NCT question

dp639

My car is up for the NCT on Friday and its pretty much ready for it.

One question though, over the past few months the central locking has been playing up, locking and unlocking itself. I just took the fuse out and now I have no central locking - I can live with this as the car in question is just my commuting car. Downside is that when I go to fill up I have to put the fuse back in to make button work for opening the fuel cover.

So what is best option for the NCT, leave the fuse in and hope it doesn't start to lock/unlock or take the fuse out - but do they take a look at the fuel cover to ensure it opens. Are either of these issues cause a fail I wonder.

Thanks

mickdw

Im not sure what they actually check in the nct but for your daily use, Im sure it would be easy enough to cut the power to the locking while leaving the fuel flap live.
Sometimes these locking problems can look like a nightmare but can be an easy fix or sometimes they can be a nightmare. Its worth spending €50 to get someone to have a look unless the car is only worth €100.

rebel.ranter

Central locking that unlocks immediately after being locked is the system's way of telling you that there is a fault some where in the system. Most faults are related to the actuators in the doors. The actuator in the door is the electronic (or hydraulic) unit that drives the lock open/closed.
Sometimes it may not actually be an electrical fault it could be just that the mechanism that the actuator is driving needs lubricating.

AFAIK the NCT do not check the operation of the door locks, they do check that the door opens from inside & outside though. (A firend of mine recently put his Passat through the test with the same fault as yours, he failed it initially as the tester could not open the back doors, he passed on a 2nd visit just by leaving the doors unlocked)

I would say send the car in without the fuse in, after all not all cars had central locking...

R.O.R

Couple of quick question - what kind of car is it, and do the interior door handles double as the door locks, or do you have buttons near the window?

dp639

Its a 1999 Golf. Its got buttons near the window. Its only a 3 door so the lack of central locking does not bother me - no reaching into the back to open a door or anything like that.

R.O.R

dp639 wrote: »

Its a 1999 Golf. Its got buttons near the window. Its only a 3 door so the lack of central locking does not bother me - no reaching into the back to open a door or anything like that.

Check that the button on the passenger side isn't getting stuck halfway up / halfway down. This happened on an old car of mine (was actually the door handle rather than a button) so the central locking didn't know if it was locked or unlocked. Easily solved with a spray of WD40.

Might be something as simple as the above, might not be, but it's worth checking.

bazz26

Central Locking is a well known issue on early MkIV Golfs, I don't think it is a cheap fix either.

I don't think they ever check the fuel cover but to be honest I have nevery really checked to see if they did either. If it is was me I would probably chance the fuse out, my gut feeling is that there would be more chance of them checking the door locks than the fuel cover.

My 2c though.

dp639

Thanks everyone,

I've the back of the door off and there's a wire and connector, I'll disconnect that and hopefully the door's central locking will disable but the fuel cover will still open. Failing that I'll keep the fuse out.

DannyBuoy

The locking / unlocking isn't a feature of the test, however all doors must open and close normally.
The inspector is supposed to check the fuel filler cap to make sure it seals, he may not though.
I'd let the fuse in it until i got to the test centre, then open the fuel cap just a little then remove the fuse, inspector will jsut walk back to it and open it, then close it after him, may help you through, but you still need to get it sorted...

master-d

Does the Golf have an electric latch on the boot, the same as a bora? If So you might have problems with access to the boot.

I have a bora and the central locking is a pain in the ass, the only way I can stop it is by closing the latch on the passanger side, which stops the locking and unlocking, must be something to do with the mechanism there. Also have to be carefull not to leave your keys in the car or it could lock them in!

patrickc

i watched them check the fuel flap and open the cover the other day on mine, so defo is checked