Central locking and noise in boot

[bLaCkVr6]

Hey,
My Mk3 VR6 central locking has completely died on me and it's also got this electric motor whiring sound coming from the boot for about a minute after I turn the car off and pull the key. I kind of think they are related because the boot noise started when I locked the car one day, the car locked and the noise went on for about a minute after the doors locked. And then my central locking stopped working about 2 weeks later and now I just have the noise after I turn the car off, but not when I try to lock it. Any ideas on what it is?!?

Cheers.

[dark]

Are you sure the noise in the boot isn't the fuel pump?

[Golf-Sam]

Are you sure the noise in the boot isn't the fuel pump?

Bazinga !
nah unlikely .. my central locking plays up all the time .. especially if it's a hot day .. it keeps going for a while til it gives up eventually ..

[Ben J]

the lockingis a vacuum system, that noise would be the pump for it im guessing... maybe a line has broken somewhere

[ffoff]

If you listen carefully when the pump is going can you hear an air leak anywhere?

That still doesn't explain why it's happening when you turn the car off. If it's really annoying you just open up your boot and to the right hand side, infront of the tail light is the pump, take off the rubber strap holding it and just unplug the connector. It's a bit stubborn but it does come out. Now you won't have central locking, just remember to lock the boot if you leave your car though.

[ElliottJ]

my mk3 makes a whining sound from the boot but only for a couple seconds when i lock it, if that help.

[camhaz]

When the whining noise is going, put your ear next to each door lock and you will probably hear the air leak. In one of my Mk3's the airline to the driver's door lock was leaking so I bogged up the leak with silicone. Not a very elegant solution, but it worked.

[mattross]

The cntral locking motor and vacuum is in the boot, in behind the tail light inside the strpfoam black covers, with the rubber strap around it... You might have dropped a hose/lost vaccum

[gldgti]

You definately have a vacuum leak. The pump is in the boot, and it runs to create a vacuum after the system has been used. Your's is running for a long time because it can't make a vacuum because theres a leak.

trace the lines from the pump and investigate for leaks. one option is to try and pressurise indiviual lines (with a bike pump) to locate the leaks - although you cannot use very high pressure because you might find leaks that actually wont be leaks when the line is under vacuum, (however, for such small diameter lines it should be ok)

[Flat-Mango]

:O I'm having the same problem too for a couple of months, but now, the vaccum pump has stop working completly, no noise at all.
Was quite a shock when i first fueled up and it was broken on lock. Had to pull the locking cable from the boot to open the fuel cap
Was even more scared when it was broken on open and the boot wouldn't lock! (lucky you can lock the boot by taking the key out vertically)

So i could presume i have a leak, but what would be stopping the vacuum pump working altogether?
I'm gonna give these a go, thanks.

[Umai Naa!!]

Polos of similar vintage have the same setup. Sometimes, the pumps just die.