Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Hey Guys,

As much as I enjoy driving the A4, I am starting to get really irked about Audi's complete incompetence in designing electro-mechanical systems and redundancies.

So to explain my ranting, how the bloody hell do you open the trunk or the Gas door if the freaking pump starts to intermittently work and lock these two doors ?

Is there a redundant latch some where that I can use to freaking lock those two doors. I am not concerned about the cabin doors, but how can the trunk and the gas tank doors be unlocked ?

I need to fill gas and the damn gas tank door is locked and I cannot find a way to open it.

Please do keep in mind that I cannot unlock the trunk either.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Is there a manual release or button some where in the car to open the fuel door ?

Guys, I am desperate here. As I need to fill up on gas soon. I may have to resort to desperate methods if I cannot find anything.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

its in the user manual if. i dont have it with me.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

i know on my b6 theres a saftey handle in the trunk to open the handle from the inside, fold down the back seat pop the trunk cant you use the key to open the trunk?? im not too familiar with the central locking system whether the key will work, but there should be a release in the trunk for the gas door

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

I did crawl into the trunk, but could not find a lever or latch. Do you know exactly where it is ?

Also do not have the manual on me right now

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

on my b6 is right on the trunk off to one side or the other it looks like it may glow in the dark

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

my B7 has the release inside the drivers door pocket for trunk and gas

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Hey Guys,

Even of there is a button to open the trunk and gas door, it is also going to be controlled by the Air pump.

There has to be a pull by wire release that should directly release the latch. I spent a whole evening try to locate it and could not find it.

Any one can locate it in there B5 or have the manual, I would appreciate the insight on what I need to do.

Arghhh...its these small things that annoy me about owning this utterly and unnecessarily over engineered car...

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Have you tried to unlock the trunk from the back using the button on the trunk? It's mechanical and does not use the air pump when you use the key. Kind of like your driver's side door when you unlock it manually. If you turn it twice, it activates the air pump to unlock all doors. I just tried mine by turning the key to the left and it unlocked the trunk by the mechanical turn of the key and not the air pump. Then I pushed the button and it opened the trunk.

http://www3.telus.net/~dougkong/Audi/Trunk.jpg

Once you unlock the trunk and open it, you need to take the paneling off the passenger rear quarter panel and pop a light in there. You will see a vacuum plunger system for the gas tank. Stick your hand in there and pull the plunger towards the back of the car and that will release the gas tank door.

Next thing to do is find the leak. If the vacuum is working, walk around the car and listen for a hissing sound when you lock or unlock. If you are lucky, it will be easy to hear it. Mine was hissing in the driver's door and the fuel door plunger. Once you find the culprit, it will be a torn diaphragm or a broken clip holding the diaphragm where air can escape. At that point you can find a replacement piece at the junker. When I went to replace my gas door diaphragm, I made sure to take a couple extras from the donor cars that were there. Good luck.

Doug

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Hey Doug,

Thanks for this info. I have tried turning the trunk lock with the key. Do I have to press the lock and turn it or turn it as I enter the key ?

As I have never been able to turn the lock to unlock the trunk. Unless I did not try harder.

I am at work right now, will try it later in the evening.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Stick the key in the slot without depressing the button and turn left. The spring in the lock will bring the key back to vertical. You "should" be able to push the button to open the trunk now with or without the key in the lock. That is how my car worked when I tested it last night. Mine is also a B5.

Doug

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Hey Doug,

Thanks for the info but no Luck. I inserted the FOB and without pressing it, I tried turning the key and was unable to. No matter how hard I tried I was unable to turn the lock.

I even tried pressed and nothing. Tried with both my FOB and the valet key and nothing.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever been able to unlock the trunk with my key, unless I am missing something.

I am going to get a needle nose plier tomorrow and see if I can move the damn locking rod so I can open the gas door.

Anything else I can try or do to open the damn trunk and the gas door.

I am getting to a point where I rather junk the car and be off with it !!!

