T5 Body Control Module faulty? Doors locking. Interior lights not on.

[Sunny43.5]

Slide the drivers seat forward and look down from above those purple things are the bottom of the plugs the part on top is able to be removed that's how I found ours with the corrosion , have another look at my photo the position on the right was not used the one in the middle was the central locking one which in the photo is unplugged and if you look on the RH end you can see aplug still in place , its not for the central locking .

Well I have looked and looked again but I can't find those connectors under the drivers seat. I can see some cables under the passengers seat? (see pic attached). I have a large 12 volt battery installed under each front seat for my remote power system. The front seat has also the inverter. I am wondering if I remember the auto elec telling me at the time (a few years back) that he had to move some stuff from under the drivers to the the passengers seat? I can't see how I can get to any of it without removing the seats. That's to much time for me at this stage. Looks like another job for the mechanic. Thanks for helping me understand a bit more of my van.Attachment 22477

[aSimpleLife]

I am a bit confused sorry. The photo I posted is under the passengers seat looking from the front.
And I can't get my passenger seat to slide back anywhere near far enough to see that unit from the top.
But if you are saying to slide the seat forward, then that means your unit is at the back of the seat?
As I mentioned, I have a 12 volt battery mounted under each seat, and the inverter. I think the auto elec mentioned (some years back) he decided to move this unit from the drivers to the passengers side? I suppose it is also possible he has mounted it at the front of the seat rather than the back where it could be accessed without removing the seat? But now I am really guessing.

[Sunny43.5]

Well that makes huge difference , if the electrician did remove the plugs etc he must have charged a fortune to relocate them . The central locking junction connectors ARE under the drivers seat slide the seat forward and when viewed from behind and above you can see the plugs just in the middle of the open area . I would imagine the auto elec may have just remounted them off to the side somehow it would be a major to remove them from there .

[aSimpleLife]

I don't think he did charge me a fortune...but I certainly do remember him grumbling about how much longer it took him than he expected it to
I think I am just going to have to let my mechanic sort it out for me...and "he" will most likely charge a me fortune

[Syncrotek]

Attachment 22524

The problem sounds like one of the micro-switches in the door lock actuator, although there is an outside chance of a wiring/connector
fault. The door lock removal /replacement is not one of the easiest jobs on the T5, and fiddling with the micro-switches is for the very
patient, the price of a new lock from VW is ~$330, and from ~$50 or so for a chinese one from ebay. The switches are pretty-well
sealed so contact cleaner probably won't reach it unless sprayed directly on them.
The picture shows a lock split in two and the various parts. There was s a 'How To' on the Brickyard site.

[aSimpleLife]

Thanks very much for that. What is your opinion on buying VW parts from ebay?
I do it fair bit for computer type parts - and provided you use well rated suppliers - for not to complex parts - it usually works out well.
I did that recently for the T5 drivers side electric window and was happy with the result - however - I was then wondering if that part might have contributed to this new problem? - no one yet seems to think so - but that switch is also connected to the central locking.

[Syncrotek]

well fwiw, I would say do research on what you want to buy, and the usual checks on the seller, but the VW parts I have bought from
ebay have been ok, and saved me approx 50%, around $400.00. The door-lock replacements for mine came from a low kms van at
a wreckers in Sydney (not ebay), looked new.

[aSimpleLife]

That is good feedback thanks. I am very keen to explore keeping the running costs down for my T5. Especially for the future if I keep it as a private vehicle after it's business life.

I have to say that at only 112,000km I have been rocked by what I feel is the poor reliability and then the high cost of parts (not sure if I also end up having to pay overs on the labour. I guess I was spoiled with my preceeding 3 cyl Daihatsu Charade that gave my 300,000km with no repairs. I had assumed that VW transporters would be as reliable. But they are not. I would replace it with another van tomorrow if I could be sure I could get something more reliable...but such a choice doesn't seem to exist. I love everything else about it and after fitting it out it is perfect for what I need it for.

[Sunny43.5]

Sad isn't it you pay a premium price for supposed superior engineering only to get hit in the hip pocket when it comes time to do repairs that you don't expect . Like you I had a cheap Holden Barina [not the Suzuki knock off but the Opel one ] did over 120000 kays in under 4 years and $65 in repairs I was stoked . VW transporter T5 less than 120000 kays and approx. $18000 in repairs hmmm not happy Jan ! plus the Barina was $12500 VW was $48000 .

[Transporter]

...on contrary here. My T5 4motion is 11 years old and during 150,000km it's been very reliable, needed only the water pump. Also our other 6 VAG cars in family are rock solid. Better than Forester we had for 10 years which needed 2 sets of rear wheel bearings, the ignition coil and also suffered the oil leak from the timing belt area at 60,000km.