Mk 5 Golf Central Locking Problem

[Holmey]

Hi,

My daughter has bought a 2004 Mk 5 1.4 Golf and is having problems with the central locking, with using the key only opening and clocking the driver’s door, and using the key fob, nothing, even though it has a new battery and the light lights when you press the buttons. The lock button on the drivers door only locks the driver’s door too.

I’ve read a lot of threads online about this, it seeming a common problem with Mk 5 Golfs, but got nowhere, having tried pairing the key fob with the car, (that seems to be at least 1 problem with it), by 2 methods I’ve read online, putting the key in the ignition, turning the ignition on then pressing lock 10 times, then unlock 10 times while the key is still in and ignition on and turning the ignition on for less than 3 seconds, removing the key, pressing and holding down the lock button while pressing the unlock button 3 times, but neither of these methods work.

Has anybody got any idea what can be causing this? Any more suggestions about pairing the keys?

Many thanks

Holmey

[willdudeuk]

You need to replace the lock actuators / mechanism.

Have you had a scan done of the vehicle?

is it 3 or 5 door?

Its a common issue on these cars for this part to fail.

Replacement parts from VAG are the most reliable option but are expensive!

[FLAPPERJACK76]

Yep, sounds like the lock unit, about £150 each plus vat from the dealer or £25 for Chinese ebay one, you have to take the door outer skin off to replace it.

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[Holmey]

You need to replace the lock actuators / mechanism.

Have you had a scan done of the vehicle?

is it 3 or 5 door?

Its a common issue on these cars for this part to fail.

It's a 5 door.

What/where are the lock activators and is it a big job replacing them?

What sort of scan are you talking about, having the car scanned for a key code? Where would I get this done?

Thanks for your quick reply :o

Holmey

[Holmey]

Yep, sounds like the lock unit, about £150 each plus vat from the dealer or £25 for Chinese ebay one, you have to take the door outer skin off to replace it.

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So all the lock activators that don't work, (front passenger door, both rear doors and the hatch), need replacing?

Holmey

[FLAPPERJACK76]

Driver's door more of master and the others a slave, needs to be observed in live data what's going on

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[Holmey]

needs to be observed in live data what's going on

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How would I go about that, does it need a specialist?

Holmey

[willdudeuk]

You need someone with VAG COM / VCDS or dealer system ODIS.

They can do a scan for you and also look at live data.

You need to properly diagnose the car before replacing parts otherwise it’s futile (and you’ll end up wasting your money).

[Crasher]

Replacing Golf 5 door lock units means removing the door skin so a lot of care is required. Cheap Chinese and used units are often a disaster. Start by having the convenience system code read, hard copy print out of the codes, code clear, test the system and re read of the codes with another hard copy so the two can be compared. From this you will be able to get an idea of what is wrong but it is a complex system operated by CAN and LIN BUS digital signals to and from the door controllers (winder motors) and the locks to the convenience unit behind the glovebox.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/Crasher1964/.highres/Golf5doorskinremoved_zpsf2a30107.jpg

[Holmey]

Thanks for all the replies, with it seeming from my research so far that it's the front drivers door central locking activator that's packed up, so much for it only being a fuse as she was told when she bought the car :(

Am I right in my thinking that the drivers door activator acts as a master, that that's the only one that "talks" to the remote fob and then that triggers the other ones?

We are going to have it scanned this morning, as has been said above, until I've had that done, nothing can be certain, but if it is as I suspect and the drivers door activator has packed up, has anybody got the genuine VW part number for it?

Regards,

Holmey

[willdudeuk]

I believe it is

3D2837015K(front left) and 3D2837016S(front right).

