T5 Body Control Module faulty? Doors locking. Interior lights not on.

[aSimpleLife]

Apologies as usual for only coming here when I have a problem. I do add anything I can that I think could be of use. But I don't have much.

Some time after my last service, after remotely un-dead-locking with the key, the doors started automatically re-dead-locking. I know they normally do this if you don't open a door for say 30 seconds. But now it is happening after I have entered the vehicle. And worse, after entering and leaving the vehicle, if I forgot something....fortunately the spare key was handy.

A separate problem I thought I had long had was the mid car ceiling interior light didn't always work. I thought that was a connection issue because the ceiling lining had been removed 3 times, and some of that had been pretty rough. And when I fiddled with it it always seemed to work again. So I asked the mechanic to look at it with the service and he advised that no interior lights come on when the drivers door opens. But they do with the 3 other doors. I had not noticed this. I feel it is a knew problem. Mechanic says that a quick test indicated there were errors being reported by the body control module. He said he didn't have time to look at it further and I have to go back next week. I had forgotten to mention to him about the door locking.

Since the last service, my Electric Window Switch Driver Side had a button break. So I sourced and installed my own from Cyprus on ebay, without my mechanic knowing. I am wondering if this unit could be causing either of my 2 new problems, with the door locking and/or the interior lights?

[AALocksmiths]

Regarding the car auto locking. it is possible that it isn't recognising you opening the door therefore autolocking, so it might be an issue with the locking mechanism. Try unlocking the car and opening one of the other doors, or turn the interior light on to "doors" and see if that comes on when the door is open.

[aSimpleLife]

Well thankyou very much. That is exactly what it is. Performed your suggested test on all 4 doors and it is only the drivers door at fault. So that is causing both my locking issue and the interior lights not coming on. Can I please ask what the cause might be. I really appreciate your assistance.

EDIT - could it be related to the ebay Electric Window Switch Driver Side that I installed around the same time?

[AALocksmiths]

I think that the window switch would not be the cause of this and more so the locking mechanism. I haven't pulled one apart but I believe that the switches in them get dirty and stop functioning correctly. How handy are you at pulling things apart and putting them together again? If you pull the locking mechanism out and apart you can test the switches with a multimeter by doing a continuity test, if they are bad then try electrical cleaner ( Sold at Jaycar) to clean them out, worst case they may need replacing.

As for the faults, I don't think I have worked on a VAG car yet that hasn't had any faults in them . I don't think that they did the best job with some of there electronics and wiring, but that's just my opinion

[aSimpleLife]

While I am "fantastic" at taking things apart...not so good at getting them back together
I will have a look in the morning...if not the car's back in for the rear brakes next week...so I'll let the professionals deal with it.
Good news is that is shouldn't be a faulty Body Control Module? Thankyou again.

[Sunny43.5]

It would pay to check the connectors under the drivers seat just slide it all the way forward , both our T5's had substantial corrosion inside both these plugs and one is for central locking . as suggested above Jay car have a cleaner and protection spray Have a look here this was under the drivers seat how in the hell it gets moisture there is beyond me but removing and cleaning each one could help . Scroll down for pic .http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/...ng-107469.html

[Umai Naa!!]

It would be interesting to see what the fault codes are.

They may not necessarily tell you what the problem is, but they'll give you something to work with.'

Do all the electrical components in the driver's door work?

[aSimpleLife]

...If you pull the locking mechanism out...then try electrical cleaner...

I have baulked at removing the locking mechanism. I have a history of spending countless hours trying to get things back together again. I need to spend that time elsewhere atm...and fortunately it's a business expense. I pumped half a can of the contact spray into the lock as best I could but it hasn't improved anything...there does seem to be lots of dirt that could be causing the issue. I'll have to pay for the mechanic to look at it for me. I am glad you have helped me narrow down the issue though. One day I want to do more of this maintenance myself. Thankyou.

[aSimpleLife]

...check the connectors under the drivers seat just slide it all the way forward...

Well I have looked and looked again but I can't find those connectors under the drivers seat. I can see some cables under the passengers seat? (see pic attached). I have a large 12 volt battery installed under each front seat for my remote power system. The front seat has also the inverter. I am wondering if I remember the auto elec telling me at the time (a few years back) that he had to move some stuff from under the drivers to the the passengers seat? I can't see how I can get to any of it without removing the seats. That's to much time for me at this stage. Looks like another job for the mechanic. Thanks for helping me understand a bit more of my van.

[aSimpleLife]

Do all the electrical components in the driver's door work?

Thanks for the reply and yes I think they are working.
AALocksmiths helped me realise it was only the drivers door not being recognised as opening - which caused the central locking to lock again - and means the interior lights are not coming on when the drivers door opens.
However, recently, before these problems, the drivers window switch broke which I replaced with an ebay switch unit. Both the windows and central locking from this ebay unit are working. However it is since then that I have noticed this latest issue - although I cannot now say if it started happening straight away - because I did not realise what was going wrong until now.

It would be interesting to see what the fault codes are.

I'll try to get the codes from my mechanic - but he's quite old school - very anti vw - and usually reacts to my requests for such information with deep suspicion and reticence

[Sunny43.5]

Slide the drivers seat forward and look down from above those purple things are the bottom of the plugs the part on top is able to be removed that's how I found ours with the corrosion , have another look at my photo the position on the right was not used the one in the middle was the central locking one which in the photo is unplugged and if you look on the RH end you can see aplug still in place , its not for the central locking .

Well I have looked and looked again but I can't find those connectors under the drivers seat. I can see some cables under the passengers seat? (see pic attached). I have a large 12 volt battery installed under each front seat for my remote power system. The front seat has also the inverter. I am wondering if I remember the auto elec telling me at the time (a few years back) that he had to move some stuff from under the drivers to the the passengers seat? I can't see how I can get to any of it without removing the seats. That's to much time for me at this stage. Looks like another job for the mechanic. Thanks for helping me understand a bit more of my van.[ATTACH=CONFIG]22477[/ATTACH]

[aSimpleLife]

I am a bit confused sorry. The photo I posted is under the passengers seat looking from the front.
And I can't get my passenger seat to slide back anywhere near far enough to see that unit from the top.
But if you are saying to slide the seat forward, then that means your unit is at the back of the seat?
As I mentioned, I have a 12 volt battery mounted under each seat, and the inverter. I think the auto elec mentioned (some years back) he decided to move this unit from the drivers to the passengers side? I suppose it is also possible he has mounted it at the front of the seat rather than the back where it could be accessed without removing the seat? But now I am really guessing.

[Sunny43.5]

Well that makes huge difference , if the electrician did remove the plugs etc he must have charged a fortune to relocate them . The central locking junction connectors ARE under the drivers seat slide the seat forward and when viewed from behind and above you can see the plugs just in the middle of the open area . I would imagine the auto elec may have just remounted them off to the side somehow it would be a major to remove them from there .

[aSimpleLife]

I don't think he did charge me a fortune...but I certainly do remember him grumbling about how much longer it took him than he expected it to
I think I am just going to have to let my mechanic sort it out for me...and "he" will most likely charge a me fortune

[Syncrotek]

The problem sounds like one of the micro-switches in the door lock actuator, although there is an outside chance of a wiring/connector
fault. The door lock removal /replacement is not one of the easiest jobs on the T5, and fiddling with the micro-switches is for the very
patient, the price of a new lock from VW is ~$330, and from ~$50 or so for a chinese one from ebay. The switches are pretty-well
sealed so contact cleaner probably won't reach it unless sprayed directly on them.
The picture shows a lock split in two and the various parts. There was s a 'How To' on the Brickyard site.