How do I check the Tailgate sensors on my 2005 VW Passat Estate

20

Asked by Daveskye Jan 03, 2014 at 12:05 PM about the 2005 Volkswagen Passat

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2005 VW Passat Estate. During the recent wet weather the internal alarm keeps going off as the computer thinks that the tailgate is open. How do I get to the sensors to check them?

4 Answers

785

I could be wrong but I believe the sensors for these VW's are in the locks themselves. Could try changing out the lock assembly. Or it could've just gotten wet, in which case let it dry out and make sure your seals are good. Or the fuse could be bad which is sending a signal to the ECU to throw the signal for open tailgate.

20

I had this problem on my 2005 Passat estate. We had driven home through many flooded roads, but arrived home OK. I locked the car and went indoors. Half an hour later the alarm went off. I used the key to turn it off, but again, after some time, it went off again. In order to prevent being lynched by the neighbours, I left the car unlocked overnight (fortunately a fairly safe area). The following day I checked it out and when the alarm went off the car dash was displaying the tailgate being open - but it wasn't. So I removed the tailgate cover (quite difficult with 4 screws and numerous stiff sprung clips.) I then simply removed the sensor plug and locked the car. No alarms. I left it overnight as a check, and all OK. the following day, I loosened the lock and revealed the sensor - a simple slide switch. I sprayed the switch with switch cleaner and checked that it was correctly operating the dash display, which it was. I then reassembled the cover (also quite tricky!) and that was the job done. It is now three weeks since the repair and no alarms.

2 people found this helpful.
10

Thats what is inside, one of my switches wasn't clicking properly. I pulled the metal switch clicker thing out, then used a flat screw diver to remove the top of the switch and managed to free it up and work again.

1 people found this helpful.

I need to ask I have a volkwagen passat 2005 the driver side door doesn't unlock but the passages door does the car also have aux you know? I also wanted to know how do you put your mirrors in been trying everything

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