 10mm socket to unscrew the ten hex bolts securing the metal panel to the door frame. (illustration)
  3. Pull the panel away from the door frame starting at the edges - if you haven't removed the panel before, the gasket may require a bit of force to pry it away from the frame. Carefully maneuver the entire panel around until the panel is free of the door frame with the lock mechanism and associated wiring attached. (illustration)
  4. Remove the wire harness from the lock mechanism and remove it from the metal panel - this will allow you to completely separate the metal panel from the door. (illustration)

Removing the lock mechanism:

  1. The lock mechanism is held in place on the metal panel by a plastic bracket with two cylindrical pins keeping the bracket in place. Use a blunt tool to push the pins out from the rear of the panel. My Passat had managed to work the pins loose and dropped them into the door frame, where they've likely lain for months. The bracket had then worked loose of the panel and the entire lock mechanism was free to jostle around in the door. The wiring harness, still being pinned in place, then stressed the electrical connectors internal to the lock mechanism and cracked a solder joint.
  2. Unhook the door lock pin rod from the lock mechanism. (illustration)
  3. Remove the interior door release handle cable. Start by popping the harness out of the mount on the locking mechanism, then unhook the cable.
  4. Separate the locking mechanism from the panel. (illustration)

If you are simply replacing the entire mechanism, pop on the replacement and retrace your steps. If you're feeling charitable, contact me - I'd like to take a look at other failed units and see if the problem with mine is common, or if Passat owners can expect a variety of failure modes. If you'd like to attempt repair, read on.

The trouble area of the mechanism is in the electrical connection part of the unit. This is the black & pale yellow plastic section held together by a total of 8 screws and two plastic snaps.

Locking Mechanism Disassembly:

  1. Use a Torx T10 driver to unscrew the 5 visible Torx screws (four on the face, one on the side). (illustration)
  2. Pull the plastic bracket's long clip from the mechanism - there is a sixth screw hidden underneath.
  3. Use a Torx T20 to remove the large Torx screw.
  4. You should now be able to carefully pull apart the two sections of the mechanism - you'll need to unclip the plastic snaps while pulling the sections away from each other. (illustration)
  5. After pulling these sections away, the last Torx T10 screw will be revealed. Remove it.
  6. Flip the mechanism to the yellow plastic side. Pull and remove the spring indicated. (illustration)
  7. Pull the metal handle indicated upward to allow separation of the two halves.
  8. Flip to the black plastic side without allowing the two halves to separate.
  9. The internals of the mechanism are mounted on the yellow plastic half - carefully pull up on the black plastic half to reveal the electronics inside. (illustration)

Locking Mechanism Diagnosis:

The electronics are straightforward. Two microswitches at the top of the unit detect if the key is moving the lock cylinder to the lock or unlock positions. The microswitch next to the white plastic slide determines the current state of the door lock. The motor actuates electronic locking and unlocking.

Note: Take care not to change the position of the various handles and slides - it's fairly easy to determine how the different switches and handles interact with each other when it's time to put things back together, but it's easier to leave everything in the positions discovered. Also, note the position of the brown gear on the motor shaft to the small white attachment mounted inside. There is an alignment between the notch in the copper track inside the brown gear and a metal cylinder in the white plastic container. Just be sure to reset this relationship during reassembly.

  1. Pull the white slide from the assembly, along with the white mount holding the shaft of the plastic slide screw and the motor shaft in place. Set aside, without changing the state of the plastic slide and screw. (illustration)
  2. Pull the circuit board and motor from the yellow plastic half and flip upside down. (illustration)

Troubleshooting:

  1. Start by examining the solder joints where the wire harness connectors meet the printed circuit board (PCB). I had a cracked joint at pin 7. (illustration)
  2. Move on and visually inspect the solder joints for the three microswitches.
  3. Use a multimeter and test each of the microswitches at the solder joints for correct operation. Usually, only two of the three contacts are used - when the switch is depressed, the two used contacts should have 0 or near 0 resistance (or if your multimeter has continuity checking, it should give a tone). Though usually only the trunk microswitch has a tendency to go bad, this could have occurred here as well. If a switch is bad, you'll need to replace it - there should be a part number somewhere for the switch, if all else fails you can always order a trunk microswitch and mount that.
  4. If the switches are good, it's probably a solder joint problem. Heat up the soldering iron and use the desoldering braid to remove all of the solder from every joint in use on the board. Work in sections - remove solder from a few pins, and then resolder the same connections. Removing solder from all of the joints at once from a component will cause it to fall off the board and leave you to realign it. Not difficult, but easy to avoid anyway.
  5. The red and blue wires connecting to the other section of the unit are used for a fourth microswitch - it isn't necessary to remove the microswitch from its mounting clip, but do test it as with the others.

Hopefully you've just done something that fixed the problem. Reassemble in the reverse order and see if your door (and wallet) is happy!

Comments:

