# Retrofitting Soft Close Doors (GZ2) to a 2004 NAR Phaeton



## stjarna (Aug 18, 2005)

*Soft Closing Doors Retrofit*

Anyone,
I'll be receiving my 2004 Phaeton W12 PE next week. I understand that soft closing doors were not a feature available on the 2004 MY, but it is available on the 2005 MY.
Question: Is it possible to add soft closing doors to my 2004 MY, and if so, how easy or hard is it to achieve?
Thanks in advance,
Logan.


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## bobm (Mar 2, 2004)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (loganflatt)*

This is a little clunky but works. I'm not sure of the effect on resale value though:


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (loganflatt)*

It might could be done but so could changing out a V8 engine with a W12. Very expensive process I'm sure. As much as I would like soft close doors, it will have to be on my next Phaeton


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## stjarna (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (bobm)*

OK, does anyone have any non-human, technically-inclined, yet-not-robotically enabled solutions?


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## copernicus0001 (Nov 30, 2004)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (loganflatt)*

I too would like to see an intelligent response to this question. It would be a nice retrofit, if possible. 
I imagine that the control of soft close doors would be autonomous - even with a rear-door close button such as on the Maybach. So - if the mounting/access design elements for soft close doors were previously implemented, a retrofit may not be all that difficult. We have done some significant retrofits on this forum! ...and I would think that the early engineering "wish list" specifications for the Phaeton likely included soft close doors (they are not a new and technically cutting edge development). Often, the introduction of a product will not include its entire long-term feature set - but it will have the "hooks" in it to incorporate those features in future releases.
While typing, I can now imagine that the doors' control system would provide feedback via the vehicle system's bus in order to provide diagnositc/monitoring information regarding the status (health) of those controllers.
Douglas


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## Gobuster (May 19, 2005)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (copernicus0001)*

I don't know the technical solution, but the job will involve dismantling all the doors to install hardware and then possibly some software re-programming. Sounds like a very expensive proposition.
I have the soft close feature and like it, but, I just cannot see how it is worth spending a bunch to convert an existing car. especially as, except for me, most people slam the doors anyway and override the soft close feature!
Rob


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (copernicus0001)*

You're possibly correct about the intrinsic possibilities of just adding the hardware. I would believe the motors and other hardware are simply installed into the doors and not the frame. Makes you wonder though if the wiring for power and detection systems are their "hanging" waiting for a hookup? In other words, hopefully it is just a plug and go situation. 
Their was another thread on this topic a while back and it might have a diagram showing the nuts and bolts of the matter.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (loganflatt)*

Hi Logan:
I think Fred touched on the key issue, which is the probable need to replace the 4 door controllers. Even if the door controllers are the same, you would need to run electrical power to the door latch mechanisms, and replace the door latch mechanisms. I think it would be prohibitively expensive, unless you could source four doors complete with controllers, latch mechanisms, and wiring from a Phaeton that had been written off.
I'm not in a position to do any research for you - have a crazy travel schedule, England today, Switzerland Saturday, Alberta, Canada next week. Sorry about that.
Michael


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: (PhaetonChix)*

O-KAAAAAAY kids. 
Probably cheaper to buy a new one.
Rough (and I do mean rough) estimate:
Parts: $680.00
Labor: $856.00
And, this assumes that all I need to do is replace the door latch assemblies. If anything else is required, it would be more (eg: new comfort/control module --> $750).


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Is that for each door? I would have to believe you are quoting for only one door. That comes to around $1600.
If it is for each door, that comes to around $6100.00.
Let's see, that's 4 root canals and 18 crowns. Uhh, nevermind, I'll wait for my 2009 model Phaeton










_Modified by dcowan699 at 2:37 PM 8-25-2005_


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: (dcowan699)*

That'd be for all four. Again, it's a stab in the dark and I'm simply running under the assumption that the only thing I need to do is replace the door latch assemblies. Trying to find out what "zuziehilffe" means -- may be significant.


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## stjarna (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Zuzie Hilffe? I think I made out with her back in college once...


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Well then that is not that bad of a cost if it is for all 4 doors. Wow.
After someone else gives it a shot , I'd be interested. I'm tired of my boys slamming the doors.


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: (dcowan699)*

I suppose I'll be the guinea pig when I get one.








And, David, if you think that'll stop the boys from slamming the doors, you got another think coming.














(And if it does stop them from slamming the doors, I'll see if we can develop & market a version for the home -- specifically bedroom doors.)


_Modified by chrisj428 at 7:18 PM 8-25-2005_


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## stjarna (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Chris,
Thanks for taking the time to do a little research on this issue and for giving us even a rough estimate. It gives me something to gnaw on for a while (and it gives me something to work with in convincing my wife how necessary this expense is!).








Logan.


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (loganflatt)*

All in all I just can't understand why VW didn't put this feature on the 2004's???


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## copernicus0001 (Nov 30, 2004)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Chris,
Thanks for the estimate... The price really isn't bad at all...
Hopefully, we can dig up enough information to find out if there is anything else required.
Thanks again for looking into it.

Douglas
P.S.
Maybe I'll stop in after the holiday weekend and try a retrofit on one door - to see if it works. I am occasionally in the Schaumburg area...


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: (copernicus0001)*

Douglas,
That would be great! I'm going to order one for the driver door & experiment with a car in my possession. I'll let you know how it goes.
Chris


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## W126C (Jan 27, 2005)

*Re: (dcowan699)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dcowan699* »_Let's see, that's 4 root canals and 18 crowns. Uhh, nevermind, I'll wait for my 2009 model Phaeton 

Dr., sounds like it's time to raise your fees. I could do it with 6 endo's and 10 units of C and B.







