VW Passat B5 130 TDI - electrical meltdown!!

[oldmanbm]

My ultra reliable winter wonder has let me down big time! No central locking, no electric windows, no boot opening and worst of all fuel cap wont open! Methinks a fuse or relay somewhere but where to start? Still drives fine but with no indicators working might not be a good idea. Any thoughts appreciated!

[ManicMunky]

If it's not a fuse, sounds like the convenience module, which is under the driver's seat, I think. Definitely get codes read!

[Belle427]

Certainly sounds like the water ingress fault to convenience module.
I seem to remember it being under the passenger side carpet on mine but can't remember.
Mine was full of water.

[Dr G]

Yes, passenger footwell. Water ingress through scuttle tray (where the drains frequently got clogged with leaves).

[Brasshande]

Belle427 and Dr G are almost certainly right, if you lift the carpet up in the passenger footwell you'll probably find it an inch deep with water underneath there, and the convenience module will be sitting in it. VAG speciality unfortunately

[oldmanbm]

Nope - checked this afternoon. Bone dry car always garaged - most perplexing!

[Brasshande]

oldmanbm said:

Nope - checked this afternoon. Bone dry car always garaged - most perplexing!

Sorry to not get back quicker than that, it still sounds like a convenience module problem though, water or not. Everything that you're having bother with is controlled by the CM. I think on the B5 a second hand one is plug and play apart from needing to resync the central locking if you don't want to throw a lot of money at it, but it's been a while since i've done one so i can't 100% remember

[sunbeam alpine]

Have you tried disconnecting the battery and leaving it disconnected for a while?

It's something I try when one of the cars misbehaves, although it doesn't often work

[oldmanbm]

It lives! Two fuses dodgy and all well again. They hadn't blown but the connection was bad. Weird. Anyway back to fully functioning, zero street cred, economical Passat 100 Tdi for my 100 mile return commute each day!