When VW convenience feature is not convenient

Don’t you just love life’s little convenience features that are built into our late model vehicles? Automaker’s new model brochures swell each year from the extensive “New Feature” lists.

Most of us, not happy with a vehicle that just transports us from point A to point B, ask our vehicles to provide an environmental habitat.

We cruise the nation’s byways in vehicles outfitted with automatic temperature control, audio sound systems that would rival a concert hall, seats that cradle our posteriors in rich, heated Corinthian leather and of course, cup holders.

Who can blame us? Many of us spend hours a day in our vehicles and after all, don’t we deserve a little luxury? All these kind of options are great.

That is, until something goes wrong!

And that, my fellow technicians, is what this tech tip is all about. On 1993 to 1997 Volkswagen Golf, GTI, and Jetta models, with a vehicle identification number up to VIN 3VWTD81HTVM070779, the power sunroof can become inoperative when using the “convenience close” feature (key in door to close windows and sunroof).

When working properly, the “convenience close” feature closes the power windows first, then after 5 seconds, the power sunroof closes. Volkswagen offers a kit to fix this problem.

(Refer below to “Items Required for Modification.”) The repair procedure modifies the power sunroof wiring. So, proceed as follows:

1. Obtain the radio code so you can reset the stations. (Remember that this will be the first thing the customer notices.)

2. Remove ground (GND) cable from battery.

3. Locate T5/5f (5-pin connector) behind left A-pillar kick panel.

4. Remove (Black/Green) wire from connector T5/5f (male terminal side), isolate and carefully tape back to harness.

5. Remove black 5-pin connector that snaps into multi-pin connector T32 (round multi-pin connector which goes through left A-Pillar).

6. Remove wire terminal (pin 3) from connector.

7. Remove terminal end from wire, and splice together with wire 000 979 126 using butt splice 111 971 939B.

8. Insert (female) terminal of wire 000 979 126 into (pin location 3) of black 5 pin connector.

9. Crimp wire 000 979 129 into other end of butt splice 111 971 939B.

10. Insert (male) terminal of wire 000 979 129 into open connector location of black 5 pin connector T5/5f behind left A-pillar kick panel.

11. Reinstall connectors, and kick plate.

All that’s left to do is reinstall the battery ground cable and re-code the radio. Now doesn’t this feature work great? What could be more convenient than having the windows and the sunroof close at the same time, with just a turn of a key?

Items Required for Modification

VW Factory Kit – VAS 1978

Wire/Connector – 000 979 126

Wire/Connector – 000 979 129

Splice – 111 971 939B

Written by Rich Diegle, an editor with ALLDATA. Rich is also an ASE Master Technician with an associate of arts degree in automotive technology and 22 years of dealership and independent shop experience.