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I have a VW Golf 1.9 TDi 55 plate MK VI.

When the door is CLOSED (with the ignition on) : The mirrors do not adjust, the windows do not open, the fuel flap does not open and the child door lock does not activate.

When the door is OPEN (with the ignition on) : The mirrors adjust, the windows open, the fuel flap opens and the child door lock activates.

Also, when locking the car with the fob it locks three doors and the boot then 2 seconds later the alarm goes off. Disarming the alarm with the fob switches off the alarm The drivers door can then be locked with the key.

It means the car can be locked but not alarmed.

These issues may not be related.

Any ideas please ?

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3 Answers 3

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If it's a 55 plate I assume it's either a very late Mk IV or most likely a Mk V. The Mk VI didn't start until 08.

I suspect that it's most likely to be a wiring issue with the module in the drivers door. This could be caused by a trapped wire within the wiring that goes through the A-post or (more likely) moisture / water ingress which is usually caused when water breaches the foam rubber seal behind the door card.

If you have access to VAG-COM / VCDS / OBD II, check for fault codes. I know for definite that wiring faults with things such as the mirror modules are definitely logged.

Your best course of action is to remove the door card and physically check everything. A multimeter may help you here. It is known for the solder to break down on some of the circuit boards on modules within the door but the fact that the car behaves differently with the door shut leads me to thing it's probably wiring (or possibly earth).

The other thing you probably want to do as a matter of urgency is to stick a screw driver or stiff piece of wire up each of the drain holes along the bottom edge of the door and make sure they're not blocked. The Mk V had issues with the rubber door seals which were remedied on the Mk VI. I would not be surprised if a certain amount of water is sloshing around inside your door.

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  • Hi. My Golf is an early Mk VI with 173,000 on the clock. I will look into the wiring and possible earthing. I have looked along the bottom of the door and cannot find any drain holes. Are they under the seal ? Others have suggested water in the door so I would like to look into this too. Thanks for your response.
    – Allan D
    Jun 15, 2016 at 13:48
  • The Mk VI only started production in 2008, unless it's wearing a personal "55" registration plate. youtube.com/watch?v=PIU-KqlDZqc This video shows the location of the drain holes on a Mk VI, they are in approximately the same location on the Mk IV and MK V. Good luck!
    – Steve Matthews
    Jun 15, 2016 at 15:46
  • Thank you both for your help. It will get sorted out. Registered Nov 2005 so it is a Mk 5 .... sorry for the wrong information. Cheers.
    – Allan D
    Jun 15, 2016 at 18:41
  • Thank you both for your help and comments. It was a broken wire in the door. Cheers.
    – Allan D
    Jul 7, 2016 at 19:52
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It sounds a lot like the door switch on the drivers door is broken in a way that it gives the reverse indication of what's actually true.

Some things you can try:

  • Perform the same tests that you have listed, but open and close the passenger or one of the rear doors instead of the drivers door. I have a feeling they will work as expected.

  • Do you have the Haynes or Chilton manuals for your car? If you do, check the wiring diagram, and see where the door switch wiring terminates. Check what the passenger door sensor reports when open and closed, then see what the drivers door reports when open and closed. I have a feeling they will be different.

  • I suspect the reason the alarm goes off is that it thinks that driver door is open when it's actually closed. Try setting the alarm with the drivers door open, and see if it sets properly without the false alarm.

Repair would be to find out why they are different. How old is the car? How many miles on it? If it's very old, perhaps the wiring had insulation crumble on it and it's shorting somewhere. If it's a newer car I'm thinking the door switch itself is bad.

In any case you have a good place to start.

I hope that helps!

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  • Hi. Thanks for your reply. I have tried the same tests with the passenger door open. Things are the same. The only way the windows etc can be activated are with the drivers door open. It makes no difference if the passenger door is open or closed. I also set the alarm with the drivers door open. It sets the alarm but as soon as the door is closed the red light goes out and the alarm sounds. The door is not locked when the alarm is set but can be locked with the key. How do check to see what the door sensors are reporting. Thanks again.
    – Allan D
    Jun 15, 2016 at 13:54
  • Given that the alarm sounds as soon as the door is closed, it's pretty clear that the car has the sense of open and closed reversed for the drivers door. I would suggest using the instructions in @Steve Mathews answer to narrow down the issue inside the door.
    – cdunn
    Jun 15, 2016 at 16:43
  • All sorted. It was a broken wire in the door. Cheers.
    – Allan D
    Jul 7, 2016 at 19:52
  • Congrats on finding it! Well done!
    – cdunn
    Jul 7, 2016 at 19:53
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The big difference in what you describe is that with the door open things work and with it closed they don't – that makes me think that the cause could be a wire flexing. I'm not sure what "55 plate" means – but a 1.9 liter TDI sounds more to me like a Mk4 than a Mk6 (know which it is will help with finding the schematic for the door wiring). I'd be suspicious that there might be a single power feed to the door and that the wire has been damaged and only makes contact when the door is open.

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  • It was a broken wire in the door. Incidentally the car was 1st registered November 2005 and is a mk5. Thanks for your input.
    – Allan D
    Jul 7, 2016 at 19:49

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