Just kidding
Regards,
Brent--DDS


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (W126C)*

We almost sound like we are playing a game like "Name that Tune". Don't you get sick of people relating everything you own to what you charge for dentistry!!
That is one reason I left a Mercedes and went to VW. Got sick of the "well I guess I'm making that next car payment for you, huh Dr.?" comments.







It's a shame dentists are ridiculed and punished for trying to make a living.


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## Paldi (Sep 4, 2004)

David, just stop using the drill! I assure you that respect and even high praise will follow. If that's not technically feasible at this time, the installation of a dentist's chair in the back of your W12 might just do the trick. BobM might be able to do the mod for you in his spare time...


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (Paldi)*

Now that is a great idea








Of course rumors of me and my assistant in the back seat would be all over town


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## W126C (Jan 27, 2005)

*Re: (dcowan699)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dcowan699* »_ "well I guess I'm making that next car payment for you, huh Dr.?" 

What payment, there's no payments on that car!







My favorite comeback. Ok enough dentistry. Let's retro-fit the soft closing doors. I don't want to stress my arms or hands trying to close these heavy doors on the Phaeton.
Regards,
Brent


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (W126C)*

As much as I like soft -close doors , I will just have to do without. The keyless start button is about as far as I'm willing to go on modifications.


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## stjarna (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Chris,
Any update on your experimentation with implementing soft close on a driver door?
Logan.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (chrisj428)*


_Quote, originally posted by *chrisj428* »_ Trying to find out what "zuziehilffe" means -- may be significant.

'Zusätz' means auxiliary, and 'hilfe' means help. So, in the case of these doors, it probably refers to a secondary or auxiliary controller (or motor, or other similar additional component) that is used to operate the soft close function.
I'm quite curious about this modification, ever since Chris posted the information above that suggested that the parts cost for 4 doors would be $680. I hope that is true, but I kind of suspect there might be a part or two being overlooked here.
My *guess *on the parts shopping list goes like this:
*1)* 4 door latches (motorized).
*2)* 4 new door controllers, with capability to operate the motorized latch - J386, 387, 388, and 389.
*3)* Various connectors and yards of repair wire.
There likely won't be any need to change the J393 Central Control for the Comfort System (controller 46), because the coding table for the 2004 Phaetons - which could be ordered with soft-close doors in Europe - shows three different coding possibilities: *32*, if the car has soft-close doors and a manual trunk lid, *34*, if the car has neither soft-close or a power trunk lid, and *40*, if the car has only a motorized trunk lid. There is one missing combination there, which is soft-close and a motorized trunk lid, but it should not be too difficult to figure that one out - the number could likely be extracted from a VAS 5052 just by following the guided prompts and seeing what number is given if both options are declared.
I think the next step here is as follows:
*1)* Find a car - such as a 2005 or 2006 NAR Phaeton - that has the soft close feature, then identify the individual door slave controllers part numbers by scanning the car with a VAS 5051 or 5052. The VAG-COM does not return detailed information about slave controllers, except in the on-screen view when a controller is first opened. Also, there is a software error in the current release of VAG-COM that mis-identifies the part number of the main 46 controller - it returns the PN of the slave controller responsible for tow-away protection, instead of the J393 itself.
*2)* Compare these door slave controller PN's to the PN's found on a 2004 without soft close. At the same time, do the same research via ETKA to see if there is a different part number listed for the 2004 vs. 2005.
*3)* Check the ETKA again for the door latches (what Chris appears to have done).
*4)* Have a very close look at Phaeton wiring diagram 32, which describes the 'Power Closing Assist' feature (soft close doors), to see what changes the wiring diagram suggests. I have only had a very quick look at it, but the presence of the V278 door closing assist motor embedded in the slave door controllers strongly suggests to me that new slave controllers would be required for each of the 4 doors. I have attached wiring diagram 32 below.
Be aware that there is an error (in controller part number identification) in VW wiring diagram 14, which relates to this system. I have already brought this error to VW of NA's attention, hopefully it will be corrected in the next release of the wiring diagram. There is more information about this error here: Error in Phaeton wiring diagram.
Over to you, Chris...
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Below is a VAG-COM screenshot of the J393 Central Control for the Comfort System (controller 46), taken with an older version of VAG-COM (4.09) that did not have the main controller 46 part number misidentification problem. Below the screenshot is a printout of the same information as collected by a VAS 5052 diagnostic scan tool.
In the screenshot, you can see the various slave controllers associated with the J393 in the lines labelled 'Extra'. These include the four door controllers, the J605 trunk lid controller, and the tow-away (tilt protection) controller, which is not fully shown due to space constraints. The coding of the main controller - 40, in this case - can be seen in the upper left, in the 'soft coding' box. On the lower photo, you can see all the information printed out more clearly.
It's worth mentioning here that we had a huge yada-yada about the different versions of the Central Comfort Controller at this post How to enable window operation using the Remote Key Fob not so long ago, but I don't think any of that matters for the purpose of soft close doors. The soft close option has been available since the beginning of Phaeton production, but VW of America didn't bring it over until the MY 2005. So, my guess here is that any 2004 Phaeton J393 will support the soft close function. Note, though, the use of the word 'guess'.
The four door controllers all appear to be generally the same kind of thing, but they all have different part numbers. The letter references FS, BF, HR and HL just refer to door position, using German abbreviations. FS is driver, BF is front passenger, HL is rear left, and HR is rear right. This particular screenshot is of my 2004 W12, which has a power trunk lid (hence the HDSG description of the J605 - HDSG is the German language abbreviation for 'rear deck controller'), but my car is not equipped with soft close doors. What we need to find out is the PN for the door controllers on the Phaetons that do have soft close doors.
Michael
*Controller 46 Inventory - Phaeton without soft close doors*