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    womens timberland boots - Sep 2, 2010 @ 5:31 am (website)
  • Awesome fix!!! Unbelievable how many VW-group cars have this problem. My Golf 4 had the exact same problem. My symptom was that sometimes the bell that alarms you your lights are on when you're exiting the car doesn't work. And since I drive with the lights on during daytime, on numerous accounts I didn't notice my lights were still on and ended up with a dead battery... Quite anoying. I stumbled across this webpage and gave it a try. The exact same pin was faulty in exact the same way. Unfortunatly due to crappy VW design, one of the plastic brackets, that slide up and down the rail, guiding the glass up and down, broke when I was trying to loosen the hex on the clamp that holds the window glass. What dumbass designer had them made in plastic!!! and then used lock tight on the hex tightening the clamp... Of course this part is not sold seperately. You have to buy a complete power window set GRRR. Designing the bracket that mounts the locking mechanism to the door plate in flimsy plastic is not to bright either. It had already started to crack and the hole for the rivet on the lock side has completely torn off!!! I fixed that with a m5 washer, a bolt and a nut. Of course the studs fastening the bracket to the plate broke on disassembly... Luckily I had some more m5 washers, bolts and nuts, to fix that too. I am still figuring out a way to fix the sliding bracket, but at least my door locking mechanism is tip top, thanks largely to this site. How did you ever figure out this problem? You must be a persistant DIY-er... Without the help of your guidance I would never ever been able to solve this one... I am very gratefull.
    Mark de Jonge (netherlands) - Aug 29, 2010 @ 9:36 am
  • Just did the lock cylinder opening procedure. I have an 04 TDI, so the cylinder is different. It requires a Torx T8, so get that too, and the micro switch is a different model so I'll have to order it and redo the whole procedure again next weekend.
    Sloan USA - Aug 22, 2010 @ 4:30 pm (website)
  • Would it be possible to make a similar write-up for the rear passenger doors?
    It worked like a charm on the front door, but getting the rear window out seems a challenge.
    With similar fotoos and the step by step instructions it would be excellent!

    In all the comments to this article I found a variety of suggestions and statements that I hope will allow me to take the aluminum panel out tomorrow to get to the lock (as it will be Sunday, I hope those "dowels" will not break).
    Will (Holland) - Aug 7, 2010 @ 6:02 pm
  • This all sounds fantastic but how do you get the door open if it's locked closed?
    gez mason - Aug 4, 2010 @ 3:20 pm
  • My 2000 passat only has a valet key no remote. The red light flashes by the lock and unlocks the passenger dr only and when I put key in ignition the care wont start and the car starts to beep alarm sound? now the key turns all the way around in the driver door anyone know what it might be?
    Enola u.s. - Jul 28, 2010 @ 1:36 pm
  • My lock jammed up hard the other day. How can I know if it's the cylinder only, or something else it's pushing? The electronics have been intermittant for years anyway. Just wondering if I will need both parts.
    Gerry MA, USA - Jul 23, 2010 @ 4:24 pm
  • Really good description, without which I would not even have thought of doing the job myself. Note for european owbers, that my early tdi estate (96) right hand drive originally shipped to the UK, does not have a drivers door lock in yellow & black, it is totally grubby black, and the side torx screw is one size smaller than the others, so a full set of torx bits is needed. There are other differences on the external arrangements of the locking mechanism but with the detailed description and some common sense you can find the way through. I found one of the soldered pins looking decidedly "iffy" so re-soldered 'em all. Now I can lock the car from the driver's door again (the remote still doesn't work) and the alarm doesn't go off if I don't unlock the hatch first. So far the windows work again, although a couple of times they all opened when I unlocked the car and opened the driver's door! My Passat has 217000 miles on the clock so it was not worth spending money on a new lock, but after following these clear instructions I now have a car I can live with once again. Thank you again, Kent
    Kent Fleisher La France - Jul 18, 2010 @ 1:02 pm
  • Problem! my screws holding the locking mechanism have lost their thread and I can't remove them, I have done everything else on these fab instructions but cant go any further without these off - so close yet so far, what a rupert I am.

    Can anyone help, any ideas at all would be much appreciated???

    Ruup
    Rupert - Jul 17, 2010 @ 3:37 pm
  • Hi guys, I have the following situation. I cant open the rear door driver sde. Even with the locks up cant open it. About a month ago the door opeded by tapping near the lock module two or three times. So I knew that thre were some problems with the lock module. Then I google it and found this great write up, but now I cantopen the door even tapping near the lock module helps. Any recommendations?

    Thanks
    Angel L. Nieves - Jul 17, 2010 @ 2:03 pm
  • Any info on sun roof leaks?
    Estelle - Jul 14, 2010 @ 3:03 pm
  • Hi, i tried to do this myslef, but i have lost the retaining clip which helps hold the locking barrel or cyliner in place, i was wondering if you knew where to get one from?
    shane (australia) - Jul 4, 2010 @ 10:23 pm
  • ÅšWIETNY OPIS,PODANE JAK NA TACY.
    TOMEK DUBAI - Jun 30, 2010 @ 2:02 am
  • Thanks for your write-ups! It's people like yourself that make the internet a great place! just finished with your guide to replacing the cv-axle... now it's time to do the lock.
    Great work!
    Michael, USA - Jun 12, 2010 @ 6:57 pm
  • Hi, Thanks for the instructions, I am a DIyer, took me about four hours to actually strip and refit, the problem was some of the tooling Luckily managed to get the 12spline M8Bit, without which could not have proceeded. Today being a Sunday our hardware stores are all closed!! One guy was open till about lunch time, and just my luck had a set of bits!! The R&r is not a problem, my problem is a mechanical one. The plastic piece under the locking cam has disintegrated! and the cam now gets stuck in the locked position(it has a small spring which tends to push the cam stopper back into position when the lock is released. Unfortunately could not get a spare so may have to buy the whole lock!! Great tips!, might be good if you can number the pics, as others who are not so mechanically inclined, may find it confusing. Thanks Pal!!

    KU - Sri Lanka - May 30, 2010 @ 2:17 am
  • Great job, saved me a lot of trouble. Thanks alot.
    Lars Birkenfeldt - May 17, 2010 @ 4:39 am
  • Can anyone tell me how to get into a 57 plate passat when the ke has been locked in the boot?
    zm - May 10, 2010 @ 8:43 am
  • Rear door in dead lock! remove door card and window (Remove grommet under motor hammer out 2 part plastic rivet, middle first) remove cover from lock and unscrew the small torx you can see. Lever open cover and turn the wheel you can se with a screwdriver until you hear the click. hopefully door is now unlocked!
    Stuart (Scotland) - May 7, 2010 @ 4:22 pm
  • Six years later, and you are still helping people with this write up. Nice! 99 Golf, Gen IV - pulled the lock mech out tonight and found the same two pins on the connector had cracked joints. Thanks for the write up - I would never have attempted it without it. One door down, one to go.

