Get Opening and closing -> Doors and power locking system Guide for Volkswagen Golf 4 Door 2023

Pinch protection is active during convenience clos-

ing of the windows and the power sunroof.

The vehicle does not fully lock. All turn signals flash

four times. Take the remote control vehicle key out

of the vehicle and lock the vehicle again.

To help make sure that the vehicle stays

locked after you press the locking sensor on

the door handle, the unlocking function on that door

handle switches off for about 2 seconds after lock-

ing the vehicle.

Automatic deactivation of sensors

If the vehicle has not been unlocked or locked for

a longer period of time, the sensors in the door han-

dles are automatically switched off.

A driver information message may appear in

the instrument cluster display if there is

a Keyless Access system malfunction. See an author-

ized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility for assistance.

If a sensor on the door handle of a locked vehicle is

touched too often, for instance by a bush or hedge

that rubs against the vehicle, that sensor may be

switched off for a short time.

To reactivate the sensors:

A driver information message appears in the

instrument cluster display if there is no re-

— Unlock the vehicle using the

mote control vehicle key.

button on the re-

mote control vehicle key inside the vehicle or if the

system does not recognize the remote control vehi-

cle key. The key may not be recognized, for example,

if it is covered by something that interferes with the

signal (such as a briefcase), or if the remote control

vehicle key battery is weak. Electronic devices such

as mobile phones can also interfere with the signal.

NOTICE

The door handle sensor surfaces can be activated by

a strong stream of water or steam if a valid vehicle

key is within range of the vehicle.

If at least one power window is opened and the

sensor is continuously activated, the convenience

closing feature will automatically close the win-

dows.

If the automatic or DSG transmission is not in

Park (P) position, the electronic steering col-

umn will not lock and the vehicle will not lock via

sensors in the front door handles or the remote con-

trol vehicle key.

Doors and power locking sys-

tem

Depending on the vehicle settings, the entire

vehicle will unlock when you touch the un-

locking sensor surface twice in a row, even if a single

door was already unlocked.

Introduction

The power locking system lets you unlock and lock

all doors, the trunk lid, and the fuel filler flap.

Tips and troubleshooting

The doors can be locked manually if the remote con-

trol vehicle key or the power locking system is not

working → page 92, Manually unlocking and lock-

ing the driver door.

If Keyless Access does not work

Dirt or road salt on the door handles can affect the

way the door handle sensors work.

— Clean the door handle sensors → page 310, Exte-

rior care and cleaning.

The power locking system works properly only when

all doors and the trunk lid are completely closed.

When the driver door is open, the vehicle cannot be

locked with the remote control vehicle key.

If all turn signals flash four times

To help prevent you from locking yourself out, the

vehicle will not lock immediately in the following

situation:

For vehicles equipped with Keyless Access with

push-button start, the vehicle can be locked only if

the ignition is switched off and the driver door is

closed.

— When you press the lock button on the remote

control vehicle key when a passenger door or the

trunk lid is still open.

If a door is not closed properly, the vehicle icon ap-

pears in the instrument cluster display indicating

a door is open. Stop! Open and close the door

again.

— AND you leave the remote control vehicle key you

just used inside the vehicle when you close all

doors and the trunk lid.

The vehicle icon may still be displayed even after the

ignition is switched off. The instrument cluster dis-

Opening and closing

play goes out a short time after the vehicle has been

locked.

NOTICE

When locking or unlocking the vehicle manually, re-

move parts carefully and install them again correctly

to avoid damaging the vehicle.

WARNING

A door that is not closed properly may open sud-

denly when the vehicle is moving and cause severe

injuries.

Certain settings are automatically saved by

the driver personalization feature → page 30,

Driver personalization.

Stop immediately in a safe place and close the

door.

Make sure that the door is safely and complete-

ly latched when closed. The closed door must

be flush with the surrounding auto body parts.

