Last night I experienced an odd lockout situation. Locked the car with the fob, went to the store, cane out and hit the unlock button twice, beeped as normal on the first push, heard the other three door lock actuators click on the second push, but the driver's door remained locked. Tried locking and unlocking again, no effect...the plunger would rise very slightly and then settla back down to a locked position. Tried using the key in the driver's door, same results, I was able to turn it without any binding and I could hear the lock/unlock motors, but the door itself would not unlock for me. Fortunately the passenger rear door tends to stick in the unlocked position and I was able to climb in and reach forward to the front door inner door handle and once I pulled that, all the doors unlocked as they should. Cycled the locks a few times and the issue did not repeat, but I think the locks are probably either needing maintenance/lubrication or maybe I'm looking at some new actuators in my near future?

Any thoughts? Is there a normal lock cylinder maintenance I should do, particularly with the onset of cold weater? Do we still use graphite dry lube in lock cylinders or something else? Alcohol lock de-icer or WD-40 to displace any possible moisture or contaminants first?

Along the same lines, I've noticed my ignition cylinder is sometimes reluctant to click when I take the key out. It eventually clicks shut and the car stops beeping with the door open like I've left the key in the ignition, but it obviously shouldn't do that.

I locked it when I got to work, so it should be fun to see what awaits me. Maybe more back seat gymnastics!

Edit: Is this possibly related to my already stretched inner door handle release cable? Is that connected to the locking mechanism and might cause issues like this if the cbale is just stretched too far? I was planning on ordering a replacement cable after Christmas when I have money again...maybe I need to do it sooner or just not lock the car for now?

 

Hello, I'm not sure you could actually stretch those cables without something breaking. It's probably the latch and/ or lock mechanism sticking or the cable has come out the the slot where it's held in place in either the door handle or where the cable is attached at the latch. Open the door card and check where the handle attaches to the cable and also check/ spray the latch and solenoid lock mechanism. Spray into the latch from the outside/ door contacter as well. I've had slow or non-working locks at times especially in the cold months and generally just oiling them seems to get things going. I'd caution you from using WD40 as it will eventually dry up and leave a sticky residue that will stick the mechanism worse than before. I generally use spray lithium grease/ oil for all these types of lubrications. Really spray a lot of lithium oil in there, lithium won't hurt anything...

I did have a cable break once after opening the door over time when the latch was sort of hanging up and I had to pull a bit hard to open it from the inside. If it breaks you will know it! Also, I have had times the when the door handle sort of sticks and does not retract all the way. Fooling with the lock generally settles into the correct position so again it seems it's related to the lock mechanism. Just my ¢. Your mileage may vary...

 

Thanks David. To clarify, the inner door handle cable was pre-stretched when I bought the car this summer, haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. I have a handful of things to do to the one door so I was planning on just making a night of it when I've gathered all the parts, but I might address the cable issue independantly before it decides to give altogether. It all still works, but the inner handle sticks out off the door panel quite a bit when its at rest and the door is closed. I have had it apart and the cable is definitely stretched and I'm sure still stretching with every pull, but I saw no fraying anywhere.

Lithium spray sound like a good solution to me as well. Thanks.

Haven't had a repeat of the lock popper not releasing when I press the button on the remote, so maybe I'm just dealing with a underlubed mechanism and age. I've used it a lot, but prior owners I think this was a weekend sunny weather car as opposed to me using it as a daily. Been working on the (presumed) deferred maintenance as I go. Time for some door mechanism maintenance now I guess.

 

I’m having a similar problem. My driver’s door inside handle was becoming hard and harder to pull to get the door open until one day something gave and the handle became loose and inoperative, so I had to start opening the window and using the outside handle to open the door, but all that hard pulling finally had caused the little solid cylinder that’s attached to the front end of the cable broke off its metal little housing in the handle, disconnecting it from the door lock mechanism, so the handle’s now inoperative. It must be that the lock mechanism to which the cable is attached at its back end is totally frozen and in need of a good soak. Meanwhile, I’ve repaired that little housing in the handle and properly fit the cable's little solid metal cylinder back in it, so it won’t come off easy. But, before I try to test my repair it is obvious that I have to take care of what caused this problem in the first place, which is that the cable is still stuck and it won’t pull forward, so forcing the handle to open the door will break something one more time. Funny that when I actuate the lock electrically I see the cable easily moving back and forward, yet if I try to do the same with my hands it simply will not move.

It seems to me (and so I hear) that removing the door’s lock/latch mechanism from the door won’t be fun, so my question is how you guys have gained access to the points in that mechanism that need the lubricant, seeming that it’s hard to find even with the door card removed. I have the WD-40 in my hand, any tips? Thank you.