    Cheers,
    jim



    Jim from Sydney Australia - Apr 20, 2010 @ 7:18 am
  • Thanks so much for this great set of instructions. The rear inner door handle was not working, and after removing the foor trim per your instructions I found the cable had come loose from its slot.. Fixed and back together in 10 minutes! Thanks again
    dan in california - Apr 17, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
  • Thanks for a very useful tutorial.

    There was one bit of info missing which I hope will help other people. I had to strip the door down because the "door closed" microswitch mentioned in step 16 had broken. With the switch broken, it was unclear as to the correct relationship between the door, the switch and the switch connection. Especially when replacing it with a changeover switch.

    So just to be clear:
    door open = switch lever depressed = switch connected
    door closed = switch lever released = switch disconnected

    Andy Juniper (UK) - Apr 14, 2010 @ 3:49 pm
  • SAME PROBLEM AS BELOW CAN YOU HELP

    Hi. Can anyone help me. The lock has jammed in the locked position on my rear passenger door so that the door cannot be opened. This in turn means that I cannot gain access to the lock mechanism or the screws required to remove the door trim. Can anyone suggest any methods to at least release the door lock without smashing the door trim, etc? The other door locks operate perfectly in the car and lock/unlock on pressing the key fob or turning the key in the door. Any help would be much appreciated as I have a wife and two kids who need car seats - getting in and out of the car is no fun when a rear door is out of action :0(

    Scott (Wales) - Aug 9, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
    BRIAN UK - Apr 12, 2010 @ 3:42 pm
  • Thank you, i just finished fixing my GOLF IV and your guide has been simply invaluable.
    The whole job took me eight hours, since i'm not a mechanic (i'm into IT, so digging into bolts and gears is not very common :D).
    I had particular trouble after accessing the circuit board: i opened it on the wrong side, and all the mechanisms went round my desktop. It took me a couple of hours just to figure out how to place the rounded gear connecting to the outer key-mandril and the upper rail (the one connected to the rounded gear itself). I couldn't find a picture anywhere on the internet showing how all these parts should be placed before reassembly!
    And, to complete the unfortunate events, while reassembling the door parts the key mandril locking mechanism just fell down into the door...

    Anyway, thank you again :)
    Nicola (Italy) - Apr 8, 2010 @ 1:09 pm
  • Have the same problems with my SEAT Toledo 53 plate. Second window regulator (both front doors already done) and now have a dodgy rear door which may or may not open/lock when the mood takes it.
    Guess I have all the bits left over from the VW crap parts bin!
    Dreading the job as despite your excellent guide I know what a bugger it is to take the door apart and there are sharp edges everywhere!
    Daz - Apr 6, 2010 @ 11:58 am
  • Thanks again for your support to the VW passat community with the taligentx website. I referred to your notes for the door locking issue. I discovered that one of the switches is bad, and I am reluctant to modify one to fit as that could be a lot of work for nothing (not to mention the extra R&R). Do you know where I might be able to get an identical switch? The one I removed from the circuitboard appear to be a "cherry" brand (embossed in plastic) and the only numbers in white ink are "8A" and "28". Have you or anyone directly replaced this with the same? Looking for a recommended source, preferrably in Canada.

    Also, important to note that when describing the lock mechanism disassembly, your instructions should read #3 then #6 then #7 then #4 then #5 then #8, and the photos should be arranged accordingly. You cannot take the two portions apart until performing steps #6 and 7 first.

    Thanks!
    maxxx in Canada - Mar 28, 2010 @ 6:12 pm
  • Is the removal of rear passat metal door skins the same as the front?
    Nathaniel Fuller UK - Mar 15, 2010 @ 10:23 am (website)
  • My 2001 Passat's rear passenger door power lock and power window do not work. All other doors and windows work fine. Thoughts???
    Steve Canada - Mar 14, 2010 @ 1:35 pm
  • I have the same problem with the driver's lock.Sometimes (but the last days all the time) when i was trying to lock the car from the driver's side, it was locking mechanically only the driver's door and not the other three. When i was trying to do this from the co-driver's door everything was o.k!! I took it off opened it and soldered the joints. When i putted back seemed to work o.k but it didn't!! I mean that that when i tried to lock the door all the doors seemed to be locked, but in fact the lamp from the immobilizer didn't start blinking and when i pulled the outside handle the door opened!!! But the other 3 were o.k locked!!!
    Please can you help!!! Can you imagine what went wrong?????
    Thanks for all your help!!!!!
    miaritis georgios - Mar 12, 2010 @ 5:56 pm
  • The repair set was about 25$$
    againts the full lock mechanism 400$
    Turkiz(Hungary) - Feb 17, 2010 @ 7:48 pm
  • http://www.skodaszerviz.hu/akciok/mikrokapcs.pdf

    but this reapir set helped .

    maybe you can find similar in your country

    thank you all
    Turkiz(Hungary) - Feb 17, 2010 @ 7:45 pm
  • I took the door apart and got the lock assy. out and looked at the solder joints they have a red coating on my 2005 Passat TDI all was good. My problem was in the micro switch with the blue and red wire. I bought a new micro switch at Radio Shack. Some screws to hold the new switch and soldered the new switch in after some drilling out the holes to match the new micro switch. Installed it back and works like new. This write up was a large help pictures are worth a millon. THANKS
    Jason Sutton USA - Feb 13, 2010 @ 9:42 am
  • Message for Bob Lawson (or anyone!)
    I have the same problem on my '99 Passat - although on the drivers side rear door, i.e. I opened the door now it wont close and just keeps bouncing open again. Anyway I have taken the inner trim off but I can't see how the glass is removed. My "Haynes book of lies" says to undo the clamp bolt but there isn't one on the rear door - well not that I can see anyway, I have moved the window all the way up and down but can only see a (I think) nylon carrier which seems to carry the nippled ends of a drive cable. I suspect that this needs to be disconnected but I don't want to do it without confirmation...

