Boot & Petrol Cap not opening - intermittent issue

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Lucylulalu
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Joined: Thu May 13, 2021 1:23 pm
Drives: Polo Mk5 Match 2013
Location: Wiltshire

Boot & Petrol Cap not opening - intermittent issue

Post by Lucylulalu »

Hi all!

First time posting here, so I’m hoping I’m doing this correctly, apologies if not! :|

I have a 2013 VW Polo Match Edition 1.2 which has developed an incredibly annoying, and very intermittent fault and I wanted to know if anyone had experienced the same issue or what it could be.

Intermittently, the boot keeps not opening - I’ve tried both key fobs and neither work and you can hear that the boot lock isn’t making its usual ‘locking/unlocking’ noise. By trying to open it by lifting the VW badge, it doesn’t open. The only way to open it is by putting a knife into the area within the boot to click the boot lid open. It appears to have only begun since I’ve not been driving the car as much due to Covid-19 and lockdowns etc.

To add to this, and only recently, I’ve also now found that the petrol cap also intermittently doesn’t open… very annoying when you’re stood at a petrol station looking like you have no idea what you’re doing and people coming up to you asking if you need help on how to open a petrol cap :roll: Eventually I’ve found by locking and unlocking the cat multiple times using the key fob does eventually make it open, but it does seem to be getting slightly worse abs taking longer to open each time. I’ve filled up the car with petrol as I’m so concerned I will reach a point where it doesn’t open and I need petrol!!

Now this is the weird bit - it’s incredibly intermittent for both of these faults, sometimes this happens all the time (every time I drive) and at other times it never happens. And I almost want to say the more I’m driving my car again it doesn’t seem to happen as often.

Ive had some work done on my car recently, only tyres replaced, brakes done etc. And the guy that came and did these repairs looked at it when it wasn’t working, cleaned the contacts and then it worked again.
He has suggested perhaps the solenoid failing on the boot or just a loose cable somewhere though. He came and did another tyre last week and the boot wasn’t opening and he had to open it from the inside with a screwdriver to get the locking wheel nut from the boot.

He thinks as it’s such an intermittent fault I need to get a VW specialist to look at it.

I thought I’d ask here first to see if anyone else has had any similar experiences and what it might be - I dare not say it and don’t want to stereotype but being a woman I’ve had some rubbish experiences going to garages with my car in the past and been totally fobbed off (that was with a VW Lupo), so I want to go in prepared and know what to ask them or what I should be looking out for.

Any help would be most appreciated! Thank you so much :D
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iichel
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Drives: Polo 6R 2.0 TDI, Passat B8 2.0 TSI
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Re: Boot & Petrol Cap not opening - intermittent issue

Post by iichel »

those are both common faults on the polo 6R and they will fail eventually. better replace them while they still work
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