Interior door panel lock/unlock switch broken

[swaggybeets]

This forum is a such a great resource for New Beetle owners and DIYers! I am a new member, but a seasoned 13 yr owner of a '99 GL 2.0.

The lock/unlock switch on the interior panel of the passenger's side of my car is broken.



I am wondering if anyone else has a similar problem or a solution to replace the broken switch? Is it a simple DIY fix? I am assuming that it may involve removing the interior door panel...

The OEM part number looks to be: 1C0-962-125-01C.

[red99]

Hi Swaggybeets. Welcome to the forum. I've only had my '99 GL for 11 years. I've found a lot of useful information here over the years. Kind of a necessity for a Beetle owner!

I have found that all the switches in the door panel are fairly delicate. I've replaced the mirror switch, window switches and the fuel door switch. I'm getting an error code for the lock switch but haven't done anything about it yet. The switch acts kind of "bouncy" sometimes (hard to get just a single press).

Like you guessed, the door panel has to come off. I don't think it needs to be removed completely. You can leave the electrical and door latch cables attached and work on it in place. It is not too hard to do. Do you have a Bentley's?

[swaggybeets]

red 99, thanks for the reply and nice work with the 11 yr ownership!

The switch acts kind of "bouncy" sometimes (hard to get just a single press).

I definitely know what you mean with the "bouncy" reference.

Unfortunately, I do not have a Bentley's...probably a good idea to invest in one though. Browsing this site I have found some good information on the door panel removal (scanned Bentley's images and pictures etc), but haven't found anything specific about the removal/replacement of the lock switch.

Good to hear that the door panel does not have to come completely off and that it is not a difficult repair. Does this also mean that there is no need to detach the battery terminal?

I'm curious to know what you used to get the error code for the lock switch.

[red99]

You will need to disconnect the negative battery terminal. The switch just presses into place in the door panel. The electrical connector should be disconnected and then the switch is removed by pressing sideways at the back of its housing to snap it out.

I have VCDS-Lite from Ross-Tech:

Ross-Tech: Products

It can be used with a generic OBDII-USB cable that is about $10 on ebay. It reads all the VW specific codes like the ones dealing with the comfort system. It can also set all the custom adaptions like alarm set horn beep, door lock activation on startup and the duration of interior lights when the doors are closed. I've also used it to bleed the ABS brakes and do the throttle body calibration.