This is perhaps the easiest DIY I have ever done. It has been cold recently, like really cold, and apparently that is the favorite time for your trunk latch to choose to stop working properly. I heard this happens to a lot of people, and once it stops working 100% of the time, it is only down hill from there. No one wants to look like a loser in a parking lot slamming the trunk of their Audi! So here is goes.
Tools needed: Flathead, Phillips, 10mm socket wrench, and part #4F5-827-505-D. Thanks to illegitimus for the part number. This is the same part number from VW to Audi. I ordered it online from vwpartsoem.com for only $43.50, but shipping was $11. Still about $3 cheaper than the stealership. Shipping was fast, and I am happy with my purchase.
There are 2 Phillips screws and 8 clips:
One screw behind the plastic handle:
The other screw behind the emergency handle:
Just pull down on the emergency handle and it will pop out of it's shoulder:
The 8 clips are roughly as shown:
These are pretty tough clips, unlike the ones on the door panels, so just pull, it won't harm anything. I started from the bottom, and worked around to the top.
For the emergency handle, pull the part closest to you down, and then towards you, there is a little tab on the other side, then twist it and shove it through the panel.
Now you have the two 10mm nuts. Unscrew these, and pull the whole assembly straight down.
Disconnect the electrical connection, this is the only place I needed a flathead to pry up the tabs.
Now you have the two braided wires, similar to clutch, brake, and throttle wires on motorcycles. This part on each one, just pull down and it will snap out of place:
Then slide the wire around, and pull the plug on the end of it out of the hole.
Then redo everything backwards, and voila, your trunk will again latch. Sorry for so many pictures on a simple DIY, but I figured thorough is better if I am going through the trouble anyway. Also, sorry no dog boner in this one, it was so fast, they didn't even know I was gone!
Last edited by jimrobbington; 12-04-2009 at 01:36 PM.
Well I'll be...this is just what I needed! I was slamming my trunk over and over and over the other night leaving the gf's house and her neighbor came out asking if I was ok...in a suspicious tone...like I was up to no good...*sigh*
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perfect thread, I the idiot in the parking lot slamming the trunk a 100 times, its even worse leaving for work at 3:00 am when is about 15 outside
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Once it was cold it started not working...But this year, it stoped working at all...I tried fixing it but all I would do is close it one time out of ten with a lot of force..
So I bought a new one, and changed it as well....And as you I suppose, I noticed that it now closes with almost no effort...as it should...
What are the symptoms of your trunk latch going bad? Mine latches fine, but its always kind of bothered me about how loud / how much force is needed to latch it compared to the doors. Wondering if this will make it latch a lot smoother.
My trunk sometimes does not latch.. and (right now) when it does, the sensor in the car still *thinks* it's open, so my dash display shows the diagram of the car with the flashing trunk INSTEAD of my gas mileage remaining, etc (extremely annoying!)
anyone know how to turn off this "your trunk is open" notification, for now, untiL i can fix my trunk?
What are the symptoms of your trunk latch going bad? Mine latches fine, but its always kind of bothered me about how loud / how much force is needed to latch it compared to the doors. Wondering if this will make it latch a lot smoother.
Your trunk may not latch at all some times. You should not have to slam the trunk at all. I did notice that when I replaced the latch, it takes almost no effort to latch it at all. When it is working properly, you should NEVER have to use force to close it. The weight of the trunk itself will latch it.
My trunk sometimes does not latch.. and (right now) when it does, the sensor in the car still *thinks* it's open, so my dash display shows the diagram of the car with the flashing trunk INSTEAD of my gas mileage remaining, etc (extremely annoying!)
anyone know how to turn off this "your trunk is open" notification, for now, untiL i can fix my trunk?
Mine did this once before I fixed it, and I hit a bump and it actually popped back open, so the computer is right, the latch mechanism is not totally engaged.
Wow...audizine sure does know when I have a problem because magically the exact thread I was looking for shows up on the top of the forum. My trunk has been like this for a week and everywhere I go people just stare at me as I slam my trunk about 20 times. lol
Your trunk may not latch at all some times. You should not have to slam the trunk at all. I did notice that when I replaced the latch, it takes almost no effort to latch it at all. When it is working properly, you should NEVER have to use force to close it. The weight of the trunk itself will latch it.
I think mine might just be noisy then, its an Avant, but I can usually pull the trunk down some then let it fall and it latches, just pretty noisy and cheap sounding when it does.
This started happening to me last year when it started to get cold, but it never really became a huge problem until this year. Now the damn thing just won't shut; but I can take my key to the latch and it appears to latch.
I should have gotten this fixed under Audi Care too bad it expired in July. c'est la vie !
Forgot to add, sometimes the trunk does latch, but the sensor doesn't see it as latch so when I lock my car, the anti-theft 'beep' doesn't appear to engage since it thinks the trunk is open... grrr... luckily it's parked in garage and not on the street.
Probably just poorly made. I bet there's a plastic part inside that wears down or something. The new one looked a little different, so it might be upgraded...
Probably just poorly made. I bet there's a plastic part inside that wears down or something. The new one looked a little different, so it might be upgraded...
Because I tried to fix the broken one, just for fun, or in case it actually worked, I found there are some plastic parts, that are replaced with other in the new part. There have been 4 updates in the part number if u see in ETKA...So go figure what problems there were....
when my neighbor asked why I was "slamming" my trunk.
I told him my wife keeps trying to get out!!
Thanks for the DIY!! and nice pinky....
HEHE! Mine stopped working too for the first time in Florida. It happened a few times in Colorado, but I was hoping with the warmer weather it would stop when I came back to Florida. It has... until the freak arctic front we've had here lately. I hope when the temp goes back up it will be fine. I don't really want to spend $50 when I hardly use my trunk. Spent too much money on my car over winter already lol
Thanks for the DIY...just did it and it took me no more than 15 minutes from start to finish to swap it out.
Now my trunk closes smooth again and no more embarrassing trunk slamming.
I have opened and closed the truck today over 30 times just enjoying the comfort of being able to lock my trunk without slamming it over and over until it decided to lock.
Bumping up an old thread. After having the new latch since April of this year, finally got this done this yesterday as the weather was nice. It was either going to get done or never get done then I'd be cursing at the trunk as it will refuse to close again this winter. Less than 30 minutes to do, albeit one of the clips on the trunk liner ripped off partially so had to glue that one back on.
So if you cursed at your trunk lid while everybody is staring at you in the parking lot last winter, fix it yourself while you can before winter comes along.
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Originally Posted by Heavy Fluid
too bad it expired in July. c'est la vie !
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