Doors won't open from the outside

[Europa25]

This has happened on mine, luckily they replaced under extended warranty.

If it's a design fault, why is there no recall?

Could be potentially dangerous if this link slips, and emergency services are trying to get you out in an incident.

Nobody should be locked in or out of a vehicle in an emergency.

[smiggy9]

After half a dozen opens and closes of the front passenger door, with the window down and opening from the inside - the door has started working again, so that's both doors fully working again. It must be totally down to the really cold spell we've had and everything thawing out. I think it might have been the vibrations from the repeated opening and closing of the door that freed everything up, not anything special I was doing with the handles. I'm glad I tried out the suggestions here as I've saved myself a pile of grief and expense. Cheers everybody!

[tdi sport]

Hi there, the exact same thing has been happening to my 2006 Tdi Sport Estate.

Open the door from the inside and give it a couple of good slams!!

1st the front passenger door went then a few days later rectified itself. Then the back drivers side door went, was stuck shut over xmas and to make matters worse the child lock was on. Took it to my local garage who stripped the door down and reassembled it and it worked and ha bben fine for a week.

No bloody lie the day after that was fixed the other back door went to. Took it back to garage who simply opened from the inside and slammed it - which sorted it.

He said it was maybe a combination of the cold snap and people yanking the doors to open them and stretching the inner cable - hence the loose feeling handles.

[sparkyrjp]

New to forum ,so hi to you all .
I looking for answers to this exact problem on my 2006 TDI Sport Saloon
Mine started with intermittent failure to unlock drivers door requiring getting in via other front door to unlock driver’s door.
The garage diagnosed a wiring loom problem (not covered by extended warrantee!!)
The car is, at present, booked in for the part of the loom inside the door to be replaced at £250, BUT the fault has now migrated to the rear offside door with the drivers door appearing to be unlocking normally.
I have warned the garage I have no intention of paying for unnecessary works and before commencing work on the driver’s door, and they are to carry out further investigation, my guess is there may be a software problem in the cars ECU , as this has various control functions over the central locking ,
So, is there an issue with B6 central locking ? is the garage barking up the wrong tree ? I will be taking a print out of this thread for them to read before letting them start spending my cash , and also trying some of the suggested cures.

[martin1810]

You need the diagnostic printout from the garage. The ccm under the dash controls central locking via individual door modules. A code read will identify where the problem most likely is.

[smiggy9]

There will be no issue with the software within the ECU, unless you've had it remapped maybe? Software just doesn't decide to do one thing consistently for 3 years and then throw a wobbler. You would need to look for some external condition that has changed which would cause the door mechanisms to become faulty.

In my case I'm convinced it was the cold spell that caused some mechanical part to stick which then may not have engaged a signal switch or such like.

I think if I took my car into the garage when the door was faulty it may have given the same kind of garage diagnostic readout that you got. I also think if I took the car in now then they wouldn't find a fault.

Of course, not every car fault is the same, and you may indeed have a different fundamental fault to mine. However, now that the weather is improving (slightly!!) what I would do in your case (if you haven't already tried...hint hint) is:

Wind down the windows on the offending doors so you can get to the inside handle
Give each door a few opens and closes. Don't be afraid to give the doors a reasonable slam.
(No, I won't accept any responsibility if you break anything while doing this...heehee)

See if that works. If no joy, then you are in their hands.

No harm in trying!

[VWB6]

Hi All,

Another new B6 addition (2.0 tdi Sport) to the fold.....and yet another with a dodgy rear offside passenger door that won't open from the outside.

I think it was Martin 1810 who pointed out that when there is no resistance felt in the door handle, it could be that the peg has come out! Is this an easy'ish job I could do or is it a hold onto your trousers and take it back to VW? I've previously maintained several older cars before this and am not adverse to rolling sleeves up.

Cheers,
Ian

[Quatrelle]

Do a search, there are quite a few posts on how to do it, assuming you have tried the other ways suggested above - which seem to be a lot less hassle?

[sparkyrjp]

Well ! I have tried the door slamming cure , and .................cured ?? at least it appears so , so I have now to consider my approach to the garage as the car is due in this Friday , I have already printed this thread to show them , and I , at present , have a working locking system .

[g-black]

Genius! Worked a treat! Thought I was in for an afternoon of pulling the door apart!

Thanks for the help!