AudiTTR225

I'm having a problem with my 2001 Audi TT Quattro Roadster. After a heavy rain and driving through a few puddles, my car started exhibiting the following symptoms:

-Central locking system doesn't work
-Fuel door button doesn't work
-Trunk release button in console doesn't work
-Anti-theft system doesn't work
-Radio no longer detects the Phatbox
-Convertible top doesn't work
-One touch down/up for windows doesn't work
-Windows no longer inch down/up when opening/closing the door

It's a mess. I think what bothers me the most is not being able to unlock the car with the remote. I'm reduced to using the KEY! The bloody KEY!!! It's SAVAGERY, I tell you!

Anyways, after searching through several Audi and VW forums, I'm pretty convinced that the culprit is the comfort control module which probably got wet and went kaput. Trouble is, people mentioned in the forums the location of the CCM for cars other than the TT. Some say in the driver floorboard, some say passenger floorboard, some say under the driver seat, and some even say under the steering column behind the dash. I'd hate to start tearing apart my car not knowing for certain where the CCM is located.... can anyone tell me where it is? By the way, just to eliminate any possibility for confusion when describing the location of the CCM: the car and I are located in the US, so the "driver's side" is the left side of the car.

Another thing that piqued my curiosity is that I purchased a cable so that I could run a diagnosis with VAG-COM, but it seemed to skip the CCM entirely as if it wasn't even there, presumably because it couldn't communicate with the module. I was expecting a fault code or something.... is it normal for VAG-COM to skip a faulty module?

Upon selecting the Audi TT chassis and clicking auto-scan in VAG-COM, it states:

Chassis Type: 8N - Audi TT
Scan: 01,02,03,08,15,17,22,35,37,45,54,55,56

I got results for all addresses except 02,35,37, and 54.

If anyone can provide any useful information or insight, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks.

XCLR8TT

Should be under a cover behind the front seat or in trunk under liner.

AudiTTR225

Awesome, I'll check it out this weekend. Thanks very much for the quick reply. Any thoughts on the VAG-COM issue?

dslem01

I can tell you right where it is. I ironically had the exact same thing happen to me last week after a hard rain, and just yesterday I looked in my official Audi TT Repair manual on CD-Rom. The Central Locking Control Module is located under the removable lid on the passenger side in the top-down storage area. To get to it you must have the top in the up position, and get your head back between the roll bars, find the little removable lid on the passenger side, and there is the big black box. I haven't gotten any farther than finding where it is, but I will be doing more diagnostics this weekend. -Doug

AudiTTR225

Doug, thanks a bunch for the info - I'm gonna check that out on my lunch hour since it sounds like it's kind of easy to get at. Is the "central locking control module" the same thing as the "comfort control module", and if so, does it also affect things like the windows and map lights? Is it possible that they're two different modules, with the "central locking control module" being controlled by the "comfort control module"? I'm going to check in the top-down area to find the module and for any obvious signs of water damage, but I'm just thinking out loud because my car's symptoms seem to be more than just the central locking system...

Much obliged, and any additional input you could provide would be appreciated.

-Dom

AudiTTR225

....found what I believe to be the central locking control module that you mentioned. Was right where you said it was - in the top-down area, under a removable cover on the passenger side. It's got about 5 wire harnesses coming from it, and it's large, about 9" by 6" (Incidentally, it's also got two cables nearby which are not plugged into anything, one looks like a computer's LPT printer port, and one looks remotely similar to a coaxial television cable. Are these some sort of diagnostics ports or something?).

However, the central locking control module doesn't show any signs of water damage, nor does the location appear to be susceptible to water entry. I'm thinking that this supports my suspicion that the central locking control module and the comfort control module are two different things, with the comfort control module being in a location more susceptible to water damage.

Does this sound logical or am I just making things more complicated than they need to be?

dslem01

Hey Dom-
Audi documentation refers to the black box as the Central Locking Control Module, but the street lingo seems to accept Comfort Control Module. They are one in the same, and yes, it controls just about everything, including the windows. Interestingly, this happened to my TT last Thursday, Oct. 11, and earlier this week I regained the use of my windows, although they still don't close the last 3/8". Everything else that you mentioned is still dead on mine. I plan on spending some time this weekend, and will let you know what I find. Also, looking at the wiring diagrams, this module connects to almost everything electrical in the car, including the airbag! -Doug

AudiTTR225

Hi Doug.

Well, I'm glad to hear that the central locking control module is the correct module, but it raises a few other questions:

If the CLCM is in a location seemingly free from excess moisture, and the heavy rain is most likely not a coincidence because both our cars went haywire after a heavy rain, then where did the rain leakage and fault/short/whatever occur, and how to prevent it in the future?

I read somewhere (though the source may not be reliable, plus they were referring to a different vehicle produced by the VW Auto Group) that there is some kind of inline fuse or hidden fuse somewhere between the control module and the main fuse panel or ECU.... sound plausible? I checked the main fuse panel for any fuses whose description even vaguely matched the issue, with no luck.

I had the same problem with the windows - they didn't want to go up that last 3/8" - but I managed to get them closed in order to prevent the possibility of water getting in and damaging the interior. Disconnect the car's battery for a few minutes to clear the computer (I hear that touching the negative and positive cables together clears the last bit of charge from the system). Re-connect the battery, get inside the car and close the door. Switch the ignition to "on", then hit the window up switches, and the windows should roll up that last bit. If it doesn't work right away, try again... if I remember correctly, mine took a bit of coaxing. This way, at least you won't end up with a flood in your car before you have a chance to repair/replace the control module.

-Dom

XCLR8TT

that breaks and fails to sense the door being closed. Check this writeup in the FAQ.

<a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/tt/msgs/1558907.phtml">Door Latch Micro Switch</a>

dslem01

Hey Dom,
Without getting into this thing yet, my only assumptions are that;
1. Perhaps a main connection between the CLCM and another part of the main harness (not at the CLCM) is in a bad spot that has corroded and shorted out the CLCM.
2. When I tried to pull out the uppermost harness connection from the CLCM, the entire board assembly came out of the plastic box, showing me that even though this unit seems to be in a somewhat protected spot, it is still very exposed to high humidity, which could corrode traces on the CLCM main board. When I pull out the entire unit this weekend, that is the first thing I will be looking for.
-Doug