*The same information, but printed out from a VAS 5052 (better detail)*


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

_*Moderator Note:* Since we now seem to be getting into the 'meat' of the issue here, I did a little trimming of some of the banter up at the top of the thread. No offense meant to anyone, and there was nothing wrong with the banter - I just weeded a bit out so that it doesn't take a new reader so long to get through all the kidding around and down to where we actually started to look at the technical issues.
Michael_


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## chrisj428 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*

Okay -- just scanned an '05. All the "E" suffixes show as "F" suffixes. Now, typically this simply indicates a "supercession" in terms of the "generation" of the part. 
We'll see next week. Dr. M~ has agreed to be "guinea pig", so I should have a report by this time next week.
Here's to hoping we don't need to swap controllers as well.








*crosses fingers*


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## copernicus0001 (Nov 30, 2004)

*Re: (chrisj428)*

Chris,
Any news on the soft-close doors retrofit??


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## Jack Orr (Mar 15, 2000)

*Re: (copernicus0001)*

For the life of me, I can't see why anyone would pay over .05 for these soft close doors. As they are- these are the most easily closed doors on any car I have ever seen. And I love that solid 'thunk'.
I- due to my age- am probably the most physically challenged owner anywhere and I certainly don't need assistance to close my doors.
Is it that ever yearning for something 'out there' that one doesn't have?


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## car_guy (Aug 19, 2005)

*Re: (Jack Orr)*

I feel the same way about turning the nav screen into a TV screen. Other than the usefulness of attaching a rear-view camera to it, I just don't get it. You're not going to watch while you're driving and I can't see spending much time there when the car is not moving, so what's the point?
BTW, I agree on the doors except when you close the last one and all the others are shut. That one needs a bit more effort do to the great sealing of all the other openings which creates a pressure buildup. But no big deal. What makes me wince is when a passenger (not my family as I have them all trained!) gets out and slams the door. I want to scream, "You don't have to do that!".


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## Jack Orr (Mar 15, 2000)

*Re: (car_guy)*

My wife is trained not to slam doors, and I instruct passengers in how to do it.
They think I'm nuts.


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## copernicus0001 (Nov 30, 2004)

*Re: (car_guy)*


_Quote, originally posted by *car_guy* »_I feel the same way about turning the nav screen into a TV screen. Other than the usefulness of attaching a rear-view camera to it, I just don't get it. You're not going to watch while you're driving and I can't see spending much time there when the car is not moving, so what's the point?
BTW, I agree on the doors except when you close the last one and all the others are shut. That one needs a bit more effort do to the great sealing of all the other openings which creates a pressure buildup. But no big deal. What makes me wince is when a passenger (not my family as I have them all trained!) gets out and slams the door. I want to scream, "You don't have to do that!".

I think some of it is the "fun" of having it... Otherwise, we all would be driving a Ford Escorts, or something similar - just to get us where we need to go... Things like front and rear massage and heated and cooled seating, automatic rear power headrests, etc... don't get us to where we need to go any quicker...
But it certainly would be "cool" to see Don implement an IP video phone - he has all of the pieces in place to do so...


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## dcowan699 (Nov 22, 2004)

*Re: (Jack Orr)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Jack Orr* »_For the life of me, I can't see why anyone would pay over .05 for these soft close doors. As they are- these are the most easily closed doors on any car I have ever seen. And I love that solid 'thunk'.
I- due to my age- am probably the most physically challenged owner anywhere and I certainly don't need assistance to close my doors.
Is it that ever yearning for something 'out there' that one doesn't have?

Apparently they were asked for by customers or VW wouldn't have put them on it the last couple of years. It's just that when I owned Mercedes cars in the past, it kept me and others from slamming heavy doors. However, I did get to experience the soft close doors on a '05 model Phaeton at the GTG and I have to admit, the Phaeton doesn't necessarily need them. I am accustomed to doors that initially begin to close , then bounce back due to resistance of rubber seals and other hardware, and then instantly get sucked in for a nice, quiet, assisted close.
On the Phaeton, they don't bounce back. They usually shut with ease.
So, in retrospect, I no longer want them as I've found that in this case, they shut fairly easily compared to doors on other cars. Even though I say I don't want them, if I had a choice from the get-go, it would be something I would not turn down.


_Modified by dcowan699 at 9:20 PM 10-30-2005_


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (loganflatt)*


_Quote, originally posted by *loganflatt* »_ Is it possible to add soft closing doors to my 2004 MY, and if so, how easy or hard is it to achieve?

Hi Logan:
I asked this question on your behalf when I was in Dresden last week. The answer is that if money was no object, it could be done, but it would be very expensive to accomplish. The existing door controllers would need to be replaced, a supplementary (slave) unit would need to be added, and the door latch assembly would need to be replaced. In other words - it would be cost-prohibitive.
The only practical way I can think of accomplishing this mod would be to take the required parts out of a Phaeton that has been written off as a result of a front and rear end collision, but does not have any damage to the door assemblies.
Michael
*Interior Door Components - without soft close doors*
Production Code *GZ0*








*Interior Door Components - with soft close doors*
Production Code *GZ2* - note additional controller bottom middle area


