# VW Beetle Remote Locking Mind-fart.



## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

I've posted this problem on a Beetle forum and not had a single response. There are forums and then there's the TT forum! I wouldn't be surprised to get a solution here, even without specialist knowledge of the car.

The remote locking seems to have had a mind-fart. This has happened after shutting the boot while the doors were locked, but then the door LED wasn't flashing and now the buttons on the key fob are getting no response (even though the red light on the fob flashes, so guessing the battery is still fine) and the internal release for the boot isn't working, though the fuel cap release is okay. The doors can be opened and locked manually with the key and the central locking is working.

I imagine it's an issue with the microswitch on the boot catch, perhaps. I expect once the boot is opened and closed again it might kick-in fine, but as far as I can tell there's no way to manually open the boot. Or is there?

I also thought I'd try disconnecting the battery to see if that sorted it. Any particular pitfalls to pulling the plug on the electrics that I need to be aware of?

Any other suggestions as to what the fault may be and how to rectify it?

Cheers.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Try the central locking resync that works on TT. 
Press lock or unlock on Fob & within 1 minute lock or unlock door using key in door. Try it more than once.
Hoggy.


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

I've tried that, and it should work with a Beetle too as the process is described in the manual. Didn't resolve the problem though.

I've checked the fuses and they all seem fine. I've also looked at the wiring loom between the door and the main body of the car and there's no signs of damage to any of the wires. I got the internal panel off the boot lid and managed to get the boot open. I'd hoped if it was a micro-switch problem in the boot catch getting it open would sort it out, but that doesn't seem to have made a difference.

Whilst messing with the fuses I've noticed that the internal light isn't working. Not just that it doesn't come on when the door is open - it's not working at all. The fuse for that seems to be fine though. I'm still thinking door micro-switch but you'd normally expect a few intermittent problems as it degrades rather than a sudden and complete failure like this, but I'm told everything was working fine right up to last night when suddenly it all packed in.

Open to further suggestions.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi Mark, Disconnect battery Negative lead then, leave for 15 minutes for any residual volts to die away. Radio code may be required,other than that,shouldn't cause any probs. Just a thought main Battery not flat is it.
Hoggy.


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## Super Josh (May 29, 2009)

Mark I had a similar problem with a non-functioning remote (although it wasn't on a VAG car). Similar situation to yourself where the remote's LED would illuminate but it wouldn't operate the central locking. My remote had a dead battery, that had enough charge to operate the LED, but not enough to transmit.

So a new battery could be the solution (do you have the spare remote that you could try?)

SJ


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Our car has a motorised spoiler fitted to the boot lid and I've found that's not working either. The internal light not working, no LED flashing at the door locks and now that spoiler not working does seem to suggest a lack of power, but then the central locking is working at both doors if you unlock them with the key. In addition the fuel filler flap is operated from the same switch unit as the boot release catch and the fuel flap works while the boot release doesn't.

Still head-scratching. Not exactly what I was planning for my bank holiday Monday!


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Super Josh said:


> So a new battery could be the solution (do you have the spare remote that you could try?)


No, there's only one remote key, but a flat battery in that wouldn't explain the failure of the internal light or the boot spoiler.

My wife is absolutely certain the internal light was working when she got out of the car. She unlocked the boot with the remote switch before getting out, shut the door and using the remote key locked the doors. She then opened the already unlocked boot, got her bag out and shut the boot. She didn't get the boot shut properly (that's quite common) so she used the key remote to unlock it (and it worked) and then she shut the boot again. She's then seen that the door LEDs were not flashing which made her think the boot still wasn't shut correctly so she tried opening it with the remote key again but this time it didn't work, however the boot was shut properly anyway. In addition she found she couldn't unlock the doors either and we now have all the failures listed so far, and who knows what others are still to be discovered.


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Hoggy said:


> Just a thought main Battery not flat is it.


No, it's starting fine, the radio is working. It's not a flat battery but we've managed to find the radio code now so just off out to try disconnecting the battery for a bit.


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

If you have a meter then a quick check on the battery voltage would confirm if it's flat or inflated.

The extra non functioning items seem to point to some failure in the supply along the line. 
If all the fuses are ok for these various items (check with a meter or continuity tester) then you'll need to follow the supply chain to trace down where it is interrupted. Maybe some other fuse, a fusible link on the battery +ve connection or one or more relays in the chain. If the Beetle is anything like a TT then there should be a bank of relays, probably under the dash somewhere. Do you have access to a wiring diagram or can you get one on-line?
Despite your checks, fuses would still seem to be top of the check list.

For disconnecting the battery:
Make sure you have any radio or sat nav code number
Switch off & remove the ignition key
Alarm may sound? Not sure on this one
Disconnect the battery earth lead

Reconnect:
Reconnect earth lead and tighten the fastener
Input radio code if required
Set clock
Reset windows
VCDS scan - there may be a number of under voltage faults logged


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

I'd agree that a fuse seems the most likely culprit given the sudden and complete failure, but I've checked all the ones in the main fuse panel and they seem fine - though it doesn't help that our layout on the panel seems to bear little relation to what the card supplied suggests it is supposed to be like. As for trying to find fuses elsewhere on the car I think that's a bit beyond my knowledge - I really wouldn't know where to start.

All that said I wouldn't have thought things like a boot spoiler, remote locking and the internal light would all be on the same fuse. I'd imagine the spoiler would be immobilised if the door is open and all the other issues have some connection with the doors, hence my thoughts on a micro-switch. A broken cable would be a possibility but as I say I'd have expected some intermittent problems before it packed in, which we didn't have.

Anyway, disconnecting the battery didn't solve it either.


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Should have checked earlier but we've now found the windows aren't working. All this would suggest a complete power failure to the driver's door, though that wouldn't explain the rear spoiler not working (though to be honest can't remember the last time it was used so it could have been knackered already) and the fuel flap release, which is part of the same unit as the boot release, is still working. I presume that's got to be electrical, so I'm confused even more.


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

Is it not a module blown ?


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## Mark Davies (Apr 10, 2007)

Module? What's that? Never heard of it.


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