 

I do not see much access to the latch and solenoid. Did you have to remove the assembly to be able to spray it?

​​​​​​​Much appreciated!

 

Just a quick follow up, I sprayed each of the 4 door latch mechanisms with silicone spray, which I had handy in the garage and have had no further lock mechanim misbehavior since this one incident.

I noticed the driver's inner handle seemed to be moving more rapidly outward and was very near its physical limit for pulling when the door was opening so I opted to dig in and replace the cable as a stand alone item. Good thing I did too as the old cable was literally on its last strand of the cable...probably just a few pulls away from snapping. New cable in, handle feels great now and I can see how the other 3 doors now feel as though their cables are probably pretty well stretched out too. I'll likely add the other 3 cables to my springtime to-do list.

 

Mayhem. if you please....Since you have been in there and changed the cable, can you describe
how this cable/mechanism could have been designed better such that the cable would not fray?

 

Honestly I couldn't begin to tell you. My old cable had the end separating off the cable and it was fraying there, maybe just a weak solder/brazing point...or it was 22 years old and it was in the driver's door which gets 100x as much use as the others and it was just wear and tear. Aditionally the rubber grommet at the latch end was worn beyond usability and was no longer staying put. My Uro replacement part has that grommet made of hard plastic, so it might wear better...or it might get brittle and turn to powder in a year. Time will tel.

 

From your description, it sounds as though the rubber grommet failure allowed the metal
cable to rub, and eventually fray by repeated stress related friction.

 

I have the same problem with the right rear door (2003 base model). The door wouldn't open from the inside: could open from the outside. Locks work from either the fob, button on the dash or the door lock button. But . . . trying to fix it, I locked the mechanism from outside the door by pushing on the black rotating lock that engages the door . . . and I can't get it to release. Anybody know how to release the locking piece? Ok: so not being able to get the lock to unlock (I can't close the door . . . clank), I decide to take the lock apart: I removed both screws;I removed the door card (wow, didn't break any of the plastic pieces); disconnected all electricals; removed the plastic lining; undid the three size T30 bolts holding the lock on the door. But I can't get the lock out of the door. Removed all connectors; the lock button rod; it wiggles but won't come out. Any tricks; suggestions; high frustrations. Obviously if I can get the lock to release, I will put it all back together and quit cussing the car . . . very rarely have a passenger in the rear (just wife and I); so we just treat as a kiddie lock situation. HELP

 

Jh, I ran into sorta the same issue with a customers car about 2 1/2 months ago. A bit different but, the rear door refused to open and even when I got the door panel removed, still wouldn’t budge. The problem was that inside the little black box is a set a plastic gears and I believe they lock (seize) up. There’s a bellows that comes out of that box and has a loop at the end. If I’m not mistaken, there’s a type of hook that goes inside the loop that can be pryed away so you can unlock the latch.

 

A2B: thanks for looking at this. I have the card off: have detached the hook from the bellows, stil can't get at what is keeping the piece that strikes the striker plate from releasing. Recapping: trying to find why the door wouldn't unlock from inside, I mistakenly moved the piece inside the lock that strikes and holds the striker plate (on the car frame) to the locked position and cannot release it. Used to be some spot you could hit with a screw driver and it would spring back to the open position. It may just be dirt or something broken in the lock. I will spray with some cleaner and continue to play with it. Thinking manipulating the hook that goes into the bellows may be the key, as the lock unlocks with the fob, the bellows raises (lowers to lock) pulling on that hook.

And lots of research: I have many, many gigs of storage from all the TSBs and other inputs over 20 years of owning X308s . . . Duct taping the door closed brings me back to days of driving western PA, WV, and along the Ohio River in southern Ohio or northern KY (see JD Vance's Hillbilly . . . ).

Got a new Audi dealer up the street (literally two blocks away) and across Virginia Beach Blvd the local BMW folks (where I have bought three cars over the years), may see what this crate will get in trade-in on a new A4 or 3 series (surprisingly, same inside dimensions as X308, much better handling and a five year warranty).

Anyways, any have ideas, please share; getting desperate (see new German cars, Supra).

 

FIXED: Sitting above the moving lock piece that engages the striker bar on the car frame is a spring loaded lock: depressed the lock (upward), roll the striker back to starting position. Rebuild the parts behind the door card, reinstall door card and all hardware. DONE

New German sport sedan will wait for another day. Apologies to those who repair with duct tape!

 

Ahhhhh..another success story...that's great to read about. Some pictures of the fix
would have been nice, but we know how it is when you are immersed in troubleshooting
the problem.