SilentBob
14-02-2011, 12:03 AM
I am at my wits end with this car now (1998 1.8T AEB). It has just been one thing after another this year. :(
As a bit of background, my alarm fob doesn't work and I have been using the key in the driver's door for what seems like forever.
Late last year unlocking from the driver's door became a bit flaky. Sometimes it'd work. Other times it'd just do that door. I then got into the habit of locking/unlocking from the boot as I walked round the car. IT was less hassle as it worked every time... for a while.
Eventually that stopped working too, and I had to start unlocking all the doors manually. I also noticed that the one touch up/down on the driver's window no longer worked, and I couldn't open/close any other windows from the driver's door control. Also, I was only able to move the driver's side wing mirror. Also, I don't believe the alarm is arming either. The light doesn't flash & I haven't been able to make it go off.
Whilst attacking the simple first, I decided to pull fuses one at a time. I soon found out that pulling fuse number 14 seemed to reset this behaviour, sort of. After pulling and re-fitting the fuse I would be able to perform one or two actions of those that otherwise no longer worked. After that, nothing again, unless I pulled the fuse.
A couple of days later my battery was flat. Car jumped ok, but was flat again the following morning. Charged the battery for about half hour with 11amp charger, and started to remove fuse 14 when parked for any length of time. No further battery issues.
After a fair amount of searching (here & Google), the likely culprit sounded like the CCM. Although, I have never noticed the carpet getting wet? When I pulled the carpet up & pulled the CCM out, everything was bone dry and there was no evidence of anything down there having been wet. Ther exposed wiring looked pristine. I didn't remove any of the cloth binding/tape, but that all looked good as new too. Pulled the CCM out of it's box. Again, PCB all looked remarkably good condition. No sign of age at all. No sign of damp, flux or cracked joints. So I put it all back and decided to dismantly the driver's door to see if there was any obvious deteriation in wiring. Again, from what I could see (including pulling back the rubber boot between door and body) all looked to be in good condition.
After putting all back together everything seemed to be dead past the driver's door. From that door I could wind its own window (no one touch still) and move that side's mirror. There was no control of any other doors/windows. Even when pulling fuse 14 to "reset". I still couldn't lock all from boot. The driver's door no longer activated interior lights. The driver's lock appeared to have no electrical function at all. You could not hear the actuator, and the key was extremely loose in the lock. Also, when unlocking the driver's door it wouldn't open on first pull. But it would open on second pull. This only happened following an unlock.
I had to put up with this for another week, but stopped pulling the fuse when parked. I figured that if some malfunction in the driver's door was causing the problems, then with nothing now working perhaps it'd be ok? Still no flat battery. That's something I suppose.
During the week I found an article (http://www.taligentx.com/passat/maintenance/doorlockmechanism/) that described removing & disassembling the locking module to check for and fix switch/solder issues. So this Saturday I stripped the door down again. I followed the guide, completely tearing down the lock. Again all looked ok. Joints were all fine. Nothing iffy looking on the board. So I then went through testing all the micro switches and circuits. Everything appeared to be fine. So, stumped, I proceeded to put everything back together.
Following that the situation was as follows...
The driver's door actuator was (is) working again. It can be heard when turning the key, and it is providing that resistance in turning the key again. The driver's door DOES now activate the interior lights again. I also had some function return again, but despite initially looking good (or rather, "better"), it soon started failing again, until pulling fuse 14 to "reset". Following a reset I could:
- Driver's window one touch up/down.
- Lock ALL doors from boot.
- Unlock ALL doors from boot & passenger door.
- Occasionally driver's door would unlock others.
However, I then had no mirror function at all for either side. The other windows could not be controlled from driver's door.
The next day (today - Sunday) it has got worse again. No one touch window, even after fuse pulling. Pulling the fuse will only allow ONE lock or unlock action. This doesn't work from the driver's door.
I am now at a complete loss as to what I should be doing next. It seems to me that the driver's door is key in this. Or could that be a red herring? Also fuse 14 is obviously very significant. But why?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
BTW, I really do not have the money to put it into a garage. If I did, then I would not be going through all this myself. If I could, I would buy a new/different car. But I just can't do that. I am stuck with this heap, and it is falling apart around my ears. :(
As a bit of background, my alarm fob doesn't work and I have been using the key in the driver's door for what seems like forever.