    Any help/advice greatly appreciated - you can reply here or direct to exedriver@hotmail.co.uk thanks

    Paul
    Paul Little (UK) - Feb 13, 2010 @ 7:38 am
  • Hi,
    I was having trouble with my 1999 B5 Passat's rear passenger door, possibly temperature related due to freezing conditions. Door "bounced back" when attempts made to close it. made all checks on solder joints, visual, no problems, ohmeter, no high resistance. Latching mechanism wouldn't hold on first latch position, so potentially dangerous for my grandson. I purchased a later model lock, from a B5.5, and this fitted, but wouldn't unlock properly. Indicator button rose up completely, then went down to about half mast, leaving door unopenable from outside, but could be opened from inside. I ended up separating the mechanical and electrical modules, and building a "hybrid" from the original electrical part, and the newer mechanical part. Worked a treat!! I'm now expert in Passat door card and window regulator removal. Cost me £25 about $40 to fix, and several hours work, but I didn't have to listen to a mechanic justifying the high cost of replacing poorly designed parts. This is the first car I've had to replace a broken lock on, and it's not even a high miler! Info from this site was really useful in the stripdown (that bloody glass retainer!)
    Bob.
    Bob Lawson - Feb 8, 2010 @ 4:03 am
  • I have 2003 passat, but there wasn 't electrical problem the opening sensor seized, and the signal wheel damaged

    but thx by the way
    Turkiz(Hungary) - Feb 4, 2010 @ 11:00 am
  • Driver's door seems to be now updated to 3B1 837 015 AS. I
    have mine, but haven't done the swap out yet.
    Gary A - May 26, 2008 @ 6:53 pm
  • My man! It worked! I had exactly the same problem, and it turned out to be the same cracked pin nr 7! Detected it visually, just because I had seen your photo.I re-soldered all of the 6 ea pins, and it worked perfectly afterwards!
    Thanks thanks thanks
    jo:-)
    Jo Rune Hole, Norway - Apr 1, 2008 @ 6:28 pm
  • Thank you so much! I fixed my son's (back left) door on which the locking button kept on "popping up" when I tried to lock it. I also fixed my drivers door (front right) which didn't know when it was open! Both down to cracked solder joints where the main connector joins the circuit board. In the UK the whole lock mechanism is black plastic.
    Best regards
    Simon
    Simon, United Kingdom - Nov 12, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
  • Hi,
    Thx a lot! I soldering the switches, the lock mechanisme is now working OK again1
    Regards, Joop van de Munt
    Joop van de Munt, Holland - Oct 13, 2007 @ 9:06 am
  • Thank you thank you thank you. My wife's 2004 Passat rear driver's side door would not open from the outside. Thinking it might be the child-protect, I turned the knob, so then it wouldn\'t open from the outside or the inside. I took the door apart with your excellent help and photos, and found that the cable (didn\'t know there even was a cable), had fallen from the handle. I pulled the cable with needle nose pliers to open the door, followed your instructions to remove the lock set, and reattached the cable. There goes a year of frustration. Now I'm going to permanently disable the child lock mechanism!!!

    Thanks so much,
    Dave Englund
    David Englund, US Texas - Oct 7, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
  • Thanks. I'm in the middle of replacing my 3rd of four window regulators. (I guess not too bad after 7 years of regular use...

    You'd think it would get easier and faster each time I do this job, but no! VW has special challenges and nuances each and every time for each different doors regulator! Thanks for having this page, though. I've referred to it each time, and it's made a PITA job easier. Also, when it's done, I just think about all of the $$ I saved by doing it myself.
    Mark - Jun 30, 2007 @ 1:45 pm (website)
  • 2001-1/2 Passat, micro switch that has red and blue wires on it failed. computer thought door was open all the time. It is actuated by the door lock cam, plunger on micro switch was worn away enough to lodge partially out of switch bore. I have a factory manual... but why bother, your instructions were flawless and much appreciated. BTW all other switches and solder joints were fine. Thanks again Wayne
    Wayne Overbeck, santa caruz, ca - Jun 25, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
  • Back again, I fixed last Saturday the problem was the microswitch at the bottom of the locking mechanism not the soldered joins. It was full of dust cause the black elastic cover of the lock mechanism not to work well with the microswitch. I cleaned but it seems that the elastic cover is worn and it will cause problems again in future. I will changed with a new door lock in next problem.

    Thanks anyway again for your nice job (photos etc)
    Stavros
    Stavros Greece - Jun 18, 2007 @ 2:50 am (website)
  • Thanks for the great writeup. The solder problem was the same on my Golf 4 front passenger door. Any tips on how to get the panel out of the rear door of the Golf? I assume it is much the same for the passat. The rear panel doesn't come off because of a different assembly holding the window to the panel.
    Paul Greeff - South Africa - Jun 16, 2007 @ 7:37 am (website)
  • Thanks a lot very helpful information! They had asked 200 Euros to replace the lock i will try to fix it by myself on Saturday I will be back to inform you.

