Audi Door Lock System Nightmare: Fixes & Solutions

I had a similar issue with my 2016 Audi A4, and with some car repair experience, I can share what worked for me. The automatic locks stopped working, and the car alarm would out of nowhere go off, especially during cold weather. After initial troubleshooting, my mechanic found that the car sensor system was receiving inconsistent signals due to a damaged wire connection near the door latch. The issue was a corroded plug connection between the door control module and the vehicle doors wiring harness. Water had gotten into the connection over time, causing intermittent failures in the door lock mechanism. The repair involved: Testing the door latch electrical connections, Replacing the damaged wiring connector, Recalibrating the door lock system Total cost was 95 Euro for parts and labor, and the vehicle doors have worked perfectly since then. Before suggesting specific solutions for your A5, could you provide: Information about when the problem started, Whether its happening on all doors or just specific ones, If you notice any correlation with weather conditions, Whether your central locking system makes any sounds when attempting to lock/unlock This would help determine if youre dealing with a similar wiring issue or potentially a different door latch problem.

Thanks for sharing your experience. My vehicle has 154218 KM and the issue started appearing gradually. At first, it affected only the passenger door switch, but now all door latches are acting up. The central locking makes clicking sounds, but nothing engages. I checked the wiring harness connections as you suggested and noticed some corrosion near the driver side door latch. This makes sense given the symptoms you described. The car alarm triggers seem to happen more frequently during damp weather, which supports your theory about water damage. I will have a professional inspect the electrical connections. The repair cost you mentioned seems reasonable if its just the wiring that needs fixing. Hopefully its not a more complex issue with the door control module itself.

Good that you were able to spot the corrosion in the wiring harness. The symptoms you describe match exactly what I experienced, especially the correlation with damp weather affecting the door sensor system. After my initial repair, I learned its quite common for water to seep into these connections over time. The clicking sound from your central locking actually confirms the main system is working, pointing to the electrical issue being in the door latch connections. Quick tip from my experience: while the wiring gets repaired, have them check all door latches and the complete wiring harness in each door. In my case, though only one connection was visibly corroded, we found early signs of wear in the others. Replacing all affected parts at once saved me from facing the same automatic locks problem a few months later. One warning though, your mileage is a bit higher than mine was, so there might be additional wear on the door control modules. The mechanic should test these as well, since faulty modules can cause similar symptoms. This would increase the repair cost above the 95 Euro I paid, but its worth checking to prevent future issues.

Thanks for all the detailed feedback. I should note that my symptoms seem a bit worse now, all four door latches are malfunctioning and the alarm triggers have increased to almost daily occurrences, especially in wet weather. The corrosion I found on the driver side wiring harness looks pretty severe. Looking closer at all door switch connections, I can see similar early corrosion signs starting on the passenger side too. Based on your experience, I think addressing all the door sensor wiring at once makes sense, even if it costs more upfront. I made an appointment with my mechanic for next week. I asked them to inspect both the wiring harness system and the door control modules given the high mileage. While I hope its just the wiring causing these issues, its better to check everything now rather than having to go back for additional repairs later. Will update once I know the full extent of what needs fixing. At least now I have a better idea of what to expect, thanks to your help.