Removing and installing convertible top latch motor — VW
Removing and installing convertible top latch motor on VW: 8 steps. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.
The convertible top latch motor on the platform codes listed below (5C1, 5C7) is a small job once the latch itself is out, but the motor has to engage its shaft in the right position. With the convertible top latch removed, the motor's bolts come out and the motor is pulled off the shaft and swung out of its mounting. Before the new motor goes on, the shaft is turned to roughly its centre position. The motor is then pushed about 10 mm onto the shaft until the splines engage, swung into the bracket, pushed fully home and bolted. If the splines are forced or the shaft is left at one end of its travel, the latch will not lock and release properly, so take your time over that one step.
🧭 Before you start
Remove the convertible top latch, unscrew the motor bolts and pull the motor off its shaft, swinging it out of the mounting. Turn the shaft roughly to its centre position, push the motor about 10 mm onto the shaft so the splines engage, swing it into the bracket and push it fully on. Tighten the bolt and refit the latch.
Fits: platform codes 5C7, 5C1
Don't miss
- Turn the shaft roughly to its centre position before fitting the motor.
- Engage the splines with the motor about 10 mm onto the shaft before swinging it into the bracket.
- Push the motor fully onto the shaft only once it sits in the bracket.
- General practice: cycle the roof after refitting to confirm the latch locks and releases cleanly.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
📋 Procedure
- Remove convertible top latch .
- Unscrew bolts (1).
- Pull convertible top latch motor (2) off shaft (3) and swivel it out of mounting (4).
- Turn shaft (3) approximately to centre position.
- Push convertible roof lock motor (2) about 10 mm onto shaft so that splines engage.
- Then swing motor into bracket (4) and push completely onto shaft (3).
- Tighten bolt (1).
- Install convertible top latch .
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
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The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.