boot closure motor replacement

[crispyclean]

Hi all,

Audi tell me the boot closure motor of my newly acquired 2003 A8 is a goner and want £571 to fix it. I can get new (!) motors on Ebay for EURO 140.

Can anyone tell me if it is a difficult job to replace it? I am reasonably competent with a spanner (change my own shock absorbers, brake discs etc..).

Is there such a thing as a workshop manual for these cars or perhaps something like an online schematic (like www.realoem.com (http://www.realoem.com) for BMW) that I can refer to? Or perhaps someone can explain step-by-step how to do it?

Cheers
Paul

[Micha_elD]

The workshop manual for Audis is Elsawin, have a look on ebay. Parts list is Etka, again on ebay, but there isn't a source for parts prices. There is also an on-line catalogue at http://www.vagcat.com/ but that doesn't seem to be completely up-to-date, but may be able to help you.

From Elsawin, replacing the rear lid drive motor looks really straightforward. The motor is attached to the back of the LH hinge. There is a picture that I can't copy in here, but the text is:

Drive shaft for rear lid driveq Drive shaft has multiple splines for power transmission.q One of these is wider than the others.q Drive motor can therefore only be fitted in “Rear lid open” position.
Replacement motors are always supplied in “Rear lid open” position.

It looks like all you need to do is pull out the electrical plug, undo two bolts and the motor is off.

[crispyclean]

Fantastic! Thank you so much for the reply, that helps me a great deal. I will go on Ebay immediately.

Cheers
Paul

[crispyclean]

Hi,

I slotted a new motor in (indeed as easy as two bolts) but no joy.

Does the system need resetting (by Audi)? or did I get a duff motor/Audi has misdiagnosed the issue?

Paul

[a8 tech]

open and close 10 times to reset, most motors fail because the hinges partially seize so remove the hinges and lubricate them before installing the new motor or the clutch will burn out.
If the lid refuses to shut and stay shut make sure the tool kit is installed inside the lid as this also serves the purpose of a balance weight. Resetting a used motor is a pain and you may need to apply a fixed weight to the lid until the lid stays shut, also make sure the hinges are correctly aligned and don't touch the power latch.

[crispyclean]

Hi,

Opened closed 10 times with remote as well as with latch on the car, but still no joy. Tool kit is installed and all tools in it, but the motor doesn't even try, just totally dead. The hinges seem fine and by hand the boot closes smoothly enough. This is a new motor so I am not expecting it to be that (but it could I suppose).

Any other things I could try?

Paul

[Micha_elD]

If everything mechanical seems OK, then it might be an electrical fault somewhere, maybe a fuse? Do you have a way to check if there is power going to the plug?

[crispyclean]

The plug has about 7 pins, not sure which to check but will have a go.

I have looked high and low for the relevant fuse. There must be one, but I can't find it either in the owner manual or in the fuseboxes themselves. I looked in all four locations, L/R side of dash panels and L/R in the boot recesses. I do not have Elwin and/or an electrical diagram yet so cannot trace which fuse it goes through...

If I press the remote/the door panel button/the latch on the boot itself, the boot unlocks, and gently dropping the bootlid closed engages the bootlock, so the lock/unlock is working, just not the powered opening/closure motion.

Paul

[Micha_elD]

Wow! that took some finding!

It looks like fuse 7 in the right side of the luggage compartment is the one, its 20A. Power looks like it goes through a red/black wire to the motor

[crispyclean]

Thank you very much, I will try that tomorrow.

Cheers
Paul

[crispyclean]

Hi,

Fuse 6, 7, 8 and 9 were all empty. I tried a fuse in every slot and stuck a multimeter in the red/black and brown pins. No feed whatsoever when I pressed the lock/unlock switch on the remote key.

Now what?

I am going back to Audi soon as my MMI shuts down randomly (see other thread), I shall ask them about this too.

.... but I do find them quite arrogant, so I am a little reluctant to ask about things like this and have a conversation on what it could be etc. BMW seem friendlier

[a8 tech]

Do you have vag com, if so post a log for both issues.

[Micha_elD]

I think some of the RH boot fuse panels were 10 fuse, some were 12. If you have a 12, then my handbook reckons it will be fuse 7, if you have a 10 fuse then I don't know which one it might be. It might be time to either find a local Audi/VW specialist who has Vag Com (VCDS), or take it in to the dealer.

[a8 tech]

elsa win has always been inaccurate for fuse location for A8 platform and mainly locations for left hand and right hand drive

[crispyclean]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I do not have VAGCOM. I do have ETKA and Elsawin (not yet properly installed!) but cannot find anything there.

I have 10 fuse slots on RH side. I shall try left hand side as well this evening.

In the meantime AUDI is going to repair my MMI and Keyless Entry thsi week (these issues may be related) and then have a look at why the boot motor gets no electical feed.

I will report back.

Paul

[crispyclean]

Right, bought myself a multimeter and found it! :-)

It was fuse #4 on RH side. It was a 20amp fuse that, despite looking OK, was broken. I only found it by replacing all the fuses on RH side (a trick you learn when dealing with classic cars that still have old glass fuses) and when I slotted a new one into #4, all of a sudden I had power.

All works perfectly now!

Also, I tested the old motor and indeed that one was duff. So the dealer was right!

Cheers everyone!

Paul

[Micha_elD]

Great to hear you found it. The motor probably blew the fuse when it failed, it would almost have been disappointing if it had only been the fuse!

[crispyclean]

I think 'gutted' would have been the word! ;-)

[uzzyk]

I would like to insert a motor on my boot so it will open with the fob, can you tell me how hard it is to install andif there is the need for any recoding??