Passenger Door - Inside Controls Dead

[konrad.holl]

Hi,

the control panel for the passenger seems to have a loose contact. I can open the door using the mirror button but cannot operate it from inside (neither lock nor windows). The alarm LED stays off, too. After a few road bumps it'll work - after the next few ones it'll stop doing so.

I already took out the glove compartment and checked the wiring behind the buttons. Looks quite good and disconnecting/reconnecting didn't resolve the problem.

Is there another connector that I can check?

Thanks.

Konrad

[SEN 18]

Hello Konrad sounds like you've got a dry joint(check the soldered joints) on the circuit board at the back of the switch unit they will be cracked or just loose if they are just re solder.Hope this helps. Chris.Also it may be green pins on the plug and sockets in the door check first if green clean pins and use contact grease and see if that fixes it.

Edited by SEN 18 on Tuesday 24th April 11:39

[tail slide]

Could also be contacts to the individual ecu that controls the passenger door electrics - it is in the passenger footwell behind carpet, next to the alarm ecu. Sometimes water leaks from above this area, and drips onto the ecu's.

[konrad.holl]

Hi all,

thanks for the info. Saturday will be the great testing day...

Cheers,

Konrad

[Battlecat]

Dear All,

This weekend mine developed a similar problem. The passenger door won't open by pressing the button on the dash but the green light surrounding the button is illuminated. The door will open by pressing the button under the mirror.

Konrad - did you manage to fix yours?

I'll try to take out the glove box and check the connections (are the screws visible by lifting the lid or from above the footwell?) but has anyone got any other advice?

[targarama]

Battlecat said:

Dear All,

This weekend mine developed a similar problem. The passenger door won't open by pressing the button on the dash but the green light surrounding the button is illuminated. The door will open by pressing the button under the mirror.

Konrad - did you manage to fix yours?

I'll try to take out the glove box and check the connections (are the screws visible by lifting the lid or from above the footwell?) but has anyone got any other advice?

Just a comment - on my car there is nothing to be found by removing the glove box - just the void which is used to direct the aircon to the dash outlets. All my blackboxes are under the dash and in the inner wing area. Might save you the fight of getting the glovebox out ;-)

[konrad.holl]

Hi Battlecat,

I haven't been able to trace down the problem yet . I removed the complete switch unit and checked all the buttons using a Voltmeter. All buttons work. As there's even no light around the buttons (as opposed to your description), I think something is wrong with the switch unit's earthing. I'll try to connect the black wire somewhere to the frame...

From your description I would look at the switches in the switch unit. They might be faulty - and can be easily replaced if you know how to handle a soldering iron.

During testing I switched the driver and passenger door ECUs. No fault there. The passenger side ECU works as designed on the driver's door.

All not too bad since the car is sitting in the driveway waiting for the continental headlights, TÜV certificates , etc to arrive before I can drive again...

Cheers

Konrad

[Battlecat]

Thanks for the replies.

I'll try to take the glove box out and see if i can see behind the switches. Otherwise how else do i get the switch out?

[Battlecat]

For those that are interested, went out to it last night and hey presto the switch works! It's fixed itself. Just in time for the drive down to North Devon for a stag weekend.

When i've got more time or when its next serviced i'll probably ask them to investigate.

[konrad.holl]

Hi Battlecat,

I hope your switch will stay that way . Mine did work on occasions, too, before failing completely.

Cheers,

Konrad

[konrad.holl]

Ok. I found the problem . As suspected, it is an earthing issue. Wiggling the wires behind the radio seems to cure the problem for a short while.

Any idea where to connect an alternative earthing wire to? My idea is leaving the air duct through the same hole as the original wire. But where to then ?