Hey all, just thought i'd do a thread about recent nightmare I had with my drivers door. Bit of a long one but hopefully it may help someone in future.
It started off with the usual intermittent door lock module, (no interior light/ no lights-on buzzer warning etc) so i ordered a replacement module (unbranded £25) from ebay. Have done this multiple times before, and other than them only lasting 2 or 3 years, i've never had any major issues. I tested the new module with a screwdriver when it arrived and all seemed fine, so a week later i installed it on the car.......That's where the nightmare started!
After putting the interior door panel back on, I shut the door the first time to check all was lined up properly, but on trying to open it again the outer door handle wasn't working! Wasn't too happy and was a bit confused as to what the issue was as I was 100% sure everything was correctly connected. I went round to the passenger door to lean across and open it from the inside, only to find the inside handle wasn't working either!! To be clear, the module was locking and unlocklng fine, both with the central locking and manually with the key. The little pin was moving and VCDS showed it locking and unlocking fine too!
Was now left with a major issue as I couldn't open the door from either side and had no way to get to the module. Although i hadn't screwed the interior door panel back on, i couldn't remove it as the rear portion is sandwiched between the dash and the door. Even if i had been able to remove that panel, the carrier panel can't be removed with the door shut as there is no clearance to do so, even with the drivers seat removed. Basically i was left with the choice of cutting my door with an angle grinder etc, or trying to cut the lock somehow. The problem was that even with the rear door open, you can't really see much of the drivers door mech as the rear door gets in the way.
SOLUTION.
Decided the best plan was to remove the rear door so that I could get a better view of the mech. The rear door hinges use M10 spline bolts, and with the hinge to body bolts obscured by the drivers door, i had to remove the hinge to door bolts instead, that's where the next issue arose. I only had an M10 spline socket, and it was too big to fit that and the Ratchet in the gap, so had to order an individual Spline bit from draper that I could turn with a spanner rather than a ratchet.
Removing the rear door is a two man job as it's way heavier than you think, but the wiring loom plug is right there and is fairly easy to remove. After removing the rear door i managed to get an open ended hacksaw blade into the gap between the drivers door and the A-pillar, and spent about 45 mins slowly hacksawing through the silver U shaped clasp that the door lock fastens to!
Not quite the end of the story, as i ordered another slightly different unbranded module from an amazon seller rather than Ebay, and that turned out to have a different manufacturing defect!!
It seems that despite having worked fine for years, all these ebay/amazon modules are absolute junk now, and probably should be avoided!!
In the end I ordered a 'RIDEX' branded one from Autodoc. It works perfectly and feels way better quality in terms of the manufacturing. It wasn't much more than the Ebay ones and would be the module i'd recommend if anyone is now looking for replacements.
It started off with the usual intermittent door lock module, (no interior light/ no lights-on buzzer warning etc) so i ordered a replacement module (unbranded £25) from ebay. Have done this multiple times before, and other than them only lasting 2 or 3 years, i've never had any major issues. I tested the new module with a screwdriver when it arrived and all seemed fine, so a week later i installed it on the car.......That's where the nightmare started!
After putting the interior door panel back on, I shut the door the first time to check all was lined up properly, but on trying to open it again the outer door handle wasn't working! Wasn't too happy and was a bit confused as to what the issue was as I was 100% sure everything was correctly connected. I went round to the passenger door to lean across and open it from the inside, only to find the inside handle wasn't working either!!
To be clear, the module was locking and unlocklng fine, both with the central locking and manually with the key. The little pin was moving and VCDS showed it locking and unlocking fine too!Was now left with a major issue as I couldn't open the door from either side and had no way to get to the module. Although i hadn't screwed the interior door panel back on, i couldn't remove it as the rear portion is sandwiched between the dash and the door. Even if i had been able to remove that panel, the carrier panel can't be removed with the door shut as there is no clearance to do so, even with the drivers seat removed. Basically i was left with the choice of cutting my door with an angle grinder etc, or trying to cut the lock somehow. The problem was that even with the rear door open, you can't really see much of the drivers door mech as the rear door gets in the way.
SOLUTION.
Decided the best plan was to remove the rear door so that I could get a better view of the mech. The rear door hinges use M10 spline bolts, and with the hinge to body bolts obscured by the drivers door, i had to remove the hinge to door bolts instead, that's where the next issue arose. I only had an M10 spline socket, and it was too big to fit that and the Ratchet in the gap, so had to order an individual Spline bit from draper that I could turn with a spanner rather than a ratchet.
Draper 33342 Expert Spline Insert Bit for Mechanic'S Bit Sets, M10 x 30mm, 10mm : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools
Shop Draper 33342 Expert Spline Insert Bit for Mechanic'S Bit Sets, M10 x 30mm, 10mm. Free delivery on eligible orders of £20 or more.
www.amazon.co.uk
Removing the rear door is a two man job as it's way heavier than you think, but the wiring loom plug is right there and is fairly easy to remove. After removing the rear door i managed to get an open ended hacksaw blade into the gap between the drivers door and the A-pillar, and spent about 45 mins slowly hacksawing through the silver U shaped clasp that the door lock fastens to!
Not quite the end of the story, as i ordered another slightly different unbranded module from an amazon seller rather than Ebay, and that turned out to have a different manufacturing defect!!
It seems that despite having worked fine for years, all these ebay/amazon modules are absolute junk now, and probably should be avoided!!In the end I ordered a 'RIDEX' branded one from Autodoc. It works perfectly and feels way better quality in terms of the manufacturing. It wasn't much more than the Ebay ones and would be the module i'd recommend if anyone is now looking for replacements.