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (PanEuropean)*

For the record, here are the differences in the door controllers (slaves to the Central Comfort Controller) between a 2004 without soft close door (my Phaeton) and a 2005 that has soft close doors (Robert's Phaeton).
Michael
*Without Soft Close Doors*
Address 46: Central Conv.
Part No: 3D0 959 933 F
Component: 1A HSG 0100
Coding: 0000040
Part No: 3D1 959 701 E
Component: Tuersteuergeraet FS 0104
Part No: 3D1 959 702 E
Component: Tuersteuergeraet BF 0104
Part No: 3D0 959 703 E
Component: Tuersteuergeraet HL 0104
Part No: 3D0 959 704 E
Component: Tuersteuergeraet HR 0104
Part No: 3D0 909 610 C
Component: 3L HDSG 
Part No: 7L0 907 719 
Component: Neigungssensor 0020
*With Soft Close Doors*
Address 46: Central Conv.
Part No: 3D0 959 933 F
Component: 29 HSG 0101
Coding: 0000040
Part No: 3D1 959 701 F
Component: Tuersteuergeraet FS 5616
Part No: 3D1 959 702 F
Component: Tuersteuergeraet BF 5616
Part No: 3D0 959 703 F
Component: Tuersteuergeraet HL 5616
Part No: 3D0 959 704 F
Component: Tuersteuergeraet HR 5616
Part No: 3D0 909 610 C
Component: 3L HDSG 
Part No: 7L0 907 719 
Component: Neigungssensor 0020


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## M1LUM (Apr 2, 2006)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (PanEuropean)*

Interestingly, soft close doors are not offered in the UK on any model, at any price. Dealer looked at me as if i was mad when I enquired about it.
My previous Merc had a nice feature that dropped the window, on any opened door, by about a quarter of an inch. So no pressure build up and easy closing. Of course, as soon as the door was shut, the window re-closed. That is about the only thing I miss on the Phaeton. Oh yes, the electronic dipstick too, cool.
But I wouldn't go back


_Modified by M1LUM at 10:22 PM 9-26-2006_


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## fhq547 (Oct 12, 2005)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (M1LUM)*

You know that's a very good point Terry. I never thought of that. 
Michael do you see any chance of us getting soft closing doors in the UK next year maybe? Could you ask for us?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (fhq547)*

I'm actually quite surprised that the option is not offered in the UK. With effect from the beginning of MY 2005, soft close doors were _standard equipment _in North America.
Each individual importer (VW of America, VW UK, AMAG in Switzerland, etc.) is free to run their own country as a benevolent dictatorship. This means that not only can the importer decide what options will and will not be offered, they can also decide what car models will and will not be offered. By example, you cannot buy a Fox, Lupo, Polo, Golf Estate, Phaeton, Transporter, Caddy, or similar in North America - plain and simple. As for the cars that you can buy (Golf, Jetta, Passat, Eos, Touareg), you can't have a diesel engine - period. It's petrol only for North America.
Anyway - now that you know the ropes - my guess is that if you contacted VW in the UK and said "Hey, I want to order a Phaeton, but I want soft close doors (production code *GZ2*) on it", they would probably find a way of getting it made for you. I doubt that there is any safety or liability reason behind why they are not offered - it's probably just VW of UK trying to slim down the list of options that they offer.
Michael


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## plastech (May 3, 2006)

*Re: (Jack Orr)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Jack Orr* »_My wife is trained not to slam doors, and I instruct passengers in how to do it.
They think I'm nuts.

Can you nip across the pond and show my kids
Tony


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## palladino (Sep 8, 2006)

*Re: Soft Closing Doors Retrofit (stjarna)*

Hi Stjarna
Give your VW dealership a call they would know if it could be done.
Peter


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## vivaitalia (Dec 8, 2005)

Ok, my 2 cents.......
8, if not 9, out of 10 times that I close my Phaeton doors (NA - MY2005), the weight of the door closes with almost no effort and the soft close mechanisms never engage. Even my friends' 80+ yrs old grandmothers have no trouble closing the Phaeton doors....in fact, they almost always slam the doors, even after I tell them the doors will self close. Of course, after a year and a half of ownership, I am now able to close the door with just enough force to let the soft close mechanisms engage. With all do respect to all you fans out there, this is a novelty; and yes, I will admit to liking the novelty myself.
MY POINT: As nice as the soft close doors are, I would've rather them made the power trunk assist standard and the soft close doors optional, instead of vice-versa. Those of you with the manual trunk lid know about the 2-step process of opening and closing the trunk lid and the lack of an exterior button to open the trunk lid (to this day, I still have not encountered a car that does not have an exterior button to open the trunk lid). Of all the amazing innovations of the Phaeton, this engineering/common sense "blunder" still dumbfounds me.
If it weren't so costly and impractical, I would be estatic and first in line to switch features with anyone.


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## Realist42 (May 14, 2006)

*Re: (vivaitalia)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vivaitalia* »_... the lack of an exterior button to open the trunk lid (to this day, I still have not encountered a car that does not have an exterior button to open the trunk lid). Of all the amazing innovations of the Phaeton, this engineering/common sense "blunder" still dumbfounds me.


But, what about the button in the VW sign on the boot, surely that opens your boot as well?
rgds
Johan


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Photos re-hosted.

Michael


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

I know this is an ancient thread but I'm curious if someone has tried this retrofit by now? Now that I have an '04 parts car it would be perfect for doing a dry run on just one door to see if the soft door feature can be made to work.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Phaetonlvr said:


> I know this is an ancient thread but I'm curious if someone has tried this retrofit by now? Now that I have an '04 parts car it would be perfect for doing a dry run on just one door to see if the soft door feature can be made to work.


Stephan,

Are you willing to steal the parts from your 2005 (and risk breaking something) to try it? It would be better if the parts car was a 2005. 