    Stavros
    Stavros Greece - Jun 14, 2007 @ 1:26 pm (website)
  • The updated part number for the 01 and up LEFT or Drivers Side(USA) lock mechanism is "3B1 837 015 AS"
    TK - Apr 30, 2007 @ 4:45 pm
  • I couldnt have done this job without your site. Thanks
    Rabsy - Apr 11, 2007 @ 2:11 am
  • I think your site is very helpfull!
    I'm having a similar problem with my B5 but I don't think my problem are the solder joints but the switches. Can you let me know what the difference is between the partnumbers pre VIN 3B-X-090000 3B1 837 015 E & post VIN 3B-X-090001
    3B1 837 015 J ? Greetings from The Netherlands, Philip
    Philip - Mar 8, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
  • Went through the above with a 00 Bora Tdi - the lock seemed almost identical , just that it has a 4th microswitch but I couldn't figure what it was doing as there seemed there was nothing to operate it . Unfortunately couldn't find anything wrong - all connections seemed fine and read 0 on the multimeter for resistance .
    So I'll have to go further - but this was an excellent article .
    Padraig Flanagan ,Ireland - Mar 6, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
  • Thank you very much, your site has been a great help.
    All the solder joints on the right side see last picture were cracked.
    After resoldering all of them my problems were fixed. Ill be back the next time my passat has got a problem. THNX.
    the Netherlands - Feb 10, 2007 @ 8:43 am
  • Thanks for a great description and pictures. I've just did my door. Surprisingly the same cracked solder joint problem, weir. It was hard to detect the crack and I did disassembled and reassembled the lock mechanism a couple of times. Multimeter is indispensable. It showed odd 2-20 ohm resistance on the broken soldering while 0.7 ohm on the others which I think is normal.

    Thanks again. Without these pictures I would end up helpless.
    Mariusz - Dec 30, 2006 @ 1:06 pm
  • I got 2 of this door locks from friend to se if I can fix them, but in one the problem was a broke plastic lever inside the unit that make to get jammed.
    I have plenty of pics that show everything:
    http://s85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/Turbo_Boss/Skoda%20Door%20Locks/

    Also, we have a forum were we are talking about this:
    http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/door-lock-malfuntion-maybe-cure-your-problemo/63827/


    Isaac F - Panama Rep. of Panama - Oct 30, 2006 @ 2:48 pm (website)
  • My Passat TDI 1997 Passenger Door wasnt always locking wen I pressed my key fob button.
    Found you invaluable Website, and printed out the instructions and pictures.
    I couldnt have done it better myself. You are Top Guy.
    Have you worked for VW or something? Its kind of like a magician revealing how he does his tricks.
    AND this trick did save my Wallet and also made me feel great, once everything was back to normal.

    My fault wasnt to do with cracked solder. It was a stuck slider mechanism (Picture 16).

    I just used a bit of grease and all was good.

    Many thanks

    James.

    James (WALES) - Oct 23, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
  • Damn this site is good, im still strugling with the lockmechanism bolts tho.. they are sitting so damn hard (on all the doors!!!) :(.. but this site rocks!
    Rob (Norway) - Sep 19, 2006 @ 3:39 pm
  • Thanks! I'm not convinced that i permanently fixed the problem, but at least everything is working properly at the moment. One thing to note that was slightly different on my 2000 Passat was the screw on the side of the lock assembly was a T8 Torx screw, not T10.

    I found the 12 point star bit at NAPA. They call it an 8mm serrated wrench, NAPA brand, item number 2304.
    Eric (North Carolina) - Sep 16, 2006 @ 2:30 pm
  • 1. Begin by lowering the door window glass completely

    Ha ha ha - when am I going to learn to read the published literature FIRST?

    The forward window holder broke on my 1999, so I just started ripping into things (how hard can it be right?) and now I have a pile of parts on the driveway, at least some of which were removed unnecessarily Doh! I KNEW those big plastic inserts were there for a reason and after reading this I know why.

    Can we at least all agree to call the aluminum cover the 'pie-plate'

    Thanks and so far I'm up to step #10 Completion within the hour? I dunno about that. . . .
    Helga - Texas - Aug 26, 2006 @ 9:55 am (website)
  • Hi. Can anyone help me. The lock has jammed in the locked position on my rear passenger door so that the door cannot be opened. This in turn means that I cannot gain access to the lock mechanism or the screws required to remove the door trim. Can anyone suggest any methods to at least release the door lock without smashing the door trim, etc? The other door locks operate perfectly in the car and lock/unlock on pressing the key fob or turning the key in the door. Any help would be much appreciated as I have a wife and two kids who need car seats - getting in and out of the car is no fun when a rear door is out of action :0(
    Scott (Wales) - Aug 9, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
  • Thanks for your invaluable contribution. This problem plagued me for months.

    I had my '99 Golf IV passenger door disassembled in 30 minutes. Fixing the lock kept me busy for 2 hours though because I kept on getting up to check on my car (don't want to leave an open car unattended for too long in SA :-)). Still have to do two others. It would seem that the fourth microswitch fails the most. Three failed so far in my car.
    Paul Greeff from South-Africa - Aug 3, 2006 @ 7:15 am (website)
  • Cheers mate,

    Great quality step by step instructions. Would never have attempted it without them. My problem was on the passenger door and it too was a cracked solder joint. I reflowed the joints and put everything back together worked like a treat.
    Kieran Northern Ireland - Jul 29, 2006 @ 6:35 pm
  • Hello,

    My name is jerry and I live in the Netherlands. For some time I had the problem that my driver site-door-lock wouldn't lock from the inside and when I locked it via remote-control from the outside the red LED in the door wouldn't flash.

    Via a friend I was directed to your website where is seemed the exact same problem was described and a fix was provided.

    After some months driving with this problem I now had the time (vacation) to start this fix. After aprox. 5 or 6 hours I was ready and everything works fine until now. The problem was the 3 solder joints on the print where the connecter is plugged. These joints had minor cracks which explains why the problem occurred very often but not always. See pictures which I made after disassembly.

    It took me 5 to 6 hours because one of the two white plastic mounts in which the window is clamped was also cracked so I fixed that also.

    I want to thank you for your support and saving me € 118,- for a new door lock. The revision set for the window mounts was € 42,- so I saved that as well by fixing it myself.

    THANK YOU !!

