Vanagon Question-Power Door Locks & Washer/Wiper Switch - page 1 - Upgrades (non engine related ) - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• Vanagon Question-Power Door Locks & Washer/Wiper Switch by Sam Johnson on 27 Jun, 2009 02:06
• Sorry not very exciting question!
  
  I drive a 1988 Vanagon GL with a AAZ 1.9 TD installed.  All in all everything works great for a 21 year old vehicle.  However, I have two areas that need work.
  
  In the car I installed a remote door locking system.  This worked great for 6 months but now it appears the power door lock actuator on the passenger side is sticking.  Is this fixable by taking it out, cleaning it, lubricating, checking the springs, etc. or is it best to find a new or used one that stiil works?
  
  With respect to the windshield washer switch it is not working.  I have replaced the small washer pump and that works.  In fact, when I installed the new one I found the one I removed was still working.   Kind of the same question--is it possible to clean contacts, check wires, and generally ensure everything is as it should be for this switch or am I better off just biting the bullet and ordering a new one?
  
  Finally, if I am to order these two replacement parts any suggestions where I can purchase them at  a reasonable price?
  
  Thanks for any suggestions,
  
  Sam
  Tucson, AZ
• #1 by macka on 27 Jun, 2009 05:56
• Hey Sam,
  
     Welcome to the forums. You can clean the solenoid, when you do, use an electrical grade cleaner to clean the piston out, and an electrical grade lubricant, when you lube it. I'd go to a u pull yard and get a switch for the windshield washer if its possible. While you are at it, check and see if the connection between the switch is good. You can buy a million switches, but if the wiring is faulty, the system won't work.  I'd check e-bay for the parts, or if you have a part number, you can order from an Autocamping dealer. Failing that asking a forum friend to get a price from the autocamping dealer, and figure out shipping costs would be the next cheapest bet.
• #2 by Sam Johnson on 19 Jul, 2009 09:21
• Macka,
  
  Thanks for the response.  Just back from Armenia and now working on solving these two problems. 
  
  After playing with the old actuator with no success, I ordered a new power door lock actuator.  On Friday I installed it.   However, I still have the same problem, when I use the remote the driver door lock comes up and then as the passenger side does not open it closes again.  If I open the driver side door when the lock comes up, it cycles up and down (lock-unlock) until I reach over and manually open the passenger door lock.   After that it is okay.  Once I stop they will both lock normally with the remote.  However, when I open with the remote it does the same again.   As the sliding door lock seems to work sometimes and others not, yesterday I disconnected the sliding door actuator to see if that made any difference.  It did not.
  
  I am uncertain why the passenger door will lock but will not unlock.  I can unlock it manually with the key, and it will open and then relock itself.  There are four wires, red, brown, yellow and white.  Which one should send the signal to unlock the passenger side door?  Is that the same wire that sends the signal to lock the door?  How would I check theses wires with a multi-meter to determine if they are carrying the correct signal or if I have a bad wire?
  
  Will work on the washer/wiper switch next but as it rarely rains in Tucson and the wiper part works that is less important.  Can buy a new one for around $50 on the internet so will probably go that route rather than pay around $30 for a used one.
  
  Thanks for any responses and suggestions.
  
  Regards, Sam
  Tucson, AZ
  
• #3 by Syncroincity on 19 Jul, 2009 22:54
• I'm pretty sure Bus Depot has them.
• #4 by Sam Johnson on 31 Jul, 2009 14:20
• This week bought a new washer/wiper switch for $50 with shipping and installed it in less than an hour.  That problem is now solved.
  
  However, sure would appreciate any help or suggestions addressing my power door lock issue.
  
  Saludos,  Sam
  Tucson, AZ
• #5 by Sam Johnson on 02 Aug, 2009 08:44
• Aftermarket setup. 
  
  It worked perfectly for six-eight months but went south around six months ago.  Now it appears that the sliding door power lock actuator is not locking or unlocking.  If that one is kaput would it keep the passenger side one from unlocking properly?  If possibel I would like to trouble shoot the system before repacing another actuator unless I am certain that is the problem.
  
  Thanks for any suggestions.
  
  Sam
  Tucson, AZ
• #6 by Sam Johnson on 04 Aug, 2009 08:09
• Andrew
  
  We are on holiday with the grandsons in New Mexico.  Today we plan to visit the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos.  Consequently, do not have access to my books or my power lock file.
  
  However, my vanagon is a GL so it came with power locks.  All the circuits are original and are in the Vanagon Bentley.   It is designed such that when you use the key in the driver side door that locks or unlocks all of the other doors.  As I remember when I added the power door lock module I only had to change a couple of wires and the signal went through the driver side and then into the original circuit.   
  
  I removed the actuator in the sliding door and cleaned all the connectors plus lubricating the original solenoid so I think the connections are okay, at least inside the door, but am uncertain about that actuator.     
  
  Regards,  Sam
  Los Alamos, NM     
• #7 by somolovitch3 on 16 Aug, 2009 07:25
• Sam, DO YOU LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM? 
  
  Sounds like the central control unit is fried. If the locks respond correctly when activated by moving the lock knob on the drivers door, then the units in the doors are fine. It is possable that the VW lock units are pulling too mucch power and have taken out the central control unit. If its like mine, there are two transistors and a couple of diodes.Get a slightly higher power rating on the transistors and replace them, the diodes are usually okay.
  