£194.97 inc VAT


38109

[Crasher]

The drivers door unit is not the master as such but is right hand drive specific, 3D2 837 016 S and £198.11 (the above price is out of date), buy used or Chinese at your peril! Bugiad of Germany do offer a unit which I have heard is good but there is no stock

https://digital-assets.tecalliance.services/images/800/a49ea1e3a287bbe96f2e845bf4ce4f4c5ce2fb2b.jpg

[FLAPPERJACK76]

If I was selling it I would say it's probably a fuse as well [emoji1787]

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[Holmey]

The drivers door unit is not the master as such but is right hand drive specific, 3D2 837 016 S and £198.11 (the above price is out of date), buy used or Chinese at your peril! Bugiad of Germany do offer a unit which I have heard is good but there is no stock

https://digital-assets.tecalliance.services/images/800/a49ea1e3a287bbe96f2e845bf4ce4f4c5ce2fb2b.jpg
From what I've been led to understand, the remote fob triggers first a control unit in the car, (that's located behind the glove box), that in turn activates the drivers door activator and that triggers the others ones, but from what you've said, I'm likely wrong.

I took it to the local car lock specialist and his machine couldn't get a reading from the car, the local VW dealer & 2 local VW specialists can't fit it in until the end of next week, with the local VW main dealer not even stocking the the drivers door activator, (saying because it's so expensive), so as she needs it sorting sooner rather than later I've taken a punt on a copy right hand door activator from Amazon, (it's coming from Germany), that I'll try swapping on Friday when it arrives, to me for the sake of £25 a chance worth taking. I know it's going to be a pain of a job taking the door skin off, but I've had a look at the job and got all the required tools, so not that concerned about doing the job myself.

While doing that I'll check all the wiring where it passes through the doors in case they have got chaffed, but if it isn't that, could it be the unit behind the glove box? and if so, how expensive are then and is it a difficult job swapping them?

Regards,

Holmey

[Crasher]

Not far off, the remote sends a signal to the convivence unit behind the glovebox which then instructs both front doors to unlock by a CAN BUS command (on the convenience BUS) to the individual door module (the motor) which then operates the lock unit; the door module also sends an unlock signal to the rear door controller by LIN BUS which then unlocks the door. The status of each door is communicated back to the convenience unit. When you take the door skin off, keep the screws in order of where they go, if you put a long screws in a shallow hole, you pip the skin from the inside out.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/Crasher1964/.highres/Golf5doorskinbolts_zps9887bb70.jpg

[Holmey]

So, as I'm not getting anything when when I press fob, the car key specialist getting nothing when he plugged his key machine into the diagnostic port to read the key code and the lock switch on the door only locking and unlocking the drivers, is it looking more than likely that it's the convenience unit behind the glove box that's packed up? And if so, is that a massive expensive job?

Regards,

Holmey

[FLAPPERJACK76]

Have you looked at the wiring in the driver's door loom between the "A" pillar and the driver's door? I would definitely have a look there before going any further.

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[Holmey]

Have you looked at the wiring in the driver's door loom between the "A" pillar and the driver's door? I would definitely have a look there before going any further.

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Wouldn't the passenger door unlock if that was the case, and the key specialists code reader detect a code instead of detecting nothing? With it being that that's leading me to suspect the convenience unit.

Holmey

[FLAPPERJACK76]

Could be ... but checking the wiring won't cost anything.

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[c..corgill]

Have you looked at the wiring in the driver's door loom between the "A" pillar and the driver's door? I would definitely have a look there before going any further.

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not treading on proffesionals advice in any way.

mate had something like this on his mk5 tdi, would not lock/open with fob, broken wires.

[Crasher]

I did a TT 2 last week where the drivers lock was inop, the wires in the conduit were snapped so I fitted a new harness which is easier than trying to make a permanent repair on the original.

[FLAPPERJACK76]

Same here I only fit door looms unless it's just one broken wire.

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[Crasher]

It wasn't bad either, about £60 and took me two hours to fit. That you can just disconnect the multiplug on the A pillar is a great idea compared to the old way.

[Holmey]

The central b***** locking on my daughters MK5 Golf seem to have a mind of of it's own, with me having bought a copy drivers door actuator online and a Comfort Control Module from a scrappers and before I've had time to fit them, some of the central locking has started to work again all by itself.

Before, the central locking was doing nothing, opening the drivers door with the key would only open the drivers door and clicking the key fob did nothing. Now, all on its own, the key fob has started locking and unlocking the hatch and the back drivers side door, but nothing else, while the using the key in the lock and switch on the drivers door is still only locking and unlocking the drivers door.

