1999 - Door Locking Intermittent Problems

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clove
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Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 9:53 am
Drives: 1999
Location: Oxford

1999 - Door Locking Intermittent Problems

Post by clove »

Several months ago my power locking failed. My car has power locking on both front doors; both rear passengers are manual with manual windows and locks.
I didn't think much of it as I could still unlock manually with the key and decided to deal with that problem whenever I could get around to it (I don't have a remote key).
Over the past few months, I've had an issue with the doors being "unlocked" but not opening, sometimes from inside, outside, or both, on both front doors (both back doors have always and continue to unlock/lock and open as normal).
I will put the key in the lock and unlock the door, but when I pull the handle the door won't open. Sometimes it will work fine but when I reach my destination I can't get out the driver's side door even if it's unlocked and have to go out the passenger or rear door. It seems to be worse in colder weather but is highly variable. No amount of locking/unlocking/relocking etc. fiddling with the key in the lock or moving the pin seems to help. I recently had the driver-side lock replaced as it broke and that didn't seem to affect the issue at all.

Let me know if you have any questions or recommendations! I'd like to try to fix this myself if I can.
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937carrera
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Posts: 430
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 8:19 am
Drives: 2000 Polo GTi
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: 1999 - Door Locking Intermittent Problems

Post by 937carrera »

Welcome !

The remote locking is pneumatic and there's a design issue with the pump, read this viewtopic.php?t=61853

I have a similar problem with the drivers door on mine sometimes. You "unlock" it but it remains locked, but trying again does open it. In winter frost makes the problem worse. I just gave mine a really good clean, including from inside the door by taking the door card off
clove
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Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 9:53 am
Drives: 1999
Location: Oxford

Re: 1999 - Door Locking Intermittent Problems

Post by clove »

Thanks for the info! I'll try fiddling with that and see if it fixes.
I am concerned, however, that this is not solely a power-locking problem? Have you tried fixing your pump like they mentioned, and if you did, did it fix the intermittent "locking" issue?
No matter what I try, if it is locked (even if it appears unlocked) it will not unlock. Only time will help it. I've tried locking and unlocking it rapidly to no avail.
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937carrera
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Posts: 430
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 8:19 am
Drives: 2000 Polo GTi
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: 1999 - Door Locking Intermittent Problems

Post by 937carrera »

It was my fix ! :) ....... for the central locking, only occasional problem with the key unlock
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