Door Lock Help

i2ichal2dZ4M · 02-04-2014, 05:00 PM

I have search and wasn't able to find a similar post. My passenger door can not be manually unlocked/opened using the inside door handle (seems very dangerous btw incase of a fire). It will unlock when I use the remote and center button, but the passenger door will make a double tap noise (it didn't previously). Once unlocked, both the inside and outside handles function normally. When trying to unlock the door from the inside handle it just pushes the lock button up, but when I let go to unlock it it falls all the way down back into the lock position. Has anybody ever experienced this?

the dink · 02-04-2014, 10:37 PM

Never had it happen to me. Regardless you will have to pull door panel off, or your auto shop will. Maybe once you are able to see inside you will figure it out. Sorry for not helping much.

chickdr · 02-05-2014, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i2ichal2dZ4M

I have search and wasn't able to find a similar post. My passenger door can not be manually unlocked/opened using the inside door handle (seems very dangerous btw incase of a fire). It will unlock when I use the remote and center button, but the passenger door will make a double tap noise (it didn't previously). Once unlocked, both the inside and outside handles function normally. When trying to unlock the door from the inside handle it just pushes the lock button up, but when I let go to unlock it it falls all the way down back into the lock position. Has anybody ever experienced this?

Yes- common issue. The Bowden cable is out of place and needs to be adjusted. remove the door panel and take a look.

i2ichal2dZ4M · 02-05-2014, 11:26 PM

I was able to fix it today! Or it may have just been luck! At one point today, I wasn't even able to get the door to unlock at all. The remote/center button no longer either because it seemed like it wouldn't fully diengage the locking pin (it worked previous day!). Frustrated and annoyed I banged the panel a few times and tried to open it again, no luck. I then tried to time the door unlock sequence with remote (actuator was still functioning and attempting to unlock) with pulling the handle to see if i can get the damn door open. After a few tries, it miraculously caught, door unlocked and popped open! Not sure how but it fixed itself! Seems like something may have been misaligned or not seated properly, but I got lucky! Or the car saw that I had borrowed my friends interior removal tools and knew it was going in for surgery and it got scared. Hope nobody has this problem because it was frustrating.

elerner61 · 02-06-2014, 09:21 AM

It's a German car....nothing fixes itself. You might still want to pop off the door cover and take a look around. 45 minutes of time that might be very well spent. If it goes south and you can't even open the door (happened to a previous poster) nevermind unlock it that's going to be a huge headache.

ZeD4Mr · 02-06-2014, 11:39 AM

^ WHS!

Like you mentioned in your own post, you don't want to door not to open in case of emergency. It takes 10 mins to take off the door panel.

Procedure Here

i2ichal2dZ4M · 02-06-2014, 08:25 PM

I should check it out soon. I didn't forget to mention that problem happened after I went off at the last track weekend, lol. So it didn't really randomly fail. Thanks for the tips and links! will update when I can.

elerner61 · 05-28-2014, 10:49 AM

i2ichal2dZ4M, did you ever figure out what the source of the problem was and rectify it?

My driver's outside door handle seems to be taking a little higher effort lately to get to the "POP" where the door opens. I'm thinking of pro-actively changing the bowden cable perhaps or lubricating the locking mechanism (system latch).

One thing I don't understand is when you pull on the outside door handle what connects the door handle to the system latch? When you pull on the inside door handle I can see that the bowden cable connects it to the system latch? Diagram below.

I'd really like to avoid not being able to open the door.

Thoughts?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...77&hg=41&fg=40

chickdr · 06-01-2014, 10:49 AM

Your plan is right on track. Others have found the Bowden cable is the culprit as it can get out of the track it sits in. You may not need a new cable, but just to make sure it is aligned properly.

i2ichal2dZ4M · 06-01-2014, 11:12 AM

Door still working normally with no issues. Because its my passenger door im not as worried and havent touched it. keep me posted and some DIY if you attempt this!

midlo · 07-04-2014, 07:01 PM

This just happened to me. Same scenario as OP. Almost gave up to take to shop, but happened to get the unlock to catch while pulling on the handle so I could open the door. While I was fiddling with the door and locks up and down it appeared the door was not actually closed all the way. Although the seam on the outside looked square, if you firmly pushed and pulled on the door from the inside you could feel something was not tight. So, after finally getting the door open and checking out the latching mechanism in the door I found that there are 3 steps or clicks in the rotator to that thing latching correctly. The third step or click is just a fraction more of a turn on the latch than the first and second clicks. So I believe what is happening in many of these circumstances is that the door is not fully latching, or only getting past the second click, which then does not allow the unlocking mechanism to engage and release the lock. I did try pushing on the door at times but it didn't seem to be making a difference. The OP running his coupe off the track might have jarred that door loose back to the second click on the latch. Might have been some body twisting or other stressors that allowed that to happen. In my case I think I just need to ensure a firm two-handed door closing to be sure the latch fully rotated to lock. Just an observation. Maybe a find. Thanks.