-Eric


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> Are you willing to steal the parts from your 2005 (and risk breaking something) to try it? It would be better if the parts car was a 2005.
> 
> -Eric


No, I love the soft close doors on the '05 but I won't sacrifice any parts from it. I was thinking of buying a used door controller and the automatic latch for just one door and then trying to convert one door on my parts car to see how involved it is. I did a quick search on the controller part #s mentioned above and it seems like the controller is part of the window motor?! I might still give it a shot if I can get my hands on the parts at a reasonable price but it would help if someone has done this before, especially on any needed small parts or hardware.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Phaetonlvr said:


> No, I love the soft close doors on the '05 but I won't sacrifice any parts from it. I was thinking of buying a used door controller and the automatic latch for just one door and then trying to convert one door on my parts car to see how involved it is. I did a quick search on the controller part #s mentioned above and it seems like the controller is part of the window motor?! I might still give it a shot if I can get my hands on the parts at a reasonable price but it would help if someone has done this before, especially on any needed small parts or hardware.


I was wondering about this but since it wasn't offered before 2005, I doubt the door harness is wired for it. It's possible it uses the same connector, but you would probably have to string wires from the fuse box into the door harness. 

I suppose it is possible that VW was getting ready for this feature and the harnesses are the same, but that would be unusual. 

I am going to try to find the harnesses in parts diagrams to see if they have the same part numbers. However, the 2002-2004 harness might have been superseded by the new part number, so if they are the same part number now that doesn't necessarily mean anything. If the harness changed somewhere after the 2002 year but before 2004, there may be hope. 

-Erica

Before I crawl off to bed, I just remembered something else. I think the latch on the door and the latch on the door jamb are different also. You could compare how they look since you have a 2005 and a few 2004s.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I was wondering about this but since it wasn't offered before 2005, I doubt the door harness is wired for it. It's possible it uses the same connector, but you would probably have to string wires from the fuse box into the door harness.
> 
> I suppose it is possible that VW was getting ready for this feature and the harnesses are the same, but that would be unusual.
> 
> ...


Well, that didn't take long. This website lists all of the part numbers on the same page, no matter which year you choose. I noticed that before but forgot. 

Anyhow, the part number for the driver's door LHD with KESSY is 3D1971120D and the one for KESSY and Door Power Latch is 3D1971120E:

http://www.realoem.me/Volkswagen/USA/PHAE/2004/258/R/9/971/972035

A quick scan looks like the diagram and part numbers to be the same from 2002 - 2007 and in 2008 they change and are the same until 2016.

2002: http://www.realoem.me/Volkswagen/RDW/PHAE/2002/258/R/9/971/972035
& 2007: http://www.realoem.me/Volkswagen/RDW/PHAE/2007/258/R/9/971/972035

2008: http://www.realoem.me/Volkswagen/RDW/PHAE/2008/631/R/9/972/972035
& 2016: http://www.realoem.me/Volkswagen/RDW/PHAE/2016/710/R/9/972/972035


The official VWOA parts website is less than helpful about the KESSY + power close harness:

https://parts.vw.com/p/HARNESS/51454425/3D1971120E.html

3D1971120D is NLA according to the official VWOA online parts website:

https://parts.vw.com/p/HARNESS/51454421/3D1971120D.html

If you want to try, you can buy the E harness from vw parts outlet dot com for $225.40 or Jim Ellis for $ 235.20 or ECS Tuning for $259.38.


-Eric

I guess you could take the door apart on the parts car and see if you can see a label on the wiring harness. If it's a D, then you have a KESSY harness, if it's an E, you have the correct wiring (in the door anyway) for the soft close.

If you do go whole hog with this you are going to have to check the wiring to the fuse box also. I'm just not motivated enough to break out the Bentley right now.

Have fun!


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

Thanks for the research Eric. Definitely looks pretty involved and I would not attempt this with new parts due to cost. I have someone from Germany come over soon and figured he might bring me some spare parts because used Phaeton parts, especially for '04 - '06 models are plentiful there. However, I think this needs more research than I have time for right now so I'll put that project on the backburner for now until I have time to take the door panel off on my parts car and on the '05 to compare.


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## zoltan99 (Jul 22, 2013)

Warning: the photo at the top of this article is not pleasant, scroll past it before it loads.
http://jalopnik.com/owner-claims-225k-bentley-did-this-to-his-wifes-thumb-1385098656
Not sure why you would want the soft close doors. They're legitimately dangerous.
It's the only option I wouldn't want on my car, and that's only because of the lack of a safety feature.


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

I thought it's a pretty pointless option to have until I actually started driving an '05 with that feature. Now I love it and every time I drive one of my '04s, or any other car for that matter, it just feels so archaic to have to slam the door shut. It's also really nice at night when you don't have to slam the door and avoiding to wake up the neighbors.

I remember reading this on Jalopnik back in 2013 but there are a few issues with that whole lawsuit. Anyway, it's a feature that certainly requires the user to have some training or understanding of how it works. Essentially you NEED to close the door by the door handle and not by holding the door at the edge, that's how you get your fingers pinched but that's the same as on a regular door.


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## invisiblewave (Sep 22, 2008)

If the soft-close doors don't sense a thumb, they'd be the only system in the car that doesn't. I'd love to retrofit them! A quick read of the comments on that article tells you all you need to know.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

I can't recall ever slamming my thumb or finger in a car door, but people certainly don't need a soft close door to do it. 

It's probably easier to have a hand or digit slammed in a car door if one person has his hand in the way and another person is moving the door. 

My girlfriend closed the passenger window in her car when my hand was in the way. That's not Toyota's fault, that's her fault.