To me, as the remote key fob is now locking and unlocking the hatch and drivers side back door, I can rule out the comfort control unit at the back of the glove box as a problem as it must be talking to the key fob, so now all I've got to do is find out why it's not working on the drivers and other side doors, and why the key isn't working any of the doors apart from the drivers door, any ideas guys?

I know that I really need to get the system read by a VW specialist, but the 2 local independent and main dealer can't fit it in until the end of next week, and not only that, my daughter who's car it is is a working single parent with 3 kids at home, she just can't afford the prices they are likely to charge. Does anybody know anywhere in the North West, (close to Blackpool), where she may be able to get the central locking scanned cheaply and soon?

Highest regards,

Holmey

[Holmey]

Now more of the door locks are working, with both the key and remote, odd times them all working, then a random door lock not working :o

My guess is the car hadn't been run for a good while before my daughter bought it and damp had set into the comfort unity, and as she's running the car, it's drying out.

If that's the case, hopefully in a few days everything will be back to working as it should :o

Thanks for the advice peeps, at the very least I know how complicated the central locking is on MK5 Golfs :D

Regards,

Holmey

[willdudeuk]

Would still recommend a scan with ODIS or VCDS.

You might get lucky but I doubt they will stay operable for long as they are a common failure on Mk5’s.

First you need to properly diagnose the problem.

An OBD scan is the first port of call.

Then I would inspect the door jams and look inside the bellows to see if there is any exposed or broken wiring.

I agree buying OEM parts is expensive but aftermarket and copies are simply futile. They won’t last!

I’ll be honest here....I often go to the scrap yard and get one there because at least it’s genuine but obviously it’s still prone to failing.

I try to find a a newer vehicle that uses the same part but obviously you can still run into problems.

The amount of times I’ve had the door skins off.....you’re best off just buying genuine for peace of mind!

[Holmey]

Would still recommend a scan with ODIS or VCDS.

You might get lucky but I doubt they will stay operable for long as they are a common failure on Mk5’s.

First you need to properly diagnose the problem.

An OBD scan is the first port of call.

Then I would inspect the door jams and look inside the bellows to see if there is any exposed or broken wiring.

I agree buying OEM parts is expensive but aftermarket and copies are simply futile. They won’t last!

I’ll be honest here....I often go to the scrap yard and get one there because at least it’s genuine but obviously it’s still prone to failing.

I try to find a a newer vehicle that uses the same part but obviously you can still run into problems.

The amount of times I’ve had the door skins off.....you’re best off just buying genuine for peace of mind!

I appreciate your advice, but she's just passed her test and only intends keeping the car 6 months until she's settled into driving and got any early bumps out of the way, with it being a tidy 2 owner, 135,000 04 1.4 with FSH that we only paid £550 for with a full years MOT, (so the locks must have been working then), so the last thing we want to be doing is spending almost £200 a time on genuine VW window actuators or Comfort Control Units when we can get new copy window actuators online for £25 and Comfort Control Units from a scrappers for £15.

If they work for 6 months until she sells it, (hopefully getting back what she paid for it), great, if I end up having to replace a couple of actuators with £25 copies for her over the next 6 months, not a major problem as I'm handy with the spanners and got access to great workshop facilities, so to me, it would be stupid to splash out £400 or so on genuine parts for the car.

Interestingly, the local VW dealer parts department told me that they don't stock them as they are too expensive. When I said that I was surprised at that as I was finding it a common problem and I'd have expected a demand for them, he replied that there was, but because the genuine VW ones were so expensive, most people bought far cheaper copies, there being plenty available online.

I also found it funny when I looked at the Comfort Control Unit I'd got from the scrappers, (that ended up being the wrong one, so not swapped) - It was a genuine VW unit, clearly marked as such with the genuine VW part number, and guess what? It was Made in China :D

So much for dodgy Chinese parts, it's where VW has them made :D

Regards,

Holmey

[FLAPPERJACK76]

Vehicle manufacturers such as VAG run at a profit margin of around 3 to 4 % on new car sales. The money needs to be made elsewhere and so in my opinion its on the part's.

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[c..corgill]

the amount of time with long reply's O/P, you could of just pulled the bellows.

why wont you pull the bellows open.

please post a picture of wires inside drivers side bellows.