98 Golf...Three Beeps? Electrical Problems? WTF?

[Zekester]

Please HELP! My 98 Golf is starting in with some of the lovely characteristic german electrical problems. All of these started in the last 72 hours, so I'm thinking that they are related)... 1)Even after I removed the "horn" fuse, my horn sounds off in three short beeps every once and a while - sometimes minutes apart, sometimes only seconds, both when the car is on and driving and when the car is off with keys in the ignition, and now also when I am standing 20ft away with the keys in my pocket. Is this a code or someting? I have a factory alarm, but it is just one of those theft deterent ones that has a blinking light and not much else. It has gone off once years ago, although I never found out why, nor do I even remeber how I turned it off. I bought it used and have never had a keychain remote (or a manual). 2)I can no longer look all of my doors from the exterior driver's side lock or the interior button in the center of the console, and my car no longer beeps when all of the doors are locked. 3)My power windows are opening and not opening (or closing) sporadically. 4)My "open hatch" light is on even when the back door is closed securely. 5)My interior lights don't work and my clock resets everytime I turn the car on. I have tried replacing the fuse for the interior lights, dash, clock, ect., but it keeps blowing after a few minutes of working normally. Like I said, I am clueless, and these are different problems from those I have faced in the past. I don't know if it's a short somewhere (which sounds logical to me) and my local dealership is run by a bunch of useless asses who I refuse to give anymore money to. The guy who usually fixes my mechanical issues is not familiar with my electrical system. If you made it through this long post and still want to help me out, please send me some advice...I love my car, but this really sucks!

[Mr Vegas]

This sounds like it maybe a problem with your convenience control unit which basically controls your coding of doors locking/window operation etc...
Bad news is this ain't something you can really check, you will have to take it to a VW dealer or someone with vag-com,but first make sure there ain't no fuses blown...

[veedubmechanic]

Three beeps means that the alarm system is not functioning. In almost all cases it is the "alarm control module" in old style vw's locaded behind the left side of the steering wheel behind all the pannels. It is a pain in the butt to get the connectors off but if you unplug the connectors from the module the beeping will stop. As for the windows.. pull back the rubber boot on the front of the door where the witing harness goes through, the wires are usually broken apart. As for the trunk, open the lid and manually close the lock with a screwdriver and see if the warning light goes off and wiggle the latch (might be the microswitch), or you might need to adjust the rear lid striker plate to pull the lid in closer.

[Zekester]

Thanks for the help.


I was able to disconnect the horn so at least I won''t get angry glares from other drivers who think I am beeping at them. I also was able to take my driver''s door panel off and found that the switch that (I think) controls the locks for all of the doors was out of its plug. In the process of trying to fit it back in, the little metal switch broke off, but I think replacing that will fix that problem. Everything else in there seemed fine.


After working on the front door, the hatch light mysteriously went out, so I think that was just a problem somehow related to the crappy way my front door closes (it has had issues since day 1) or that loose switch.


Also, I realized that when there is a fuse in slot 21 (interior lights, clock, ect.) the lights, clock and door locks appear to work normally, but as soon as I put that fuse in, all four windows go down automatically and won''t go up until the car has been turned off. When the fuse is out, no door lock function, but the windows work. Are the windows/locks controlled by that fuse or another one? It doesn''t say.


I have a call in to another guy who can hopefully take a look at it for me. There are other dealerships but they are kind of a haul for a visual inspection. If all else fails, I may try that route. I think the alarm/control unit issue is definitely on the right track. If anyone has any other advise, let me know.