    Jerry Segers (The Netherlands) - Jul 20, 2006 @ 6:20 am
  • Thanks for the great description. My "Driver's Door Open" microswitch went bad (the outboard one with the blue and red leads), actuating over bumps in the road. Used this page to get to the switch and cut the leads (open circuit means door is closed). I can live without the warning and the courtesy lamp on the underside of the door, but couldn't live with the warning buzzer screaming at me. Thanks again!
    Dave, USA - May 28, 2006 @ 12:56 pm
  • Thank your for the info I had similar problem: broken solder joint.
    After having reassembled I have the following sympton: the driver's side door lock, where the broken solder joint, can be opened after closing all the doors. What can be the problem?
    Thanks in advance
    Zoltan

    Zoltan, Hungary - May 28, 2006 @ 9:14 am
  • Thanks alot, I have a year 2000 Seat Toledo which had a problem with door open switch. Your instructions are invaluable, without which I would not have even attempted the job. The fault was exactly as you said, a dry joint on the printed circuit board. The whole job took about 3 hours. I dod not remove the window glass, instead I just held it up with duct tape.

    Thank you once again for excellent article. You have saved me a bundle!

    Regards,

    Hari
    Hari Parmar, London England - May 15, 2006 @ 6:32 am
  • great site great information but my problem its bigger all windows dont work what should io do???not the fuse i dont know what could be and the central locking not working too...please help me

    fahid-uk - May 12, 2006 @ 4:24 am
  • Hi

    I was wondering if you could tell me if a key lock cylinder on a passat would be exchangable with a jetta same year.....I talked to the dealership and it's the same part number except for 2 letters at the end, they are different.....

    thanks for you help in advance

    Rick Canada - Apr 27, 2006 @ 4:52 pm
  • Thanks! During the last year I had problem locking drivers door on my Passat -99. Thanks to your excellent description and pictures I solved the problem with a soldering iron! (No cost at all). VW seem to make it as difficult as possible to get access to the lock by changing the torx T20 screw (for the lock set) to a 12 point star M4 screw. That tool was VERY hard to find. Once again THANKS!
    Bosse, Sweden - Apr 20, 2006 @ 2:59 am
  • Thanks a lot for the great repair manual, it was exactly the same problem in my Golf 1999 (pin #7). Your manual really saved me a lot of money! Thanks!
    Berry; The Netherlands - Apr 2, 2006 @ 10:39 am
  • Muchas Felicidades por la pagina esta muy bien la informacion no tendras de otras modificaciones gracias
    David Martinez Butron,Queretaro Mexico - Mar 9, 2006 @ 10:04 pm
  • My symptons were very similar to what was described on a 2000 Passat wagen.Of course I went for the lock mechanism replacement. The write-up was near perfect. One problem, I think it's worse now. No interior control with the central keypad in the drivers door except for the rear gate.Any ideas? Would appreciate. Thank-you
    Ken Casler, The Adirondacks - Feb 21, 2006 @ 5:34 pm
  • My symptoms are that the doors will "re-lock" if only the driver's door is opened and occaisionally, the interior lights will come on while driving and the "door ajar" chime will sound. I figure this means that the micro switch that detects if the door is ajar is malfunctioning, so I will tear into it and hope it is something simple like cracked solder. I'll let you know.
    Dave from Charlottesville VA, USA - Nov 22, 2005 @ 5:30 pm
  • Seriously. Thank you for this page. the Haynes repair manual so totally didn't mention anything about the little plastic pins holding the lock mechanism to the carrier, and I would have broken them clean off if i hadn't read this page first. thank you thank you thankyou. ^_^
    Ben Wynn - Nov 6, 2005 @ 7:14 pm
  • my solder joints are fine i bought a new lock no joy. its a bora 2001 the drivers door just is not doin anythin will lock manually with key but wont work with fob. all interior lights are ok and workin fine it opens and locks all the other doors just not the drivers one any help would be welcome adamsmart007@tiscali.co.uk. cheers
    adam smart uk - Oct 29, 2005 @ 9:02 am
  • Help please! My '99 Passat will not turn on, the dome lights do not turn on, the car cannot be locked with the remote keyless entry, and the blinking red lights do not blink after I manually lock the doors. Could this be from a bad lock control module? Cracked soldering? Also, my car experienced some flooding in July '05 so this may be a possible effect of the 2 inches of water that was in my car after I removed the carpet. Any ideas? Your help is greatly appreciated.

    Regards,
    Israel Silva
    israel.silva@aggies.com
    Israel Silva - Oct 9, 2005 @ 9:52 pm
  • I replaced the driver's side latch mechanism a few years ago and it went smoothly. I'm having an issue now with the rear passenger side door. The problem is that I can't remove the window--it is attached to the regulator arm via a cheap white plastic rivet, which (1) I can't get out and (2) I'm not sure if I could get it back in if I do manage to get it out. So I can't remove the steel plate until I detach and secure the window. Has anyone done this?
    Tom K - Oct 6, 2005 @ 10:46 am (website)
  • Thanks for the excellent instructions with pictures.
    Fixed UK 2001 Jetta drivers door not seen as open (system locks after 30s if key not in ignition, interior light not illuminating etc) by replacing external microswitch, switch 5, internal pcb has 4 switches. Extra one seems to be to detect for deadlocking. Note also that pcb coated with varnish to protect against damp. Fitted a Burgess X4 microswitch after filing the holes.
    Problem with the original (a custom Burgess microswitch probably based on the V4NCSK2. Why not use a standard part?) appears to be the mounting pegs flexing and allowing actuator to miss the cam.

    Eljay, UK - Oct 2, 2005 @ 1:09 pm
  • The pin on the external microswitch that senses door open was also cracked. I purchased a regularly-stocked lever-type microswitch from Radioshack for $2.69 to replace it. It is not an exact fit, but by mounting at an angle with holes further down the bracket, it works. Also I had some difficulty finding the 12-point / spline bit, until I started searching for "DODECAGONAL" which is what it's called in some popular multi-pack kits that sell various places online for $10.
    Joe Dery - Sep 26, 2005 @ 1:34 pm
  • Thank You from France !!

