1997 vw pasat b5 1.9tdi remote central locking problem ..

[cyberjack]

Hi there ... Looking for a bit of advice on solving my central locking problem on my car ...
the key used to lock the doors remotely but now it wont ? it first gave me problems a few weeks ago so i put it down to the batteries in the keyfob ... i replaced them both and it worked for a while ..then it stopped ? .. i tried the usual fuses etc and eventually lifted the carpet on the passenger side of the car to find the comfort control box submerged in water ... i opened it up & dried the pcb and the wires etc ..popped the grommet in the floor to let the 3+ litres of water out of that side of the car ...still no joy any ideas guys? is the circuit board on the control module toast or is it somefing more sinister causing this ? :confused:

[OddBallBoy]

Check the wiring loom leading to the cabin ecu as well - the wire casings can perish over time and the wires can become brittle or corroded if water has got to them; they might initially look ok but closer inspection can find problems. A tedious task but a cheap one and worth ruling out.

Unfortunately for you, I rather fear the ecu maybe soggy toast...😓 but the fact you only mention problems with central locking does at least give a little hope.

I trust you have now cleared the plenum chamber which is likely to be the initial cause of the water ingress?

[cyberjack]

Check the wiring loom leading to the cabin ecu as well - the wire casings can perish over time and the wires can become brittle or corroded if water has got to them; they might initially look ok but closer inspection can find problems. A tedious task but a cheap one and worth ruling out.

Unfortunately for you, I rather fear the ecu maybe soggy toast... but the fact you only mention problems with central locking does at least give a little hope.

I trust you have now cleared the plenum chamber which is likely to be the initial cause of the water ingress?

Thx for the advice ...i will check the wiring loom maybe tomorrow .. i have cleared the plenum chamber and am pretty sure the all water leaks are sorted , I could probally live with the central locking not working but that constant chattering of the locks on the back passenger door is doing my head in .. i might just snip the wires going to the door lock actuator just for a bit of peace and quiet on long journeys .. .... my chum has an old B5 Passat as well and his is plagued with electrical faults also ..windows, locks , electric petrol flap wont open etc...pity as they are half decent old motors other than the annoying electrical issues that a lot of them seem to have and the old engines seem to on go forever ! thanks again for your input .. if i have any luck sorting it i will put it on the forum .. regards jack .

[OddBallBoy]

Your mate's does sound like cabin ecu problem (could be very bad case of the wiring to it also though) but you may find your chattering rear lock is the lock itself - mine does it occasionally, sometimes locks fine when I lock the car, sometimes unlocks itself immediately. It's not that bad that I've ever bothered to do anything about it but from what I've read, think it's likely to be the lock itself rather than the ecu.

In your shoes, I'd check the ecu wiring first and if that solves the other central locking problems but not the rear door, then have a look at the lock itself. A search on here for central locking problems should hopefully find you some useful stuff.

Good luck!