[s-cars] Alarm system/locking system problems

[Tony Curran]

Keith,

What your wife experienced was the central locking being set and the
immobiliser activated - the hazard warning light on the dash would have been
flashing.

Finally, someone else reporting this problem!!! I think I'm the only other
to have experienced this - no one else has reported this on the list. I've
had this problem of the central locking auto locking the car by itself for
several years now. It only happens in the winter and sporadically - like it
didn't happen at all last year. It has a couple of times this year when it
has been cold (-15degC - I live in Ottawa) I don't believe it is the CLP - I
replaced it when after the pump was continually activating overnight, the
pump finally failed.

My car is an S6 with RF remote. I disconnected the RF receiver as neither of
my RF fobs worked and I installed a Rightclick system - so it isn't the RF
Receiver.

Two other possibilities

1.	driver door central looking switch.
2.	driver door lock.

I'd tend to lean towards 2 as the culprit. I've tried opening up the inside
door panel but it is difficult to diagnose when it only happens when it's
cold and I'm not likely to spend much time in the garage trying to find it.

What I do as a temp fix is to pull the central locking fuse - this is only
done after the central locking is back working - it's in the fuse box under
the hood, driver side.

So, I've never fixed it. Sometimes spend a little time trying to chase it
but it's normally too cold and it works 99.5% of the time!!

Did this happen before you changed the CLP? I had taken the pump out of the
equation as I had replaced it, but maybe it's in the harness around the
pump.

Good luck, and if you fix it, let me know :)

Cheers,

Tony
96 S6

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Keith Franchetti
Sent: January-14-13 10:05 AM
To: s-car-list at audifans.com
Subject: [s-cars] Alarm system/locking system problems

Hi All-

So I replaced the central locking system pump (is this known as the CLP?)
about 3 weeks ago, because the old one got contaminated by battery acid.  I
managed to get the foam box fairly clean of the acid (I believe) and I
replaced the car battery.  Things seemed to have been back at baseline.

Then yesterday my wife had the car.  When she came out of a store, she found
that it wouldn't start--didn't even try to crank. She could hear what turned
out to be the pump working to lock the doors and arm the alarm.
 When she got out of the car, the alarm went off.  When she closed the car,
she couldn't get back in because the car had locked itself. (She is NOT
happy with my Audi obsession currently).

When I arrived to investigate I found that upon unlocking, the car
immediately relocks itself.  By being quick, I was able to get back into the
car.  It wasn't starting for her (I believe) because the alarm was arming.
(The fog light button light was blinking).  I ended up being able to get
home by pulling the central locking pump, disconnecting it, reconnecting it,
and I guess sort of tricking it long enough to start car.
 When I arrived home and shut the car off, the alarm immediately re-armed.
 I've disconnected the vacuum hose so I don't get locked out again, and then
(to keep the pump from running every few seconds, I disonnected one of the
connectors to the pump, but of course that also prevents car from starting.

Does anyone think this could be as simple as the brain in my new (used) CL
pump being bad?  Is there even a "brain" in that thing?  I was surprised to
see how much plugs into it (3 different connectors)

Some other possibly related symptoms:
1.  There seem to be many more gremlins when temp is in the 40-55 range with
very high humidity or rain.
2.  These have included the dashboard chime (I think it was the reminder to
put on your seatbelt) continuing to chime for up to a full minute or two.
3.  The radio looks on, and comes on for a half second upon starting, then
won't make any sound for about that same time frame (60-90 seconds).
4.  I'm pretty sure on the highway the day before my wife's problem, my
sunroof tipped open on it's own, then closed after about 5 seconds.  (I know
this sounds crazy--I also though it could have been a huge gust, opening a
seal somewhere, briefly, but I don't really think so) 5.  I do have
occasional problems with the sunroof area not draining properly.  I'm going
to finally clean those drainage tubes (with any luck) today. Could water be
getting somewhere to cause my locking problem?
6.  There are probably more transient symptoms I'm forgetting, which , as I
say, may not even be related.

Does anyone have any bright ideas on what might be at the heart of my
problems? Thanks much in advance!

Keith
Burlington, VT

'95.5 S6 Avant
'01 A6 2.7T 6-speed
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