Indicator light in the driver door

Open or close doors only if no one is in the way.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

WARNING

A door kept open with the door stop may close in

strong winds or on inclines and cause injuries.

The indicator light for the power locking system is in

the driver door → page 8, Driver door overview.

Always hold doors by the door handle while

opening and closing.

If the vehicle is locked: The red LED light flashes for

about 2 seconds in short intervals, then slower.

The indicator light does not flash if the vehicle was

locked with the power locking switch in the driver

door → page 92, Power locking and unlocking

switch.

WARNING

Improper use of power locks can result in serious

personal injury.

The power locking switch locks all doors. Lock-

ing the doors from the inside can help prevent

unintended door opening during a collision and

can also prevent unwanted entry from the out-

side. Locked doors can, however, delay assis-

tance to vehicle occupants and rescue from the

outside in an accident or other emergency.

Automatic locking and unlocking

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

Never leave children or anyone who cannot help

themselves behind in the vehicle. All doors can

be locked from the inside with the power lock

button. This could leave people trapped in the

vehicle in an emergency. Depending on the time

of year, people trapped in the vehicle can be ex-

posed to very high or very low temperatures.

You can change certain power locking system set-

tings in the Vehicle settings menu in the Infotainment

system → page 26, Infotainment system operation

and displays.

Automatic locking (Auto lock)

A closed vehicle can become very hot or very

The vehicle locks automatically when it reaches

a speed of about 10 mph (15 km/h). When the vehi-

cle is locked, the indicator light comes on in the

power locking switch.

cold, depending on the season. Particularly in

the summer, heat buildup in the passenger and

luggage compartment of a parked vehicle can

result in temperatures in the vehicle that are

much higher than the outside temperatures.

Temperatures can quickly reach levels that can

cause unconsciousness and death, particularly

to small children.

Automatic unlocking (Auto unlock)

Auto unlock works only if the vehicle has been auto-

matically locked with the Auto lock feature. When

one of the following conditions is met, the doors will

unlock automatically.

Never allow passengers to remain in a locked

vehicle. In an emergency any person still inside

the vehicle might not be able to get out.

— The vehicle is not moving and the ignition is

switched off or the key is removed from the igni-

tion.

— OR: The selector lever is in park (P).

— OR: You open a door from inside the vehicle.

Doors and power locking system

— OR: After the airbags inflate in a collision

→ page 95, Tips and troubleshooting.

Doors can be unlocked and opened separately from

inside the vehicle by pulling the door handle to open

the door. The rear passenger door handles need to

be pulled twice to open the door. The indicator

light goes out. The unopened doors and trunk lid

remain locked and cannot be opened from the out-

side.

The indicator light goes out in the power locking

switch when the doors unlock → page 92, Power

locking and unlocking switch.

Automatic unlocking after airbag inflation allows

emergency responders to access the vehicle.

An open driver door will not be locked. This helps

keep the driver from being locked out of the vehicle.

Depending on the settings for the power lock-

ing system that have been set in the Infotain-

ment system, it may be necessary to press the

button on the remote control vehicle key twice to

unlock all doors and the trunk lid → page 26, Info-

tainment system operation and displays.

Manually unlocking and locking the

driver door

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

Power locking and unlocking switch

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

Fig. 53 Driver door: Concealed lock cylinder.

Fig. 52 In the driver and front passenger doors: Power

locking switch.

Key to fig. 52:

Unlock the vehicle.

Lock the vehicle.

The power locking switch works whether the igni-

tion is switched on or off but only when all doors are

closed.

If the vehicle is locked with the vehicle key, the

power locking switch is deactivated.

If the vehicle is locked from the inside with the pow-

er locking switch:

Fig. 54 Driver door handle: Removing the lock cylinder

cover.

— The yellow indicator light in the power locking

switch comes on to indicate that all doors are

locked → fig. 52.

When locking the vehicle manually, all doors are

locked. To unlock the vehicle manually, turn (coun-

terclockwise) to the unlocking position. When the

vehicle is unlocked manually, only the driver door is

— If the vehicle is equipped with an anti-theft alarm,

the system is not turned on.