-Eric


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## dinsdale piranha (Mar 24, 2016)

*Reviving an old thread.*



Phaetonlvr said:


> Thanks for the research Eric. Definitely looks pretty involved and I would not attempt this with new parts due to cost. I have someone from Germany come over soon and figured he might bring me some spare parts because used Phaeton parts, especially for '04 - '06 models are plentiful there. However, I think this needs more research than I have time for right now so I'll put that project on the backburner for now until I have time to take the door panel off on my parts car and on the '05 to compare.


Hi Guys, Was wondering if anyone has attempted this yet.
I have an 04 w12 and a 06 v8 that I would like to swap the soft close/standard door control systems on. 
After looking at the pics of the door cards in the earlier posts, I'm thinking I can swap the complete door card assemblies and latches.
The mechanical end of this seems straight forward but I'm lost when it comes to the coding thats involved. 
I'm also in need of a wiring diagram or pinout diagram for the door system.
Advice, witticism and words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers Jeff


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

Alright, someone is finally going to attempt this! I've been wanting to do this conversion on both my '04 W12s but other projects always seem to have a higher priority.

I agree, the mechanical aspect shouldn't be too difficult. The electrical part involves different wiring as I understand it but I'd check if it involves the wiring going from the door to the body as that might be a little trickier to change. No idea about the coding changes.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

I wouldn't click on those realoem links. They don't seem to be working today anyway but a few years ago Norton stated blocking that site because it was full of trojan horses. 

The same drawings are in 7zap anyway:

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/usa/phaeton/phae/2006-258/9/971-972035/

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/usa/phaeton/phae/2006-258/9/971-972036/


Anyhow, if the wiring in your door has suffix E on the front harnesses and BH for the rear harnesses, the doors should be ready for the soft close retrofit. 

I would also check the other wiring sets to see if they have any references to "door power latch and kessy" or "power latching system".

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/usa/phaeton/phae/2006-258/9/


dinsdale piranha, do you have the Bentley manual? That will have the wiring differences. I don't know that it will have a pinout per-se but you should be able to compare 2004 and 2005 harnesses to see which wires were added and which pins the new wires went to. The Bentley should also show where the door harnesses are attached to the main harness or if they go to the back of the fuse box. 

The fuses and relays are in a .pdf file in post #16 of the fuse thread:

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3001224

The fuses for the door closing module are in the front fuse box. 

I would get prepared mentally to remove the dashboard if needed. 

I had the covers off the bottom of the dashboard on 7579 and could not get to the back of the fuse box. I didn't force it but it wasn't coming loose without a fight. I unscrewed it but it wouldn't come out from behind the bracketry. I was chasing wires from an aftermarket RADAR detector and some of the wires went behind the front fuse box. I determined that none were plugged into the fuse box anyway so I stopped short of forcing the fuse box out. 

I would also get mentally prepared for it taking longer than anticipated.


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## ravenflies (Oct 31, 2013)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I would get prepared mentally to remove the dashboard if needed.
> 
> I had the covers off the bottom of the dashboard on 7579 and could not get to the back of the fuse box. I didn't force it but it wasn't coming loose without a fight. I unscrewed it but it wouldn't come out from behind the bracketry. I was chasing wires from an aftermarket RADAR detector and some of the wires went behind the front fuse box. I determined that none were plugged into the fuse box anyway so I stopped short of forcing the fuse box out.
> 
> I would also get mentally prepared for it taking longer than anticipated.


VW workshop manual says dashboard out for removal of the fusebox but it is possible without that quite big effort. You have to find just the right position and angle to get it out and that will take some time but it will not take as long as removing the dashboard at all. I can’t remember if I had to remove some smaller part that was in the way but it was not that much anyway.

Lennart


Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk Pro


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

ravenflies said:


> VW workshop manual says dashboard out for removal of the fusebox but it is possible without that quite big effort. You have to find just the right position and angle to get it out and that will take some time but it will not take as long as removing the dashboard at all. I can’t remember if I had to remove some smaller part that was in the way but it was not that much anyway.
> 
> Lennart
> 
> ...


That's good to know Lennart. There is usually a way around taking something major out or apart. I just couldn't find the right way to maneuver the fuse box so it would come out. 

I found out the hard way that you don't have to take the main glove box door off to take the glove box itself out. 

If you do take the door off the glovebox, it's almost impossible to line it up correctly. 

The glove box door on 7579 is still a bit off and I spent hours on my back trying to get it right. 

-Eric


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## dinsdale piranha (Mar 24, 2016)

Phaetonlvr said:


> Alright, someone is finally going to attempt this! I've been wanting to do this conversion on both my '04 W12s but other projects always seem to have a higher priority.
> 
> I agree, the mechanical aspect shouldn't be too difficult. The electrical part involves different wiring as I understand it but I'd check if it involves the wiring going from the door to the body as that might be a little trickier to change. No idea about the coding changes.
> 
> Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.





53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I wouldn't click on those realoem links. They don't seem to be working today anyway but a few years ago Norton stated blocking that site because it was full of trojan horses.
> 
> The same drawings are in 7zap anyway:
> 
> ...





ravenflies said:


> VW workshop manual says dashboard out for removal of the fusebox but it is possible without that quite big effort. You have to find just the right position and angle to get it out and that will take some time but it will not take as long as removing the dashboard at all. I can’t remember if I had to remove some smaller part that was in the way but it was not that much anyway.
> 
> Lennart
> 
> ...


Hi Guys, Thanks for the advice ,it's much appreciated. I dread pulling the dash on either of these , as they are fully functional [ everything works!] mostly unmolested cars.

Today I looked at the controller coding on both cars. They are the same coding #40. The fuses for the soft close controllers appear to be incorporated with the circuit for the door controllers.

