[ws6an]

Yesterday i discovered that both the interior drivers side and passenger side door handles were not working on my 2010 VW Eos SE. This was after a particularly cold night here in the UK (-6C) so I could not operate the windows (frozen solid) to reach the outside door handles but luckily someone was able to free me from the outside when I reached my destination - the exterior door handles do still work thankfully. From reading other posts on this forum i can see that the handles are connected to a cable which can break - but i find it improbable that both would break at the same time (or maybe I have just been unlucky - they were both working fine the night before)? There is no resistance when trying either of the interior door handles. Is there anything else I need to be looking? I ran a diagnostic via VagCom and the only thing i can see relating to the door electrics are a couple of error codes which i suspect were generated when trying to roll the windows down when the mechanism was frozen (error code also shows on passenger side door):

Address 42: Door Elect, Driver Labels: 1K0-959-701-MAX3.lbl
Part No SW: 1Q0 959 701 H HW: 1Q0 959 701 H
Component: Tuer-SG 009 2122
Coding: 0021175
Shop #: WSC 00020 790 00000
VCID: 397335A470A753D693D-806C

1 Fault Found:
00932 - Electric Window Motor; Drivers Side (V147)
005 - No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation - Intermittent

Many Thanks

 

[2phast]

Yesterday i discovered that both the interior drivers side and passenger side door handles were not working on my 2010 VW Eos SE. This was after a particularly cold night here in the UK (-6C) so I could not operate the windows (frozen solid) to reach the outside door handles but luckily someone was able to free me from the outside when I reached my destination - the exterior door handles do still work thankfully. From reading other posts on this forum i can see that the handles are connected to a cable which can break - but i find it improbable that both would break at the same time (or maybe I have just been unlucky - they were both working fine the night before)? There is no resistance when trying either of the interior door handles. Is there anything else I need to be looking? I ran a diagnostic via VagCom and the only thing i can see relating to the door electrics are a couple of error codes which i suspect were generated when trying to roll the windows down when the mechanism was frozen (error code also shows on passenger side door):

Address 42: Door Elect, Driver Labels: 1K0-959-701-MAX3.lbl
Part No SW: 1Q0 959 701 H HW: 1Q0 959 701 H
Component: Tuer-SG 009 2122
Coding: 0021175
Shop #: WSC 00020 790 00000
VCID: 397335A470A753D693D-806C

1 Fault Found:
00932 - Electric Window Motor; Drivers Side (V147)
005 - No or Incorrect Basic Setting / Adaptation - Intermittent

Many Thanks

You won't have any error message with this problem as its not a computer nor electric related. As you mentioned, there is a cable that attaches to each door handle and when this problem happens, its normally due to the metal tab the cable connects to breaks or the cable itself breaks or the cable end pops off the metal tab. Both breaking at the same time is strange though, but given you mentioned the windows being frozen, maybe something else was frozen and the attempted opening of each door broke something that was also frozen over. Hard to ascertain what the root cause is without pulling off the door panel and inspecting the inner door handle and cable

I don't have any pictures of the cable except for this one that shows the connection point on the door handle and the spring assembly. I have heard of the cable end snapping off and also the plastic retaining section that holds spring tension breaking off. It's also possible the cable has just popped off of the metal connection point, but both at roughly the same time seems like an oddity.

 

[voxmagna]

I'm afraid this is a problem for U.K EOS owners. People in other parts don't understand that in U.K we get sub zero temperatures with rain that goes through freeze and thaw cycles during the night as temperatures drop. You could probably be in Alaska at -20 with dry air and not get this problem?

If you see door controller errors, cancel the errors and see if they come back? As 2phast says you may have damaged something if there's a problem now the car has warmed up? Normally after a freeze up, the pull handle works and the lock is being released but ice has locked the door to the frame seals?

The EOS has no roof gutters and any water on the roof will roll over the top edge of the window seal and freeze up hard. Some water will run down the sides of the doors and freeze the door seal to the door. The wrong thing to do is start trying to get in the car without defrosting the door seals, particularly along the glass top edge. As soon as you hit the remote the front windows want to drop and can't. Even if you pulled hard on a door and it came free, you risk ripping the top seal, water leaks inside the car and an expensive repair. I know it can be frustrating for an early morning commute, but be patient.

Before Winter arrives thoroughly Krytox the seals. I don't car what V.W says, getting Krytox into the top seal stops water penetrating and freezing. Same goes for the door seals. These are not the foam rubber type and are not on the Krytex service plan, but Krytox them anyway. You can always use a silicone grease on the door seals BUT NOT ROOF SEALS. Then there are the locks. The drivers door lock is your emergency way in. Insert a light oil or anti lock freeze product into the key slot. But remember, even if you can turn the key, if the door is frozen solid on its seals it won't open.