Opening and closing

unlocked. Note the instructions for the anti-theft

alarm system → page 95, Anti-theft alarm system.

Manually locking the passenger

doors

— Unfold the key bit from the remote control vehi-

cle key → page 86, Vehicle key set.

Please read the introductory information and

— If the vehicle has a concealed lock cylinder, insert

the key bit from below into the opening of the

cover cap on the driver door → fig. 54 (arrow) and

lift the cover cap off. Grasping the door handle

and pulling slightly makes it easier to remove the

cap.

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

— Insert the key bit into the lock cylinder of the

driver door and unlock or lock the door. If the

larger side of the vehicle key touches the door

handle during locking or unlocking, either pull the

door handle slightly or reinsert the vehicle key in

the lock cylinder with the opposite side facing up.

— Reinsert the cover cap from top to bottom and

press until it clicks into place. Grasping the door

handle and pulling slightly makes it easier to rein-

stall the cap.

Keyless Access → page 89, Unlocking or locking the

vehicle with Keyless Access is not activated if the ve-

hicle is locked manually.

Fig. 55 On the front side of the rear passenger door:

Manual lock, covered by a rubber seal.

Special considerations when unlocking manually

— If the vehicle is equipped with an anti-theft alarm

system, the alarm will sound when the driver door

is opened → page 95, Anti-theft alarm system.

— Switch on the ignition to switch off the alarm.

The electronic immobilizer recognizes a valid remote

control vehicle key when the ignition is switched on

and deactivates the anti-theft alarm system.

The driver door can still be unlocked and

opened separately from inside the vehicle by

pulling the door handle to open the door. The rear

passenger door handles need to be pulled twice to

open the door.

Fig. 56 On the front side of the rear passenger door:

Locking the vehicle with the key bit in the vehicle key.

The anti-theft alarm system, when installed, is

not activated when the vehicle is locked man-

ually with the key bit → page 95, Anti-theft alarm

system.

The passenger door and rear doors can each be

locked manually so that they cannot be opened from

outside the vehicle. This will not activate the anti-

theft alarm system, when installed.

— Open the door.

— Remove the rubber seal on the front side of the

door. The seal is marked with a lock → fig. 55.

— Unfold the key bit from the remote control vehi-

cle key → page 86, Remote control vehicle key

functions.

— Insert the key bit into the slot → fig. 56 and turn

to lock. On the passenger side doors, turn the key

Doors and power locking system

clockwise. On the driver side rear door, turn the

key counterclockwise.

— Reinsert the rubber seal and completely close the

door.

— Make sure that the door is locked.

— Repeat the procedure for other doors if necessa-

ry.

— Have the vehicle checked immediately by an au-

thorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility.

A door that has been locked manually will be un-

locked again if the vehicle is unlocked or the door is

opened from the inside.

Fig. 58 In the rear passenger side door: Child safety

lock deactivated, activated.

The vehicle doors can still be unlocked and

opened separately from inside the vehicle by

pulling the door handle to open the door.

Slot position → fig. 57 or → fig. 58:

Child safety lock deactivated.

Child safety lock activated.

Child safety lock

The child safety lock keeps the rear doors from be-

ing opened from the inside, so that children cannot

open them accidentally.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

When the child safety lock is activated, the rear

doors can only be opened from the outside.

Activating or deactivating the child safety lock

— Unlock the vehicle and open the respective rear

door.

— Unfold the key bit from the remote control vehi-

cle key.

— Using the key bit, move the slot into the desired

position.

WARNING

When the child safety lock is activated, that rear

door cannot be opened from the inside.

Never leave children, disabled persons, or any-

Fig. 57 In the rear driver side door: Child safety lock

deactivated, activated.

one who cannot help themselves, in the vehicle

when locking the doors. This could result in

people being trapped in the vehicle in an emer-

gency. Depending on the time of year, people

trapped in the vehicle can be exposed to very

high or very low temperatures.