Tomorrow I will compare the wiring harneses in the rear doors. Maybe it will be a replay of the Great Paddle Shifter install discovery 2005. Plug and Play! That would be sweet. Worst case, I need to build some harneses it should be for the 04 car only. I'm gonna pretend I didn't read that part about pulling the dash. Nope, didn't see it!

I'm optimistic that with both cars in the shop together it will go smoothly. I'll keep ya'll updated. Wish me luck.

I was also wondering if anyone knew where to get a cheap or free copy of the Bentley manual?

Cheers Jeff :wave:


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

dinsdale piranha said:


> Hi Guys, Thanks for the advice ,it's much appreciated. I dread pulling the dash on either of these , as they are fully functional [ everything works!] mostly unmolested cars.
> 
> Today I looked at the controller coding on both cars. They are the same coding #40. The fuses for the soft close controllers appear to be incorporated with the circuit for the door controllers.
> 
> ...


I don't know of a cheap Bentley with wiring diagrams. However, you should be able to compare the harnesses in the doors to at least figure out if they are the same. We who have Bentleys can look up the other ends of the circuit and tell you where to modify. If a wire goes to a connector, we can tell you where to find it and how many wires it contains according to the Bentley.

It might take us a day or two to get back to you if you have questions though. 

The manual isn't available on the Bentley website any more.I think it's discontinued because VW stopped their agreement with Bentley Publishers several years ago and Microsoft stopped their support for Windows XP and Windows 2000. I was hoping they were revamping it to work with Windows 10, but it looks like it's gone for good. You might be able to find a copy on eBay but you will need XP to run it or an XP virtual machine on Windows 7.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

You could pay for erWin access. I don't know how much it is but you can choose different lengths of access up to a whole year. I am probably going to be doing this myself eventually because I have questions about the differences in the later models. (Wiring differences as a matter of fact.)

https://erwin.volkswagen.de/erwin/showHome.do

If you do decide to do this or another method that provides you with access to VW wiring diagrams, Bentley publishers has a guide to reading them:

https://wiki.bentleypublishers.com/display/tech/How+to+read+wiring+diagrams+-+Phaeton


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## Cmv94 (May 6, 2016)

I did this to my 2004 Phaeton when I had a 2005 parts car. You need all 4 door latches, the motors and cables that pull the doors closed, the door harnesses, the door modules (part of the window motor), and the window regulators if you dont want to cut holes in them for the closing motors (I used my dremel and a template to cut the holes and used self tapping screws to attach them, you can see where they are supposed to go). One power wire needs spliced. Wasnt too bad of a retrofit and they have been working flawlessly for the last like 9 months.


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## dinsdale piranha (Mar 24, 2016)

Cmv94 said:


> I did this to my 2004 Phaeton when I had a 2005 parts car. You need all 4 door latches, the motors and cables that pull the doors closed, the door harnesses, the door modules (part of the window motor), and the window regulators if you dont want to cut holes in them for the closing motors (I used my dremel and a template to cut the holes and used self tapping screws to attach them, you can see where they are supposed to go). One power wire needs spliced. Wasnt too bad of a retrofit and they have been working flawlessly for the last like 9 months.


Cmv94 Thank you . You're my Hero!:thumbup:
This is fantastic news. Just what i had hoped to discover. I was planning on swapping the complete door cards. 
Do you remember which wire it was by chance?
Cheers Jeff :wave:


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## Cmv94 (May 6, 2016)

I cant remember exactly but if you compare your current rear door wiring harness with the new one you will see the one extra wire. I just spliced it with the one right next to it. It should be red with some color stripe on it. The front door harness is a completely different story. I had to basically morph the two harnesses together since I could not find where they plug in inside the car. This is best completed with a parts car Haha.


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## dinsdale piranha (Mar 24, 2016)

Cmv94 said:


> I cant remember exactly but if you compare your current rear door wiring harness with the new one you will see the one extra wire. I just spliced it with the one right next to it. It should be red with some color stripe on it. The front door harness is a completely different story. I had to basically morph the two harnesses together since I could not find where they plug in inside the car. This is best completed with a parts car Haha.


Cmv94, Thanks again for your help. 
No parts cars so I gotta be very careful as they are both daily drivers.
Was there only one additional wire in the front doors also?
Today while I was installing the rebuilt steering column lock and Kessy on the 06 car I located the plugs for the door harness behind the A pillar cover very close to the E-brake pedal. 3 separate 10 pin plugs.
Cheers Jeff


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## Cmv94 (May 6, 2016)

As far as I can remember just one additional power wire on the fronts as well. If you ever get stuck feel free to send me a PM with some pictures and I can guide you in the right direction.


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## dinsdale piranha (Mar 24, 2016)

*Soft Close Doors (GZ2) are Plug and Play on 2004 NAR Phaeton*



Cmv94 said:


> As far as I can remember just one additional power wire on the fronts as well. If you ever get stuck feel free to send me a PM with some pictures and I can guide you in the right direction.


Hi Guys, Thanks for the help with this project. I swapped the drivers door assemblies. The retrofit is plug and play!:laugh: The main wiring loom is wired for soft close you just need the door harness , latch with cable and soft close controller. I was able to swap the complete door cards with lock still attached. You need to pull the harness thru the A pillar. Finesse and some 90lb steel fishing leader to pull it. You'll need to massage the bellows between the door and pillar to get it to choke down the 3 square plugs. Not much more to it. If you can change a window regulator, you can install soft close.
Cheers, Jeff :wave:


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

dinsdale piranha said:


> Hi Guys, Thanks for the help with this project. I swapped the drivers door assemblies. The retrofit is plug and play!:laugh: The main wiring loom is wired for soft close you just need the door harness , latch with cable and soft close controller. I was able to swap the complete door cards with lock still attached. You need to pull the harness thru the A pillar. Finesse and some 90lb steel fishing leader to pull it. You'll need to massage the bellows between the door and pillar to get it to choke down the 3 square plugs. Not much more to it. If you can change a window regulator, you can install soft close.
> Cheers, Jeff :wave:


That's great, Jeff.