    Merci de vos informations, j'ai pu refaire fonctionner mon plafonnier, mon alarme feus allumés et la centralisée marche nickel maintenant. C'est bien cette petite soudure qui avait craquée.
    Attention lors du démontage, en remttant la fenetre, il vaut mieux être deux
    attention egalement en enlevant les deux supports de serreur sur la plaque en metal, il suffit de taper dessus avec un marteur pour ejecter les deux supports plastique.
    sinon les photos sont super, et tout est ok
    T. TOK - Sep 24, 2005 @ 10:07 am
  • Hello I repaired my Door Lock Mechanism and then found this site. My problem was exactly the same. 3 out of 6 solder joint were cracked. Nice site and Photo`s



    martijn Netherlands - Aug 2, 2005 @ 1:50 pm
  • Hey i was wonderin has anyone heard of people breaking into a Passat by slamming a tennis ball onto the lock and it will unlock the car, if you have heard of it please email me and tell me because it has been happening around my area and i don't kno if the tennis ball myth is true, alos i have been seein tennis balls around my driveway
    Rhys Williams - United States - Jul 19, 2005 @ 9:18 pm
  • Great instructions, it was the only site that I could find to help me figure out how to fix my problems, thanks a lot!
    Mark Williams USA - Jul 12, 2005 @ 11:53 am
  • An add on to my previous comment. Eventually found the problem with the door lock continuously opening the window - the door barrel itself was worn. Couldnt get a replacement ( as you would have to change keys ) so used the one from the LHS door. beware though you have to take it apart - they are not interchangeable. Bit of a job trying to get it back together though. Fixed it a few months ago, but traded up to a 02 passat 130bhp TDI. No problems so far........
    Colm Gillard - Jun 28, 2005 @ 2:08 pm
  • The instructions were great and finally fixed my problem on my 2001.5 Passat GLX Wagon. I'd be happy to send you my failed unit in appreciation for your instructions.
    Patrick Nussbaumer, San Diego, CA, USA - Jun 24, 2005 @ 1:46 pm
  • Fabulous write up. Thanks very much!
    John Kelly - Jun 24, 2005 @ 7:06 am
  • Thankyou so much this was excellent. The writeup really did come in handy and I just printed it off for backup. I own a right-hand drive Passat so just flipped instructions. Clear Pics and concise instructions. Could not find these instructions in the Haynes Manual so well done.
    Vijay - Jun 21, 2005 @ 12:34 pm
  • Fantastic instructions. Had it apart and the mechanism out in 20 minutes.
    Problem was with the microswitch, a broken push pin. Replace entire unit with new, $133 w/ tax. Reassembly is a bit more complicated. Make sure the window closure is perfect before putting on the panel.
    Paul - Jun 4, 2005 @ 9:37 pm
  • Very well done write up. I have a driver's door that will not stay locked- it locks and then unlocks, and even when moving the autolock tries to lock it but can't seem to pull it down. Is this still the fix? The door is fully closed and pushing on it doesn't help. I'm stripping the door down and suspect one of the microswitches is bad. Anyone had luck finding one of the microswitches or are we stuck buying the whole module anyway, new or used? Any ideas on wholesale new dub parts? Most sites I find don't carry the lock stuff.
    John Tate - May 19, 2005 @ 10:53 am
  • Well I must say 'what a fantastic write-up.'
    Just reading through this has given me the confidence to take my Passat to peices.
    If you see a Passat with the passenger door missing, I'm still working on it.
    Keep up the good work.
    Eddie
    Eddie Spark - May 1, 2005 @ 4:02 pm
  • Interesting points but it does not solve my problem. My front door, driver side has been blocked. Can´t open it
    either by key or manual.Have a central locking system which only works on one door.
    What to do?
    Arne Edman - Apr 27, 2005 @ 2:55 pm
  • Thanks, Great write up. I have problem with drivers side(rhs drive) electric window not moving. And I also have a problem with rear passenger side exterior door handle not opening that door(it opens from inside). Tried to strip both doors but got stuck at the steel plate. But will definitely try again this weekend.
    We also had a problem with the alarm(factory fitted), it just started alarming on its own, when we reset it it was ok but could go off any time again afterwards. We eventually got an alarm guy to partial disable it but he installed his own model so that we had an alarm on the car. Should it be possible to fix the original problem and take off the 2nd alarm? any good faultfinding tips that we could try?
    Thanks.
    Tim Oliver(Ireland) - Apr 22, 2005 @ 4:02 am
  • Intermittent locking and unlocking of drivers door only with remote. Followed guide and found poor connection on pins into servo motor. Re tinned connections now all ok. Great write up.!!!
    Mike wooster - Apr 10, 2005 @ 7:41 am
  • Colm Gillard, I have same problem with the passenger side door not locking from inside switch. Mine can be cured by pressing switch twice in succession - there's a bit of a knack to it but it works for me!
    Mick-Bradford - Apr 4, 2005 @ 12:34 pm
  • Thanks for the great writeup. It solved my problem with the door. Sympton: No electrical action when opening the door (no lights, no other door servo, just mechanical opening).

    Measured contacts on all swithches and connectors ok, but could see the solder crack, just as the picture shows. Resoldering did the trick.

    Would like to add that I managed to do the job without taking out the window or the metalplate (including connectors) by duct taping the window and plate from the top of the door. Drilled out the pop rivet holding the door mechanism, leaving the inner part of the mechanism-holder.

    My mechanism had one torx more inbetween the two snaps locks, possibly T9.

    I always use a digital camera when doing repairs for the first time. This time it made the assembly of the mechanism easy even though a couple of springs and levers had come loose.