Leave yourself plenty of time to defrost the car. I spray de-icer first along the top of the glass to free it from the seal. As soon as I can hit the remote and get a window drop I know it's defrosted. Use a hair dryer (safely) around the top of the glass and into the door shut gaps. it's usually only the top half of the door that freezes up. There are some that throw a bucket of warm water over the door and windshield. I'm nervous about that. If your EOS is leaking water inside it will have a lot of condensatio which will freeze on the inside glasses. You can be scraping as much ice off the inside as off the screen! Find & fix any leaks to get near zero internal condensation and a dry cabin.

Finally, if you are parked in your driveway near a power socket, nip to the garden center and buy an electric greenhouse fan heater with frost thermostat. Left in the footwell on the lowest power it will cut on and off around 0 to 5 deg.C. and won't run all night. I made something safer from a biscuit tin and headlamp bulb which runs off a battery charger. Each morning the car is dry inside, no condensation, starts easily and no iced up doors or windows.

Alternatively, go buy and fit a 1/2 car cover. They work, but are a bit of a pain to get on and off.

 

[ws6an]

You won't have any error message with this problem as its not a computer nor electric related. As you mentioned, there is a cable that attaches to each door handle and when this problem happens, its normally due to the metal tab the cable connects to breaks or the cable itself breaks or the cable end pops off the metal tab. Both breaking at the same time is strange though, but given you mentioned the windows being frozen, maybe something else was frozen and the attempted opening of each door broke something that was also frozen over. Hard to ascertain what the root cause is without pulling off the door panel and inspecting the inner door handle and cable

I don't have any pictures of the cable except for this one that shows the connection point on the door handle and the spring assembly. I have heard of the cable end snapping off and also the plastic retaining section that holds spring tension breaking off. It's also possible the cable has just popped off of the metal connection point, but both at roughly the same time seems like an oddity.

Thanks. I guess I have just been unlucky then :-( Guess i'm going to have to bite the bullet and remove the door cover and investigate. Thanks for the picture which is really helpful.

 

[ws6an]

I'm afraid this is a problem for U.K EOS owners. People in other parts don't understand that in U.K we get sub zero temperatures with rain that goes through freeze and thaw cycles during the night as temperatures drop. You could probably be in Alaska at -20 with dry air and not get this problem?

If you see door controller errors, cancel the errors and see if they come back? As 2phast says you may have damaged something if there's a problem now the car has warmed up? Normally after a freeze up, the pull handle works and the lock is being released but ice has locked the door to the frame seals?

The EOS has no roof gutters and any water on the roof will roll over the top edge of the window seal and freeze up hard. Some water will run down the sides of the doors and freeze the door seal to the door. The wrong thing to do is start trying to get in the car without defrosting the door seals, particularly along the glass top edge. As soon as you hit the remote the front windows want to drop and can't. Even if you pulled hard on a door and it came free, you risk ripping the top seal, water leaks inside the car and an expensive repair. I know it can be frustrating for an early morning commute, but be patient.

Before Winter arrives thoroughly Krytox the seals. I don't car what V.W says, getting Krytox into the top seal stops water penetrating and freezing. Same goes for the door seals. These are not the foam rubber type and are not on the Krytex service plan, but Krytox them anyway. You can always use a silicone grease on the door seals BUT NOT ROOF SEALS. Then there are the locks. The drivers door lock is your emergency way in. Insert a light oil or anti lock freeze product into the key slot. But remember, even if you can turn the key, if the door is frozen solid on its seals it won't open.

Leave yourself plenty of time to defrost the car. I spray de-icer first along the top of the glass to free it from the seal. As soon as I can hit the remote and get a window drop I know it's defrosted. Use a hair dryer (safely) around the top of the glass and into the door shut gaps. it's usually only the top half of the door that freezes up. There are some that throw a bucket of warm water over the door and windshield. I'm nervous about that. If your EOS is leaking water inside it will have a lot of condensatio which will freeze on the inside glasses. You can be scraping as much ice off the inside as off the screen! Find & fix any leaks to get near zero internal condensation and a dry cabin.

Finally, if you are parked in your driveway near a power socket, nip to the garden center and buy an electric greenhouse fan heater with frost thermostat. Left in the footwell on the lowest power it will cut on and off around 0 to 5 deg.C. and won't run all night. I made something safer from a biscuit tin and headlamp bulb which runs off a battery charger. Each morning the car is dry inside, no condensation, starts easily and no iced up doors or windows.

Alternatively, go buy and fit a 1/2 car cover. They work, but are a bit of a pain to get on and off.

Cheers. Yes i usually Krytox the seals before winter sets in though must admit i forgot this year! Never had a problem in all the years of ownership though with freezing conditions apart from the windows freezing and not rolling down. Probably the perfect storm of days of heavy rain followed by freezing conditions which led to the issue!