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Sounds like you may not have the original key to the car. Alot of times when cars get broken into and the thief pops the lock, the repair company has to buy a new lock set. At this point I would try locating the leak. When you turn the lock manually in the door or when you lock/unlock the car with your fob, do you hear the pump going for an excessive amount of time? If so, during this time sit quietly in your car and listen for a hissing sound. Hopefully the leak will not be in the trunk. If it is in the trunk then I don't know what to say. Take a butter knife and try to move the plunger slowly out of the way of the gas door? There is a small gap and the plunger should move fairly easily.

Also I've read that the trunk liner can be removed and the linkage manipulated manually by hand. I don't know how feasible this is with the trunk stuck shut but you may be able to do it.

Good luck.

Doug

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Had the same problem with a 2000 S4. Had to remove the back seats and crawl into the trunk.

Good luck!!

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Hey Doug,

I am starting to think that. But the FOB and the Valet key I have starts the car and locks/Unlocks the driver door.

One thing I did notice was that the trunk lock key insert is in the horizontal position, should it be horizontal or Vertical ?

If it's horizontal, any ideas why its in this position ?

This is how it can always been.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Ya mine is in the vertical position so maybe the lock was fixed as some point and the installer installed it in the wrong orientation. Can you turn your key in either direction when you insert it either depressed or undepressed?

On a side note, I've been having bad thoughts about being locked in my trunk and if I could get our or not for the past 4 months so this post is definitely intriguing me. I've decided to open up the insulation on the trunk lid and install a safety release so I can sleep at night. I have no idea why I'm thinking about it but I am. It's more of a safety thing for my 2 kids too as I don't want them getting stuck in there as a prank gone bad. It gives me the shivers.

Doug

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

OK with a needle nose plier and a wire stripper I managed to retract the locking pin and open the gas door. I have full tank of gas now. At least I got the chance to enjoy the snow last night.

Doug,

I double checked the lock. It is in the vertical position. But still unable to turn the lock either way pressed or depressed. I am going to see if I can release the latch this weekend.

With the trunk closed can the liner be taken out and the latch be released to unlock the trunk ?

Every time I unlock the door via the driver door or the FOB I hear the motor whirring but I cannot hear a hissing noise, at least nothing very prominent.

The weird thing is this keeps happening. As in for the last three months or so, since the weather became really cold, the power locks would stop working and start working after a few days. So I am not sure what would cause this behavior.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

What is the temperature there? Is it totally frozen? It may be that water got into the lock and it's frozen solid. The only way is to wait until it warms up or maybe put it in to a heated garage and see if it will thaw out.

As far as undoing the trunk liner, the only way is to try. I'm glad you got the gas door open.

Doug

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

The trunk lid liner can be removed from inside as I have performed this rather difficult task. The air line for the trunk lid was pinched and the latch would not release. Opened it manually from inside and was then able to repair the air line.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

You turn the key, then push in cylinder. Try once with key slot horizontal and push. If that doesn't work, then try again with key slot vertical, then push in. Think your vintage Audi (1999) did not come with inside trunk release, either in cabin or inside trunk. It's the pushing in that trips the latch, not the key turning, so don't turn the key too hard. It's just a setting, not a switch/latch.

Doug is very corrrect with his assessment about vacuum system and leaks. I'm not that familiar with '99 A4, but vacuum pump may be behind back seat. If that's so, you may be able to "fool" system from that point, depending on where leak is.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Yeah I was able to remove the trunk liner after removing all the 10 screws holding it and manage to release the air line mechanism from keeping it locked.

For now I have left the trunk unlocked so it can be useful.

Once the weather becomes better, I am going to get the whole power lock system completely re-done. Will be one of my summer projects.

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Yeah,

That's what I figured as well. I am guessing there should be some thing preventing the key from being used to lock and unlock the trunk lock.

Probably dismantle the whole trunk lock system and look at it once the weather improves here.

I am guessing there is a leak or water may have got into the line and not causing proper pressure or vacuum.

Either way, this will have to wait till when the weather improves.

For now I have a functioning trunk and gas door

Re: Central Locking Pump and Locked Doors !!!!
 

Does any one here have the complete wiring and air line diagram for the power locks ?

From the pump to all doors with the security alarm wiring.

I want to see if I can tackle this during the long weekend. If I have the diagrams would make it easier.

Thanks