overcome the deadlock on the rear doors

[Dizz]

Had the locked back door problem for over 4 months but now solved the same way with the engine running and using the Driver's unlock button.
Many thanks to Fumbler and jfj for the pointer.

I have now dis-connected the plug at the door pillar so the it stays unlocked until I have the time to service/replace the lock.

(A very happy) Pete

[djmx5]

Is there any preventative maintenance that can be done before this issue occurs?

thanks
D

[scotty33]

It is worth peeling back the gaiter at the front of the door and cleaning/greasing the multiplug terminals, make sure the gaiter is refitted properly.

[dryerman]

Just replaced the O/S/R door lock on my Passat B5.5. Door deadlocked, tried every trick in the book to open it, but to no avail. The internal lock mechanism had broken up inside, so manually operating the levers had no effect. Ended up busting off the old lock to get access to the release latch. The most awkward bit was reconnecting the short cable from the external handle ratchet to the lock, there is a [torx] screw hiding behind the rubber door seal to allow removal of part of the door handle, this gives access to this cable. New lock £45:00 of e-bay, and thick end of a days work [my own time]. Conclusion: At the first sign of a door lock playing up, get a fix ASAP while you can still open the door. Grateful for all the advice on here.

[mlewington]

9931stevem is a genius! Followed his instructions 2003 Passat Door won't unlock or open.pdf and (to my huge relief) the door opened!! Mine was the fns door not the rear, but the principle's the same. There are so many posts on this site about door lock problems, but this is The One!

[machare]

Thanks for the previous posts. I ordered a set of splines, £16.40 on Amazon.

Banging on the car door and pressing the remote open button did not work.

Banging on the car door whilst swmbo reved the engine to 2000 rpm and kept pressing the driver's door open button did not work.

But then "Banging on the car door whilst swmbo reved the engine to 2000 rpm and kept pressing the driver's door button open, close, open close ..." performed the required magic :-) :-) :-)

Disconnecting the door electrics at the hinge stops the door lock motor from locking again. The door can be locked manually by pressing down on the door button and opened by pulling the interior handle.

I now just have to take the door lock motor off as described in the Haynes manual and in the above PDF file.

[scotty33]

I recently fixed my nsr door, it opened for the first time in 8 months, so I had a crack at it. I found 2 of the thinner wires had a 'kink' this turned out to be broken cores under the insulation. Also I noticed for the first time, that the gaiter fits to a 'hoop' which is detatchable from the pillar, much easier to thread the gaiter to the hoop then click it back in!

[machare]

I was able to thread the door pillar plugs through the tube back into the body of the car. This enabled me to remove the window motor and door lock carrier with all the wiring attached.

Having taken the lock apart, I decided to order a replacement from ebay for £20 as it is difficult to know which part was causing the problem. Since then I have managed to take the motor apart and found some dirt by the commutator so this could well have been the cause of my problem.

To separate the motor housing from the lock mechanism only the small T8 screw and the large T20 screw need to be removed. The 8 T10 screws can be left in place. There is a spring that has to be removed and two clips by the T8 screw that have to be released.

[dlyan]

Considering these are older cars, not that attractive to thieving swine, do we really need deadlocked doors? As I understand it the locking and the whirring deadlocking are separate actions, what if, as a preventative to the hassle of failure, the deadlock bit was disabled?

[machare]

My replacement lock from ebay eventually arrived and I have fitted it to the car. It works fine now that I have also replaced the battery.