Remove sliding door panel?

[steve_b]

Good job. I sanded the latch to make it work as it was sooo tight (2008 SE)

I wonder if they absorb moisture or swell with age or something (or the metal bit swells with rust...)

 

[MarkRichardson]

Good job. I sanded the latch to make it work as it was sooo tight (2008 SE)

I wonder if they absorb moisture or swell with age or something (or the metal bit swells with rust...)

Might have to consider a slight sanding job if it happens again! Would expect a more robust mechanism but one of those Cali things I guess! Thanks for letting me know your solution

 

[briwy]

Get some lubrication into the lock assembly while you have the card off. The rod that comes down from the internal door handle is a known weak point and can fail if the lock gets stiff.

 

[WestieBrian11]

Thanks for the update Mark. Just spent my Saturday using this thread to fix 'Table in the Door' issue on my 2006 LHD model. Seems odd that VW got the design wrong on the early models like mine - Then updated it to still go wrong on the later models like you have. They moved the relase handle further up the door card and re-designed the mechanism to seemingly function just as badly as the old one did. Mine is okay now thanks to all the help above.

 

[MarkRichardson]

Thanks for the update Mark. Just spent my Saturday using this thread to fix 'Table in the Door' issue on my 2006 LHD model. Seems odd that VW got the design wrong on the early models like mine - Then updated it to still go wrong on the later models like you have. They moved the relase handle further up the door card and re-designed the mechanism to seemingly function just as badly as the old one did. Mine is okay now thanks to all the help above.

View attachment 111362

So true that they design things to be just as bad on later editions! This was just a number of self 'fixes' I've had to undertake which still astounds me for something that costs so much! Glad to hear you got things sorted and the thread was of help.