  Relay the outpot to the lock units using two 5-pin relays. Tie the # 87a and the # 85 pins to constant, fused 12V. The #87 pin goes to ground, the #30 Pin goes to one side of the lock motor, and the # 86 pin is controled by the output of the control unit. You will hve to play with what wire goes to which side of the lock to get it to lock/unlock correctly. These relays are 30 Amp units so there will be no problem of over loading the control unit again.
  
  Good lock!
   
  
• #8 by Sam Johnson on 17 Aug, 2009 17:07
• Somo,
  
  Thanks for your response and suggestions.  I will put in a couple of relays as that is realtively straightforward.  However, before I decide the central controller is gone I want to try to dtermine if the sliding door actuator is causing all the problems.  This is the only one of the four that does not seem to be working.
  
  When I push the lock button on the small controller the other three actuators all close and lock, but the sliding door does not.  If that was not working, since the power appears to move through the passenger door and then on to the sliding door and rear, would it cause a problem with the passenger door actuator?   How would I test this??
  
  Any other suggestions or advice??
  
  Regards,  Sam
• #9 by somolovitch3 on 24 Aug, 2009 04:56
• Would the sliding door be considered the trunk to the central unit?
  
  It should have a separate set of wires from the CCU no mater what.
  
  Two just to lock/unlock (slave), or one to unlock if its a "trunk", or four if its another door (master).
  
  If the only lock knob that operates all the others is the drivers, then you have one master ,(four wire) and the rest are slaves (two wire), if the passenger lock knob will make the drivers work then you have two masters, (four wire).
  
  Does your remote have a trunk function, and have you tried it to see what it does?
  
  Keep us posted, for we have (very strange) minds.
• #10 by Sam Johnson on 24 Aug, 2009 18:06
• Go Westy has an article, Power Door Locks 101.  This article states that the Vanagon does not have a central controller, the two front door lock actuators are Masters and the ones in the sliding door and rear hatch are Slaves.
  
  The Masters have four wires going to them:  red (12 volts all the time), white (12 volts when unlocked), yellow (12 volts when locked) and brown (ground all the time).  The slaves do not have the red wire.  When either of the front doors are locked, from the button being pushed down or the key in the door lock) the switch section in the actuator moves down and provides power from the red wire to the yellow wire.   Power flows to all the other actuators through the yellow wire.
  
  Similarly, when the lock button is pulled up or the key turned in the door handle, power travels from the red wire to the white wire and all the actuators are to turn to the unlocked position.
  
  My problem appears to be that (I think) the slave in the sliding door does not unlocked and therefore the passenger door stays locked while the driver door lock goes up and down until the passenger door lock is manually opened.
  
  It appears that my system is going into a mode where both the yellow and white wire have power and therefore the driver side actuator cycles on and off and on and off until the passenger side is manually opened.
  
  Has anyone had this happen and if so what is the solution??
  
  Thanks for any assistance.
  
  Sam
  Tucson, AZ
  
• #11 by somolovitch3 on 25 Aug, 2009 18:13
• What is/are the outputs of the alarm/remote unit you installed? Most have a grounding/low output.
  Crud, I can't think of how to interface with the VW system.
  Is the 12 volts constant in the lock/unlock-yellow/white wires, or does it just show up long enough to do the job?
  It could be that the micro switch in the activator is toast and is not switching over to remove the power.
  I would love to see a wiring diagram of the VW lock units.........the lock system I have have five wires blue, green, wite, brown, black. Blue-green are lock/unlock and the brown/white/black tells the CCU what the statis is at the lock.Black-Brown locked, black-white unlocked.
  
  Think you could send a linke to that power lock 101 page? I am being ? and can't find it.
  
  Gods, and good luck!
• #12 by somolovitch3 on 26 Aug, 2009 17:44
• Just for grins, have you checked to see if the sliding door power lock unit works? Just apply voltage to see if it locks/unlocks.
  If it works at the lock, then maybe the wires to it are NFG. A lot of power stuff in door go south because the wires in the elbow between the door and the piller break inside the elbow.
  Just another thought.
  
  Having reread your last post, coul the wires to the sliding door be shorting out in the elbow or however they get to the door? That would get voltage where it did not belong and cause that unit to fail as well.
• #13 by Sam Johnson on 27 Aug, 2009 16:37
• The  remote keyless entry system is by Autoloc and I have the KL550 model.  They recommended to use this model as it has built in relays so I did not need to install external relays.    I believe you can find their schematic on the Autoloc website--http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/autoloc/detail.lasso?itemid=KL550.   I only wired up the door locks as was not interested in the remote starter motor, parking lights, power windows, valet switch, etc.
  
  According to Autoloc I was to use the setup for vehicles with positive locking systems.
  
  In the vanagon the lock wire is yellow located in the kick panel area and is +.   The unlock wire is white in the kick panel area and is also +.   The green/white line from the keyless system connects to the white line and the blue/white line from the keyless system connects to the yellow line.  The red and brown/blue lines from the keyless system goes to a constant 12 volts and the black wire to ground.
  
  Wired this way it worked perfectly but only recently has gone on the fritz.
  
  Will test the actuator in the sliding door this weekend.
  
  Regards, Sam
  Tucson, AZ
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• #14 by somolovitch3 on 21 Oct, 2009 19:26
• Sam, are you there Sam?