Rear offside door intermittently not opening

[gselliott]

Hi I've got a 2007 A3 Sportback and lately I've been having problems opening the rear offside door from the outside. Intermittently the door refuses to open this is when I've just opened it with the remote or when it try to open it after a journey, this door has got the child lock on hence why I am opening it from the outside.

The only way I can open the door when it refuses to open from the outside handle is to pull the interior and the outside handle together. I'm guessing that something in the door mechanism is getting stuck but haven't got a clue where or how to start looking.

Any ideas?

[MRSP2]

I seem to have a similar problem with the nearside rear door. Haven't found a solution yet so I would be interested if anyone has any ideas too.

[quibs]

I have 2009 and getting the same problem now and again. Rear offside door.

[Mick-]

Similar issue - NSR door on a 2005 tdi Sportback. Have read somewhere that it could be a dry-soldered joint or a fractured soldered joint on the actuating motor unit in the door... hence the "make &/or break" nature of the fault. Mine sometimes centrally unlocks OK, more often it doesn't but it always centrally locks without a problem. If anyone has a definitive answer it would be apreciated.

[alankru]

I also have an intermittent (has happened twice) issue with my 2009 A3 driver's door.
It locks OK; I pull the handle to check that it has locked, but when I return to the car, the handle does nothing to open the door - it hasn't unlocked. I then have to open the door from the inside but I can then close the door and re-open it with the handle numerous times. This got me thinking that it couldn't be a mechanical issue as the handle works fine once it has been unlocked. Therefore, as the lock is one complete mechanical and electronic module, I did a scan and got the following fault codes:

Read Codes
01038
Central Locking Thermal Protection -


Read Codes
01552
Motor for Central Locking: Drivers Door (V56): Lock - sporadic 012-Electrical Fault Circuit
00928
Locking Module for Central Locking: Front Driver Side (F220) - sporadic 008-Implausible Signal

I've looked these codes up on the Ross tech wiki (the 01552 code is not on the wiki) and it basically says that it could be wiring, mechanical seizure or a faulty door lock module. Some research shows that it is common for the wiring to break in the door hinge (see: http://autotecnic.co.uk/workshop/aud...k-inoperative/) but I don't have any issue with my windows, the alarm deactivation buttons still work etc. Given that I actually have a fault code stating that there is an issue with the internal motor (like Mick, my research has also found that it is common for the internal soldering to cause issues) I'm going to get the lock module replaced. A new lock module costs about £140 and it is tricky to replace so I shalln't be replacing it myself. You can get second hand lock modules on ebay (you can look up the part numbers on partsbase.org) for about £60, but considering that I am going to get someone else to fit it and it is the drivers door, it seems cost effective to go with a new lock.

So my research (haven't actually tried it) shows that when the door won't lock, you can push in (with your car key) a rubber grommet on the edge of the door to get it to lock.
My advice to others would be to check the door's electrics work (speaker, window switch etc) - then get a scan done to diagnose further. It's very common for these locks to pack up.