prussia

My car all of a decided not to lock any of the doors (not even manually) but just beep when i use the remote to lock it

is there an easy way to fix this without paying an arm and a leg

QuattroRocket

Sounds like the vacuum pump in the drivers door may be shot.

Jimax

We have true electric locks.

Jimax

If you are, then I would say it somehow thinks your driver's door is open. The car does not lock if the driver's door is open (to prevent you from leaving your keys in the car). If you're not hearing the sound of the locks, check the fuse.

prussia

goes on if i open the door and then close it again (like the automatic alarm) and the lights turn off so i think it knows the door is closed..

what fuse should i check? and can i change the vacuum tube myself? and where to get it ?

Thanks,
David

Jimax

Open the trunk lid and take your remote with you. Make sure the four doors are closed. Click the lock button and listen for a motor. It should come on and turn off within 5 seconds. That is your vacuum motor. When you lock the doors, it is sucking the air from the hoses out to pull the lock plungers down. When you unlock, it pumps air through the system thereby pushing the lock plungers up. This is why they don't all go up and down at the same rate, but they're slightly different.

Listen for the vacuum pump. If it turns on and off within about 5 seconds, then there is not a leak in the system. If it goes on and stays on for thirty seconds, that means you have a leak somewhere in the system. The motor cuts off after 30 seconds to save battery, avoid burning the motor, etc.

Try that and report back what you find.

prussia

I did what you said.. openned trunk.. closed all the doors.. and tried to lock the door.. i head a whining buzzing noise.. motor i assume.. and it didn't turn off until around 30seconds or so..

how do i proceed to find the leak fix it.. and can i do it myself (costs and stuff)

Thanks again for pinpointing the problem

Jimax

I had the exact same problem on my Jetta years back. Same symptoms and all.

I don't think you can narrow down which door it is because it is a sealed system and I believe if a leak develops in say the driver's door, then the whole system suffers because it's no longer under vacuum.

Taking apart the door panel on a B5 is fairly easy. I've done it. If you search the AW tech articles for how to replace the interior door handle, the procedure for how to remove the door panel will be included. Maybe you start with the driver's door to see if the hose got disconnected somehow. This is just a guess. I don't really have any way of telling how else to troubleshoot this.

When I had the problem in my car, I took it to the dealer to fix. It cost me about $400 I believe.

Oh, one final thing. Post a link to this post in the B5 forum and see if those guys have any advice for you. Since your car is technically a B5 (96 - 01), surely they've got to have some tips & tricks for how to fix this.

Good luck

-Jim

Jimax

It is a pain. From the passenger door, reach across and lock the driver's door and the two rear doors. Then when you're ready to get out of the car (don't forget to take your keys!) lock the passenger door and close it. The doors will be locked, but the alarm will not be on.

If you want the alarm to be on, push the lock button on your remote. The car will beep and the vacuum motor will run for 30 seconds then cut off. You'll just have to use the key to unlock the door next time.

-Jim

prussia

or will that be a pain in the *** too ? (or will best buy do it for me)

yeah this car for some reason has been horrible from the beginning.. and everytime i leave the dealership it's broken again.. and i think my dealership (i know actually) is kindly ripping me off.. they charged me 500% more for a tire they deemed they needed to replace without asking me (then i had paid for my tire installed and aligned at tirerack.. identical)

let me post on the b5 forum see what they pop up

thanks again for all your help