    Thanks! Had a great day with the car.
    Jens Larsen, Sweden - Mar 28, 2005 @ 2:44 am
  • Excellent how-to, Thanks, Replaced the unit, took old apart, problem appeared to be the big switch in the latch. Dome light worked but "headlights on" and alarm did not see door open. Note that on my 2001 1/2 Passat GLX I also had to pry in and off wood trim on the inside of pull handle. Also replaced those plastic pins with nuts & bolts.
    Bill MacGillivray - Mar 25, 2005 @ 7:51 pm
  • Great resource!

    Note that the part numbers referenced above have been superceded by the following:

    3B1 837 015 J
    superseded by 3B1 837 015 AK
    3B1 837 016 R superseded by
    3B1 837 016 BH

    The new numbers are the "quiet" locks used in 2003+ VWs. Supposedly they are much less likely to fail than the earlier parts.
    Jeff Daigle (jddaigle on various VW forums) - Feb 16, 2005 @ 10:12 pm
  • Thanks, a great help, write up and pictures. Joints cracked in exactly the same position! On reassembly suggest filling space between PCB and rear case (in location of cracked joints) with silicone sealant (not too much) and add small around the locating lugs to stop the board from flexing. Also regrease lock mechanism on reassembly.
    Nocker (England) - Feb 10, 2005 @ 4:52 pm
  • Many thanks for your excellent information as I was lead to believe by an approved VW dealer that this could be an expensive issue to resolve.
    Niall D. - Jan 27, 2005 @ 6:42 pm
  • Unfortunately this didnt solve my problem. Every time i put the key in the lock to open the door the windows come down. The car will unlock but wont lock again. It can only be locked from the boot. Strange one. Probably need to do the same to the passenger side lock. This car has always had a problem with central locking. when you use the button from the inside all the doors lock except the passenger door. put the car on test on the vw conmputer and it told me i had a short in the right hand door. Pretty gutted - had to spend €50 to get the tools for the job ( and about 20 miles of driving ! ). Anyone ever seen this problem ?
    Colm Gillard (Ireland) - Jan 24, 2005 @ 12:14 pm
  • thankyou for the info didnt need it cause the lock was bad but cause the cable to the door handle came out
    mike jobe - Jan 10, 2005 @ 6:19 am
  • Has anyone found the microswitch for sale?
    Thomas H - Jan 6, 2005 @ 7:12 am
  • Fantastic write-up, thanks. I would not have been able to take the entire door apart without these instructions. My problem was the external micro-switch (not cracked solder). I'm going to try to hunt this switch down at:

    http://www.saia-burgessusa.com/switches/

    The dealer wants $158 for this assembly; The microswitch is probably only a few dollars.... wish me luck.
    Herman - Jan 3, 2005 @ 8:03 pm
  • Thanks very much for your web site as it is very useful.
    Jamie Raghuram - Dec 30, 2004 @ 11:56 am
  • Used your info to fix my driver's side door lock on my MK4 Golf today. Very helpful. Thanks! Note no parts were loose, but still had a broken solder joint in pin 8 of the external lock mircro switch. I resoldered all the joints on the pcb.

    Thank you again
    aRd - Dec 25, 2004 @ 6:17 pm
  • great info have had no similar problems
    but my passat has been so unreliabe its good to have this knowledge
    john collier - Dec 23, 2004 @ 2:29 pm
  • Thanks for the great writeup. If I didn't know what to look for I probably would have missed it. I had to use a magnifying glass to see that the solder joints were cracked on my 2000 Golf. My locks were working intermittently and I thought I would have to buy a new lock assy.
    B. Nagao - Nov 17, 2004 @ 8:32 pm
  • My problem is a little bit different. No possible to open the left rear passanger's door and window and than is problem to dissasemble the door.
    Daniel Beniak - Oct 31, 2004 @ 4:17 am
  • Excellent guide. I resoldered mine (the solder was also starting to crack) as a precaution when replacing the window regulator clips.
    Andy - Oct 28, 2004 @ 8:41 pm
  • Did mine, 2000 Passat. The joins were fine. It ended up being microswitch 4, the one on the mechanical side of the assembly. Unable to find a suitable microswitch, I bought a whole new assembly from VW. Not cheap, but it's fixed.
    MyV6VW on ClubB5 - Oct 16, 2004 @ 10:11 pm
  • That's greate tip... now I know why.
    Have one more question: My Jetta 01 have this ligths turn on alarm's problem, when I still ligths on and open the door everething is okey but as soon as keep openening door above 5" alarm stop... could be same reason or something like that? Thx

    Jimmy Hdz - Oct 5, 2004 @ 7:45 pm
  • Great writeup,I have had problems with my locks for sometime.My #7 pin was cracked just like yours.Word of advice start with all the right tools including the 12 point m8 drive or you have to find a ride to the store or in my case many stores.
    Dan Johnson - Aug 26, 2004 @ 1:01 pm
  • Awesome job. I've had problems with my lock modules for over 3 years now and wish I had found this sooner. I did the fix this afternoon and my joints on pins #3 and #7 were cracked. Here's something I posted at VwVortex.com about it - http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1542461. Thanks again.
    Gary Thompson, aka VgRt6 - Aug 14, 2004 @ 10:14 pm
  • Used your info plus the Bentley manual to fix a rear door lock on my Passat today. Very helpful. Thanks! Note no parts were loose, but still had a broken solder joint in the same area as you (pin 5 of the connector).
    Mike Brown - Aug 14, 2004 @ 8:55 pm
  • Dude, Great write up. I think this may be the problem with my 98. It looks like it is. The driver dome light and also the drivers door convenience features don't work any more. I think this may be the problem. I checked the CCM. I am going to look at the wires run through the door loom. But, this could be it. Does this affect the dome light. It must.
    Stephen Thorne - Jul 23, 2004 @ 3:08 pm

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