Fixing a Non-Electrical Problem with MKIV Golf Hatch Lock 

videos like this make youtube great

Seven years later thank you very much. Huge time saver you are.

8 years later. Very thanks bro

Paying it forward for anyone still struggling to get that spring back on: Thread the spring over the retainer.

Oh my god. I was looking for the exact same problem for ages. I double checked everything but never thought of a missing piece. Thank you so much for sharing!

I know it's been 4 years, but even so: thanks! I just disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt my rear hatch lock tumbler on my '03 GTI, and I wouldn't have known about that little piece without this video. Plus, the up-close video was helpful to get a sense of how it all worked before I disassembled mine. On mine, the original part is a magnet too, but less magnetic than what you used. I didn't measure, but I'd guess the original is 3X3mm instead of the 3X4mm that you used. For anybody else taking one of these apart, heads up: there is also an even smaller little magnetic locator disc inside the tumbler assembly. This only matters if you are taking the whole thing apart -- which I had to do to clean up all the gunked-up innards. The trickiest parts imho are 1) removing the spring with its clip. It comes off by sliding it off sideways at an angle, not by pulling it straight off. Kind of like how a c-clip comes off. And 2) not losing any of the little pieces!

Today I was trying to fix exactly the same thing and couldn't figure out what was wrong with that thing. Thanks to you, now I know. Great video and kudos to you, man!

Thank you very much! I searched for a long time for a solution.

Adrian, THANKS!!! I'd rebuilt my siezed hatch lock and was in circles trying to figure why the bloody thing wouldn't remotely unlock. A+ video, thanks for posting!!!

Bruh! You saved me an s load of time. I have the exact same problem, and was dreading the “taking apart and putting back together” in order to fix this thing…. Thank you.

So helpful and informative! I guess I'm not the only one disassembling bits of the Mk4 Golf trying to see what failed and what I can do. I unplugged the power lock mechanism on my hatch because it was not unlocking. Recently the mount for the piece at the top of the barbell that pivots broke. I had to fab a new piece to cradle that part because the force of trying to open the hatch would cause that part to become dislodged. I crawled into the hatch and popped off the interior panel so many times over this I ended up cutting an access hole in the inner panel. Now every time I open the hatch I can visually inspect the mechanism and the position of the parts. There's a position between locked and unlocked where the hatch just won't open. I never lock the car because there's no way of relying that it will unlock.

Man...you saved me too. Thanks for sharing. Why VW does this is beyond me!

That's what i needed👍. Thanks to this tutorial i could fix mine. 🇨🇱🙋🏻‍♂️

I legit have passed this video 5 times thank the good lord you made this video tho oh my god been chasing my ass for days. I’m assuming the lock and unlock features won’t work either cause it’s not actually engaging the micro swift from not actually being turned. Literally thanks a million LOL especially for the size reference on the magnet!

You saved me about a thousand million years today.. 😅 Thank you 🙂

Adrian, thank you for making this video. there is very little information on how to service this doohickey. I actually had movement between the two pieces shown already, just not enough to move the angled inner catch piece into the proper alignment with the handle "arm". The handle side arm would just slip off the inner arm and not unlatch the door. Instead of trying to disassemble the mechanism, I ended up wrapping a strip of duct tape around the business end of the latch side arm several times, just to make it grab the inside catch arm easier. It worked like a charm. So if you dig into this mechanism and find that it does pull the secondary inner latch arm over, just not enough to properly engage, try this quick fix.

Thank you very much!!!! could'nt understand why my electrical hatch was glitchy, it was enough to clear the grease from that notch for the roller

Thanks. I was fighting with the same issue. I disassembled my lock because the lock mechanism itself was seized. When I was taking it apart, the little ball fell out and I couldn't figure out where it came from. When I put it all back together (without the ball) I had the same issue that you were describing. Spent a fair bit of time pissing around with it already.

Thanks dude! Very good breakdown. i thought I had A broken tab or stripped plastic part but Ill take it apart asap.

I had this problem for a year ago and I fixed it myself too. I baught a repair Set and changed the damage plastic pieces. This Bad Design of a combination of Metal and plastic in one Item is something popular in German cars. Audi, SEAT, VW, even BMW and Mercedes. All use plastic and Metal in thier doors, Windows and locks.

Thank you so much, it is exactly what I looking for.

I have the same problem. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

Hey man 100 times thanx to to this tutorial saved me a lot of headache!👍

Thanks man, I couldn't figure out why the mechanism wouldn't open. Turns out that during disassembly, the damned little roller just fell into the trunk. Miraculously I found it, and after some cleaning & greasing, it works like a charm! Not sure how long the roller will hold though, it was already quite worn. Anyway, big thumbs up for your video!

you saving mine for shure I´m about to fix my soon´s car same problem, thank you stay well

Thank you so much, i found that 3.5 mm diameter roller bearing works better ;)

"Days of my life wasted!" thanks buddy.

Your the man. Thank you for doing this!,

thanks i have an issue where only intermittently it doesnt unlock but it does make the actuator noise, i also cant get my key into the hole at all anymore like its stuck, would this fix my issue?

My god this was helpful thank you

Thanks dude

This fixed my problem for a while but then it failed again. I tried 3 different roller bearing replacements and they all fail after a handful of uses :(

shared frustration. thanks. But the camera not being able to see what you are actually doing when assembling and dis-assembling is kinda adding said frustration.

Great vid dude

I just went to the junk yard to get a pin and plastic lever arm, the plastic area broke where it contacts the roller. Thanks for the advise.

Thanks, i fixed mine with the solution you find!

The answer to my problem thanks

How does the spring come off?! Thanks

My problem is the ....let's see.....how do I describe it..... the white thing (ring/socket?) with the slot where the bar is inserted - (pause at 3:10) that white thing is broken on mine. I've been trying to jury rig it, but because it seems to be a Teflon type thing, I can't get anything to adhere to it. Every time I pop the trunk the bar pops out of the hole/socket. UGH! Anyone with any ideas???

Hi, I rewatched your videos for couple of time but I'm still struggling with how to remove the spring from the liftgate lock cylinder. Is there any methods to remove it as I can't find it though-out the internet.

I’m trying to fix one that won’t lock with the key or remote, but after a few minutes or sometimes longer you can come back and it locks on its own. You can hear it do it electronically. Then sometimes it will lock and unlock like it should for a couple of minutes if you’re goofing around with it. Then it stop again. However, it won’t ever let me lock it with the key, but when it does lock it will let me unlock it with remote and key. Could this still be the issue to getting it to lock manually at least?

Thank you.

Top video! I think this is the route cause of my problem as all electrics work! Just a quick question, do I need to remove the unit or can I sort this while still attached to the car? I have the trim removed and disconnected the rods already so I'm guessing I just need to remove the spring? Just pull it off??? Thanks...

i have a problem, when i unlock the car, the boot won't open, as i press the button from boot(is a break, or estate as you say), but if i tap hard on VW logo twice, it works. should be this thing too? idk what to say.

can I ask where you order that part from? The hook part on my mechanism broke. I tried to buy online but can't find anywhere!!

Adrian, good afternoon I write you from Spain and I am translating this conversation because I do not know any English, I just saw your video of the golf lock4 and this problem is mine, but once the bonnet lock is disarmed, I see myself as impossible to be able to extract the spring from the lock, could you tell me how to remove it, since in the video I see that the unarmed lock is already to put the piece of metal, a greeting and I await your answer.