Physical door lock just spinning (after 2 years off the road)

[daveTheBarrstard]

Hi everyone, hoping to get some help unlocking my A3!

I've been banned from driving for more over 2yrs. My Audi A3 2.0 TDI (W reg) has been sat on private land. Went to open it up and try charging the battery today but the key just spins in the door (the lock turns and turns and turns in either direction, it feels like it 'bites' a little but nothing opens. -also I have 2 Audi A3's, I tried both keys and it does the same with either key!)

Any known fault this might be?

Annoyingly, the boot lock was already a problem when I last used the car in 2016, so I was unable to get into the boot with the key either.

Im guessing i might have to bust into the bonnet and then use the Alarm Locking to open the door???

Any ideas, how I might get in to the car without doing any/much damage? I should be able to manage a swap of the door lock mechanism once I get the car running and verify its all working and worth spending time/money on

 

[S3AMJ]

I had this problem recently, it was my boot lock. Key goes in fine and just as it starts to bite.... it disengages and starts to spin either direction. Fortunately I was able to open the boot with the electrics, but the only way to fix it was to replace the barrel.

This doesn’t help you of course because you can’t get into your car at all.... unless anyone else has suggestions, might have to break a window?!


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[daveTheBarrstard]

dam. looks like even something as small as this might force me to scrap this beauty of a car lol. Its been sat for 2 yr , and Im sure it needs new headlights for the MOT as they are all covered in slime now haha. Probably some other bits not perfect too. Very sad. That said, I see one for sale locally to me £1500 ono, its a Audi A3 2.0TDI Sport 140bhp 6speed 57 plate.

If I can get him down to £1200 since the MOT is out in April do you think thats a decent price? The car looks 100% mint and is a nice blue-y colour https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/audi-a3-...7:g:tEEAAOSwtYZcBDLB:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

 

[Tj 0785]

I had this problem recently, it was my boot lock. Key goes in fine and just as it starts to bite.... it disengages and starts to spin either direction. Fortunately I was able to open the boot with the electrics, but the only way to fix it was to replace the barrel.

This doesn’t help you of course because you can’t get into your car at all.... unless anyone else has suggestions, might have to break a window?!


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My drivers handle on the outside doesn’t work did before I parked it up 2 years ago funnily enough and the battery is disconnected so I have to climb in through the boot and open the drivers door from the inside that will get your door open so you can get the barrel changed

 

[S3AMJ]

My drivers handle on the outside doesn’t work did before I parked it up 2 years ago funnily enough and the battery is disconnected so I have to climb in through the boot and open the drivers door from the inside that will get your door open so you can get the barrel changed

He can’t get in through his boot either TJ, effectively he can’t get into his car at all now. Boot lock and door lock is knackered and a dead battery, has to be a worst case scenario for sure! Bad times.... choose the cheapest window to break I guess. Unless..... if you could jack the car up enough to put a jump lead on the starter motor and negative on the chassis, wouldn’t that get enough power through to at least unlock it?


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[Tj 0785]

I missed the bit above the boot lock Only one thing for it a brick through window like s3amj says or a auto lock smith but probably cheaper going through a window

 

[S3AMJ]

Dare I say it.... but probably the drivers side window. There seems to be plenty of second hand ones available on eBay.

My central locking system on my Civic VTi EG6 was terrible at locking the car unpredictably, did it once when the car was running, and while at the time trying to force the rear windscreen away from the tailgate.... yes that’s right it had a drop down tailgate which hooked up to the rear windscreen :/ why on earth you’d have that on a hatchback I’ve no idea! Anyway long story short I ended up accidentally smashing this and it was the most expensive window of the car.... £410?!

Just to rub salt into the wound a couple weeks later I won an eBay bid for a skunk2 inlet manifold and the chap said he had loads of other stuff I could “HAVE” one of those things being a rear windscreen! Dohhhh

I still have it in my garage hung up on the wall to remind me not to do it again haha.


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[hydro s3]

Could a lock Smith not open it?

 

[S3AMJ]

I think a lock smith would be able to help in normal circumstances (lost keys) providing the lock is still functional. They may have a way of removing the barrel so they can access the locking mechanism so you can manually unlock it? But being as the barrel is behind the access hole, unless they drill it out can’t see how it’s possible.

Could always ask one of the cast from “Gone in 60 seconds” how they would “boost” the car.


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[S3AMJ]

Joking aside I’d try jacking the car up, getting a battery charger, put the positive on the starter motor, negative on the chassis and see if you can get enough charge into the battery to unlock it normally...

That would be my first point of call, failing that, window.


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[bigal 1]

A locksmith CAN get into the car asasuming at least one lock is not slipping I lost my key. It took about five minutes and £80.00. And you can charge the battery as suggested by S3AMJ, I have done it.