How to remove front door card when door stuch shut

[MOZ_LC_TDI]

Hi guys, I have the classic broken lock mechanism on my drivers door ( probably due to the classic water ingress problem. I have tried all the usual tricks to get it to open but it doesn't want to know from inside or out.
There are some great threads about how to get to the lock and open it from inside the door panel unfortuately these are all for rear doors. The front doors have 2 torqx screws at the bottom of the inner door panel( whereas the back ones don't so it is possible to get the back ones off with the door closed.
Has anyone ever managed to do the same on a front door and if so how did you get access go the 2torqx screws at the bottom pf the door?
I could try forcing it till the plastic around them breaks but I honestly don't think I could get emogh leverage to do so. Any thoughts / help would be much apreciated.

Please note the lock is fully naffed and the door is shut, I have tried for hours palming the handle locking and unlocking with the fob and manually ( all other locks work fine ) but the drivers door lock will not unlock from inside or out.

I think I know what to do of I get the door card off ( there is enough info abot removing inner panels and winding mechanisms etc but I'm stuck at the first bit of removing the door card due to the bottom 2 torqx screws.
Thanks for any advice.
Moz

 

[Ryan6926]

Bit of a weird one, I'm afraid I can't help with the locking issue but when my rear door did it I pulled the door handle open from the inside, Lock the door from the inside and it may move the door pin to open instead of locked allowing you to open the door, Not sure why it did it but it worked every time lol

If not then I'm afraid I can't be of any more use

 

[MOZ_LC_TDI]

Thanks for the reply, but tried that and no joy.
I have managed to get hold of a thinner torqx screwdriver that I think I can squeeze between the bottom of the dooryard and the footwell.
If it works and I get the screws off, I'm still not sure of the door panel will come off?

Back to the car to try :-?

 

[Ryan6926]

It maybe a case of just destroying the doorcard to remove it?

 

[MOZ_LC_TDI]

Finally done it, door opened, new lock installed, new seal fitted , Phew what a hell of a job ( but is doable!!).

For anyone who's interested, you can just get to the bottom torqx screws between the bottom of the door card and the sil, but you really need a slim shafted size 20 torqx driver or key. It's very fiddly ANC you need the seat fully back and need to squeeze down under the steering wheel, but it is possible to get to them so persevere.

For the rest of the job follow the instructions in the following threads.

http://www.taligentx.com/passat/maintenance/doorlockmechanism/

http://seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=302449&page=2

Unfortunately for me, my lock mechanism was completely dead internally so the method in the thread to lift the plastic locking part with the screwdriver ( point 13) didn't work.

I ended up removing the whole of the door plate ( window carrier) which is also possible ( again very fiddly but stick with it) the hardest thing is getting enough space to fit your hand in to remove the connector on the lock mechanism ( this is a real git and to be honest I ended up forcing the connector with a screwdriver to break off the retaining clip as I couldn't disengage it, once that's off the metal plate can be removed. That gives you full access to the lock mechanism.

As I say my lock was completely dead and wouldn't open no matter what I did with the locking part.

I had to resort to using a hammer, screwdriver and chisel to break into the back of the lock ( note I moved the glass up to fully closed and taped off with gaffa tape) so as not to hit the glass by accident. 20 mins of strategic hammering and breaking through the lock it finally opened .

Once the door was open the rest was easy, just follow the above links.

I had already bought a replacement lock before staring the job, do just replaced it. Everything else went back together in reverse to the thread, remember to have some new sealer strip too for replacing around the inner metal door plate.

Job done, it took hours ( probably 6 or 7 in the end) 5 of which were getting the door open , I would guess the job is only a couple of hours if that if the door is already open.
Don't let an intermittent lock problem finally lock shut, repair it when you can as it's a nightmare when left as late as mine and it's locked shut.

Hope this helps someone else.
Moz