A closed vehicle can become very hot or very

cold, depending on the season. Particularly in

the summer, heat buildup in the passenger and

luggage compartment of a parked vehicle can

result in temperatures in the vehicle that are

much higher than the outside temperatures.

Temperatures can quickly reach levels that can

cause unconsciousness and death, particularly

to small children.

Opening and closing

installation of the anti-theft alarm system, the alarm

system can be retrofitted by an authorized Volkswa-

gen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Fa-

cility.

Tips and troubleshooting

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

90.

and on page

The anti-theft alarm system makes it more difficult

for someone to break into or steal the vehicle.

If the red indicator light in the driver door lights up

continuously

If the red LED light in the driver door flashes for

about 2 seconds in short intervals, then lights up

continuously for about 30 seconds, there is a power

locking system malfunction.

The anti-theft alarm system is automatically activat-

ed when the vehicle is locked by pressing the lock

button on the remote control vehicle key.

When is the alarm triggered?

The anti-theft alarm system sounds and the turn

signals flash for up to 5 minutes if the following oc-

curs with respect to the locked vehicle:

— See an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility for assis-

tance.

— A door unlocked mechanically with the vehicle

key bit is opened.

If the turn signals do not flash to confirm locking

If you try to lock the vehicle and the turn signals do

not flash to confirm locking:

— Forcibly opening a door.

— Forcibly opening the engine hood.

— Forcibly opening the trunk lid.

— At least one of the doors or the trunk lid is open.

— Switching on the ignition with an invalid or deac-

tivated key (a short alarm may sound).

If the vehicle locks itself automatically

If the vehicle was unlocked with the remote control

vehicle key and the door or the trunk lid has not

been opened within several seconds, the vehicle is

automatically locked again. This feature helps pre-

vent you from leaving the vehicle unlocked uninten-

tionally.

— Disconnecting the 12 Volt vehicle battery.

Deactivating the alarm

— Unlock the vehicle with the unlock button

the remote control vehicle key.

— OR: Switch on the ignition with a valid remote

control vehicle key.

Locking with a second vehicle key

If a vehicle with Keyless Access is locked from the

outside using a second valid vehicle key, any key lo-

cated inside the vehicle cannot start the engine

→ page 141, Starting and stopping the engine. A key

that was inside the vehicle when it was locked from

the outside can be reactivated by pressing the

button on the deactivated key.

— For vehicles with Keyless Access: Grasp one of the

front door handles when a valid vehicle key is in

range.

After the alarm has stopped and the vehicle is

opened again in the same or a different area

that is protected by the alarm, the alarm is triggered

again. For example, the alarm will sound again if the

trunk lid is opened after one of the doors has been

opened.

Locking the vehicle after airbag inflation

If the airbags are activated during a collision, the en-

tire vehicle is unlocked. Depending on the severity of

the damage, the vehicle can be locked after a colli-

sion when the airbags have deployed.

The anti-theft alarm system is not activated

when the vehicle is locked with the power

locking switch

on the inside of the driver or front

— Switch the ignition off.

passenger doors.

— Open and close a door once.

If the driver door is mechanically unlocked us-

ing the vehicle key bit, only the driver door is

unlocked, not the entire vehicle. Switching on the

ignition deactivates the anti-theft alarm system and

activates the power locking switch. To unlock the

doors, use the power locking switch or remote con-

trol vehicle key.

— Press the

button on the power locking switch

or on the remote control vehicle key.

Anti-theft alarm system

If the vehicle battery is dead or weak, the anti-

theft alarm system will not work properly.

Your vehicle may be equipped with an anti-theft

alarm system or pre-equipped for anti-theft alarm

system installation. If the vehicle is pre-equipped for

Anti-theft alarm system

Opening and closing -> Doors and power locking system for Your Volkswagen Golf 4 Door 2023

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