It sounds like the paddle shifters all over again. Sorry I was being a Debbie Downer before. 

I tend to be pessimistic but prefer to think of myself as a pragmatist. 

-Eric


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

dinsdale piranha said:


> Hi Guys, Thanks for the help with this project. I swapped the drivers door assemblies. The retrofit is plug and play!:laugh: The main wiring loom is wired for soft close you just need the door harness , latch with cable and soft close controller. I was able to swap the complete door cards with lock still attached. You need to pull the harness thru the A pillar. Finesse and some 90lb steel fishing leader to pull it. You'll need to massage the bellows between the door and pillar to get it to choke down the 3 square plugs. Not much more to it. If you can change a window regulator, you can install soft close.
> Cheers, Jeff :wave:


Excellent news! Did you by any chance take note of the part numbers for the soft close door harness, latch and soft close controller? My parts car is an '04 so I'd have to buy those parts to get the conversion done on my other '04s. Thanks.


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## dinsdale piranha (Mar 24, 2016)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> That's great, Jeff.
> 
> It sounds like the paddle shifters all over again. Sorry I was being a Debbie Downer before.
> 
> ...





Cmv94 said:


> As far as I can remember just one additional power wire on the fronts as well. If you ever get stuck feel free to send me a PM with some pictures and I can guide you in the right direction.





Phaetonlvr said:


> Excellent news! Did you by any chance take note of the part numbers for the soft close door harness, latch and soft close controller? My parts car is an '04 so I'd have to buy those parts to get the conversion done on my other '04s. Thanks.


Hi Guys, I'm all done with the retrofit. Couldn't have done it without all your valuable info.

Eric, no Debbie downers here. Your information is greatly appreciated. We need all we can get when attempting something of this magnatude. We don't want to end up with a 5000lb shiny bricks in the drive! 

Here's what went down.
It took three days to swap 8 complete door cards with latches still attached.

Most door and trim panels needed at least 2 epoxy/wire mesh repairs. I use Devcon 2 ton home epoxy[2500psi] and a very fine stainless steel screen for reinforcement. This method is very strong.

I also discovered about 40 missing clips and screws, 2 broken regulator pulleys and one bad microswitch in a soft close latch between the 2 cars. Get some extra door hardware and 1 1/2" steel patio door pulleys for the window regulators ahead of time.

You'll need to pull the front door harness thru the A pillar. I use #90 steel fishing leader.

The rear doors have a primary harness and a small secondary harness that runs thru the B pillar between the door and the main harness, terminating behind the B pillar cover. If you dont have the secondary harness you can splice the red/blue wire and the red/gray wire in the black plug on the rear door harness. Both wires end at the same fuse. 
I feel that splicing these wires is fine because normal people don't operate the windows and the door latches at the same time and also the draw of the soft close controller is very low. 
Window motor wire [red/grey] is #12, Soft close motor wire [red/blue] is #16 

Disconnect bowden cable from the door handles and remove 2 screws that hold the latch to the door. Then the latch assembly is removed intact with the door card. Also make a little wire hook to grab the bowden cable inside door when installing. Big time saver. 

You'll need to cut a couple holes and install a few nutserts in the aluminum door card for the soft close controller. I didn't need to do this but I guarantee it's easy peasy.

Here's a few part# Front left latch-3D1 837 015 AK, Front right window motor-3D1 959 702 k, Front right soft close controller-3D0 837 059 b 

We hit a Home Run with this project boys. Wahoo! 
Thanks again
Jeff


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## Phaetonlvr (Feb 26, 2013)

Glad it worked out fine. I'm definitely going to try this conversion on one of my W12s this summer. Thanks for the part numbers!


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Wow. Glad it worked out, Jeff. Glad somebody had the stones to do this.


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## hpi (Apr 3, 2019)

So can you just buy an used soft closing door change the door latch and it works ?


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## PowerDubs (Jul 22, 2001)

hpi said:


> So can you just buy an used soft closing door change the door latch and it works ?





Bahahaha- no.


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## hpi (Apr 3, 2019)

PowerDubs said:


> Bahahaha- no.


so what exactly do you need if you buy a soft closing door


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## 73blazer (Feb 19, 2020)

hpi said:


> so what exactly do you need if you buy a soft closing door


Dont take this the wrong way, it's not a negative stmt in any regard. But why do you want this? I have this on my car and I cannot find a usefullness for it. I'm a big fan of features and making use of them, but soft close doors....on this car especialy? I have to expend more effort to close the door "softly" then to just shut the door. That is because the phaetons check gates require a certain amount of force to get passed them, because the doors are huge and heavy, once you expend that amount of force to begin shutting the door, it will close all the way normaly. To close it softly I actualy have to then grab the handle and pull back as it's shutting and gently engage the soft feature. I'm really curious what the use case is.


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## PowerDubs (Jul 22, 2001)

Interestingly enough- because of the weight, as you mentioned- it is very easy for the doors to slam shut.

So I find myself being careful not to slam the door- and if the soft close isn't working, then the car can be ajar some times.

But yea- mostly it is just a 'fancy' feature that most cars didn't have 15 years ago. 

But a lot of what was high level back then is on much more common and cheaper cars these days.


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## hpi (Apr 3, 2019)

Not a big fan of slamming the doors, also any passengers i take they take atleast 2 or 3 times to shut the door because they are afraid to slam it.


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