Microswitch/Doorlatch

I am not sure if this post should be in Electronics or Interior or Exterior because it is technically related to all three lol

My car does not recognize that I have opened my drivers door but it recognizes if I open any other door. (Lights go on and door ajar warning on dash) So I am guessing that the microswitch in drivers door latch is malfunctioning/not functioning.

I am hoping that there is just a build up of crud covering the switch which is not allowing it to recognize the door position. However, more likely it is faulty and needs to be replaced. Since I don't have the money for a new latch right now I am hoping to swap the latch from the back door to the front door.

Before I go and start ripping apart my car, will this work? i.e. is there any reason that this should not work? Feedback is greatly appreciated.

That is what I am praying for. I always like to hope for the best but plan for the worst.

I'm 99% sure you'll find that the rear and front drivers' side latches are different. I took my entire door apart last spring trying to solve exactly the problem you're describing. I got the latch out of the car, took it apart and discovered that the one microswitch I needed to replace was the un-replaceable one.

In the end, I bought a replacement latch ($160) and am awaiting warmer weather to replace it.

The ultimate guide to this job is here, with lots of helpful photos. Read the comments as well, they have several good tips in them.

Passat door latch repair instructions

I've done the microswitch repair on my Passat. It's a pain in the ass - the tolerances involved in setting the microswitch are very tight (no more than 1 mm), replacement switches aren't a perfect match with the mounting points you drill through to remove the old switch... just a headache. Granted, I did mine in the middle of the winter and was extra PO'd about my freezing fingers and reluctant plastic parts... unless money is a major issue, just buy a new latch.

Replacement of the latch assembly is straightforward. Some pics and info here:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=77648

I should add... while the microswitch itself is the most common fault (the trigger plunger literally wears out and effectively falls out of the tight tolerance I mention), a bad/broken solder joint on the PCB is not uncommon, and obviously the microswitch alone can't fix that. If you're game, you can reflow the solder and fix that to... Or you can JUST BUY A NEW LATCH.   

Edited by fitzski - 04-Apr-2014 at 19:03

Did you guys buy OEM latches or after market?