Sportback child safety lock

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stk31

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Hi

First post so be gentle with me please. I have just taken delivery of a 1.6 tdi Sportback SE, and it looks like there is no way to activate the rear door child locks manually. The rear doors have a solid plastic blanking grommet over the hole (signified with a child lock symbol) where they would normally be turned to activate the locks, this can be removed but seems to have nothing inside to turn with the key to activate. There is another hole on the end of the door (not sure what this does) but it certainly doesn't activate the locks

I know I should take it to the dealer, but it'll probably be a week before I can get the time to take it to my nearest dealer and I don't wish to rely on the electric ones in the drivers door as I'm worried I'll accidentally switch them off with my over inquisitive 2y.o in the back.

Any help gratefully received.
 
There is a way to do it manually, detailed in the handbook, but have forgotten how its done - perhaps try checking there?
 
The handbook shows the locks being turned with a key in the rear door where the lock symbol is, but inside the door is nothing that can be turned with a key.
 
I think it can only be done electrically. I haven't got the handbook with me, but I think the handbook said that the manual (ie key in a slot) child locking was for cars where the electric child lock isn't fitted (ie not UK cars). I think the electric one does lock out the rear window switch too.

I'm pretty sure the blanking plate you mention (with the lock symbol) is to use if the central locking fails. I think you can pop out that plug and do something behind it which disconnects the outside handle (so that you can "lock" the car even with a door's central locking broken). I think that applies to the front doors too, but it's the opposite of what you want...
 
You're correct that the electric switches operate the child locks and disable the rear window switches. However, there is supposed to be a manual switch for the safety locks as well according to the manual, this should be the same as any car without an electric cut-off.

The central locking failure switch is present and on the end of the door under a separate blanking plug, that works as it should do as I've checked it since the last post, this allows you to lock a door if the central locking fails.

Looks like I'll have to find time to go to the dealer, I called them and they said their showroom one has a manual switch fitted so they'll see what's different with mine. They understand that all their 4 door cars should have manual child safety locks as standard.
 
stk31 said:
You're correct that the electric switches operate the child locks and disable the rear window switches. However, there is supposed to be a manual switch for the safety locks as well according to the manual, this should be the same as any car without an electric cut-off.
Click to expand...
I might well be wrong then. I don't have children, so didn't really think about it much - I just remember flicking through that bit of the manual, and I thought there was a * next to the manual child lock section as well as next to the electrical child lock section, meaning that both are optional. I figured that probably meant it was either/or.

I'll pop out an have a look at my car in a couple of minutes time. I don't have the handbook with me, though, so can't check what it says.
 
audi upgrades
stk31 said:
However, there is supposed to be a manual switch for the safety locks as well according to the manual, this should be the same as any car without an electric cut-off.

The central locking failure switch is present and on the end of the door under a separate blanking plug, that works as it should do as I've checked it since the last post, this allows you to lock a door if the central locking fails.
Click to expand...
Just checked mine, and there's the plug on the end of the door for the central locking failure switch as you say, and just a blanking plug where the stamped child-lock symbol is.

Given that there's an arrow stamped along with the child lock symbol, I'd assume that if mechanical child locks were fitted then there would be a slot which could be turned in place of the blanking plate.

So, like yours, I think mine's only got the electrical child locks and not mechanical. As I said, that was kind of what I expected from the handbook having not looked at the doors, but I may well have misread the handbook.

Mine is a Sport in case trim level makes any difference to what's fitted.
 
AJB said:
I thought there was a * next to the manual child lock section as well as next to the electrical child lock section, meaning that both are optional. I figured that probably meant it was either/or.
Click to expand...
I was wrong about the *, but the manual child lock section says "Applies to vehicles: with mechanical child-proof catches". That's what had made me think it wasn't all Sportbacks, and why I thought mechanical or electrical might well be either/or.
 
I thought the electric ones were standard anyway, so not sure which models have the manual ones? Perhaps in other countries?
 
Last edited:
I was assuming other countries, although as mine's a Sport it's always possible that the SE has manual ones.
 
I think you are right - the brochure I have in front of me says SE has manual ones, though it doesn't say Sport has electric instead (mine does though, as you say yours does)
 
Interesting if it is an SE/Sport difference. I know when I bought a MkI Skoda Octavia years ago that it turned out there were differences between mine and the model above which weren't mentioned in the brochure at all (lockable glovebox and fold-out ignition key being two I remember). If it turns out that there are un-published model differences on the A3 then it might be good to get a list together on here for prospective buyers... Does anyone have a UK spec SE sportback who could confirm whether it's got electrical or mechanical child locks on the rear doors?
 
I've just had a look at mine (SE Sportback) plastic gromet then underneath a plastic white plug on the offside and a yellow plug on the nearside door that doesnt seem to do anything when moved....no resistance, i'll have a look in the manual
 
frazzeld said:
I've just had a look at mine (SE Sportback) plastic gromet then underneath a plastic white plug on the offside and a yellow plug on the nearside door that doesnt seem to do anything when moved....no resistance, i'll have a look in the manual
Click to expand...

I have the same setup as yourself, the yellow plug is for the central locking so you can lock the door if the electric system fails, you turn that yellow plug and shut the door and it disables the outside door handle, it's unlocked when you open the door from the inside - as someone mentioned previously - the complete opposite of a child safety lock!.

I've heard back from the main dealer about the situation now - It would appear Audi have decided there's no need for a manual child safety lock on my car, that the electric system is sufficient. I'm a little disappointed to be honest, the electric switches I've found to be very easy to touch and switch off when getting out of the car, particularly in tight parking spaces when you hold onto the door. I guess I'll just have to make sure whenever my children are in the car that that the switches remain on. I think it's a backwards step for safety in my opinion.
 
Same on my Audi A3 2014 TDI 1.6 110hp model. Can't seem to override the child safety electric lock with a manual 'always locked inside' mode. I've had a few cases where I suddenly notice the lock was switched off by mistake. Now my 6 year old knows about it and will switch off the lock by just reaching forward when I'm not watching.

Was looking for the manual online but could not find it either. My manual is in Greek and so not much help for me to find official doc on how it works.
 
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