Late last year unlocking from the driver's door became a bit flaky. Sometimes it'd work. Other times it'd just do that door. I then got into the habit of locking/unlocking from the boot as I walked round the car. IT was less hassle as it worked every time... for a while.
Eventually that stopped working too, and I had to start unlocking all the doors manually. I also noticed that the one touch up/down on the driver's window no longer worked, and I couldn't open/close any other windows from the driver's door control. Also, I was only able to move the driver's side wing mirror. Also, I don't believe the alarm is arming either. The light doesn't flash & I haven't been able to make it go off.
Whilst attacking the simple first, I decided to pull fuses one at a time. I soon found out that pulling fuse number 14 seemed to reset this behaviour, sort of. After pulling and re-fitting the fuse I would be able to perform one or two actions of those that otherwise no longer worked. After that, nothing again, unless I pulled the fuse.
A couple of days later my battery was flat. Car jumped ok, but was flat again the following morning. Charged the battery for about half hour with 11amp charger, and started to remove fuse 14 when parked for any length of time. No further battery issues.
After a fair amount of searching (here & Google), the likely culprit sounded like the CCM. Although, I have never noticed the carpet getting wet? When I pulled the carpet up & pulled the CCM out, everything was bone dry and there was no evidence of anything down there having been wet. Ther exposed wiring looked pristine. I didn't remove any of the cloth binding/tape, but that all looked good as new too. Pulled the CCM out of it's box. Again, PCB all looked remarkably good condition. No sign of age at all. No sign of damp, flux or cracked joints. So I put it all back and decided to dismantly the driver's door to see if there was any obvious deteriation in wiring. Again, from what I could see (including pulling back the rubber boot between door and body) all looked to be in good condition.
After putting all back together everything seemed to be dead past the driver's door. From that door I could wind its own window (no one touch still) and move that side's mirror. There was no control of any other doors/windows. Even when pulling fuse 14 to "reset". I still couldn't lock all from boot. The driver's door no longer activated interior lights. The driver's lock appeared to have no electrical function at all. You could not hear the actuator, and the key was extremely loose in the lock. Also, when unlocking the driver's door it wouldn't open on first pull. But it would open on second pull. This only happened following an unlock.
I had to put up with this for another week, but stopped pulling the fuse when parked. I figured that if some malfunction in the driver's door was causing the problems, then with nothing now working perhaps it'd be ok? Still no flat battery. That's something I suppose.
During the week I found an article (http://www.taligentx.com/passat/maintenance/doorlockmechanism/) that described removing & disassembling the locking module to check for and fix switch/solder issues. So this Saturday I stripped the door down again. I followed the guide, completely tearing down the lock. Again all looked ok. Joints were all fine. Nothing iffy looking on the board. So I then went through testing all the micro switches and circuits. Everything appeared to be fine. So, stumped, I proceeded to put everything back together.
Following that the situation was as follows...
The driver's door actuator was (is) working again. It can be heard when turning the key, and it is providing that resistance in turning the key again. The driver's door DOES now activate the interior lights again. I also had some function return again, but despite initially looking good (or rather, "better"), it soon started failing again, until pulling fuse 14 to "reset". Following a reset I could:
- Driver's window one touch up/down.
- Lock ALL doors from boot.
- Unlock ALL doors from boot & passenger door.
- Occasionally driver's door would unlock others.
However, I then had no mirror function at all for either side. The other windows could not be controlled from driver's door.
The next day (today - Sunday) it has got worse again. No one touch window, even after fuse pulling. Pulling the fuse will only allow ONE lock or unlock action. This doesn't work from the driver's door.
I am now at a complete loss as to what I should be doing next. It seems to me that the driver's door is key in this. Or could that be a red herring? Also fuse 14 is obviously very significant. But why?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
BTW, I really do not have the money to put it into a garage. If I did, then I would not be going through all this myself. If I could, I would buy a new/different car. But I just can't do that. I am stuck with this heap, and it is falling apart around my ears. :(