02-04-2014, 05:00 PM	#1
i2ichal2dZ4M Lieutenant 63 Rep 516 Posts Drives: 2007 BSM Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (1)	Door Lock Help I have search and wasn't able to find a similar post. My passenger door can not be manually unlocked/opened using the inside door handle (seems very dangerous btw incase of a fire). It will unlock when I use the remote and center button, but the passenger door will make a double tap noise (it didn't previously). Once unlocked, both the inside and outside handles function normally. When trying to unlock the door from the inside handle it just pushes the lock button up, but when I let go to unlock it it falls all the way down back into the lock position. Has anybody ever experienced this? __________________ 2007 BSM Z4M Coupe - 18" VOLK TE37 - 18" Apex ARC-8 - GC Track/Street
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02-04-2014, 10:37 PM	#2
the dink Private First Class 10 Rep 104 Posts Drives: 2005 Z4 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Idaho iTrader: (0)	Never had it happen to me. Regardless you will have to pull door panel off, or your auto shop will. Maybe once you are able to see inside you will figure it out. Sorry for not helping much.
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02-05-2014, 11:26 PM	#4
i2ichal2dZ4M Lieutenant 63 Rep 516 Posts Drives: 2007 BSM Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (1)	I was able to fix it today! Or it may have just been luck! At one point today, I wasn't even able to get the door to unlock at all. The remote/center button no longer either because it seemed like it wouldn't fully diengage the locking pin (it worked previous day!). Frustrated and annoyed I banged the panel a few times and tried to open it again, no luck. I then tried to time the door unlock sequence with remote (actuator was still functioning and attempting to unlock) with pulling the handle to see if i can get the damn door open. After a few tries, it miraculously caught, door unlocked and popped open! Not sure how but it fixed itself! Seems like something may have been misaligned or not seated properly, but I got lucky! Or the car saw that I had borrowed my friends interior removal tools and knew it was going in for surgery and it got scared. Hope nobody has this problem because it was frustrating. __________________ 2007 BSM Z4M Coupe - 18" VOLK TE37 - 18" Apex ARC-8 - GC Track/Street
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02-06-2014, 09:21 AM	#5
elerner61 Major 157 Rep 1,107 Posts Drives: '07 Z4M Roadster Join Date: May 2011 Location: Mount Kisco, NY iTrader: (0)	It's a German car....nothing fixes itself. You might still want to pop off the door cover and take a look around. 45 minutes of time that might be very well spent. If it goes south and you can't even open the door (happened to a previous poster) nevermind unlock it that's going to be a huge headache.
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02-06-2014, 11:39 AM	#6
ZeD4Mr Lieutenant Colonel 502 Rep 1,543 Posts Drives: Skyer Z4MR Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada iTrader: (18)	^ WHS! Like you mentioned in your own post, you don't want to door not to open in case of emergency. It takes 10 mins to take off the door panel. Procedure Here
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02-06-2014, 08:25 PM	#7
i2ichal2dZ4M Lieutenant 63 Rep 516 Posts Drives: 2007 BSM Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (1)	I should check it out soon. I didn't forget to mention that problem happened after I went off at the last track weekend, lol. So it didn't really randomly fail. Thanks for the tips and links! will update when I can. __________________ 2007 BSM Z4M Coupe - 18" VOLK TE37 - 18" Apex ARC-8 - GC Track/Street
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05-28-2014, 10:49 AM	#8
elerner61 Major 157 Rep 1,107 Posts Drives: '07 Z4M Roadster Join Date: May 2011 Location: Mount Kisco, NY iTrader: (0)	i2ichal2dZ4M, did you ever figure out what the source of the problem was and rectify it? My driver's outside door handle seems to be taking a little higher effort lately to get to the "POP" where the door opens. I'm thinking of pro-actively changing the bowden cable perhaps or lubricating the locking mechanism (system latch). One thing I don't understand is when you pull on the outside door handle what connects the door handle to the system latch? When you pull on the inside door handle I can see that the bowden cable connects it to the system latch? Diagram below. I'd really like to avoid not being able to open the door. Thoughts? http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...77&hg=41&fg=40
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06-01-2014, 10:49 AM	#9
chickdr Lieutenant Colonel 140 Rep 1,991 Posts Drives: 2006 M Roadster Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buford, GA iTrader: (0)	Your plan is right on track. Others have found the Bowden cable is the culprit as it can get out of the track it sits in. You may not need a new cable, but just to make sure it is aligned properly.
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06-01-2014, 11:12 AM	#10
i2ichal2dZ4M Lieutenant 63 Rep 516 Posts Drives: 2007 BSM Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (1)	Door still working normally with no issues. Because its my passenger door im not as worried and havent touched it. keep me posted and some DIY if you attempt this! __________________ 2007 BSM Z4M Coupe - 18" VOLK TE37 - 18" Apex ARC-8 - GC Track/Street
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07-04-2014, 07:01 PM	#11
midlo Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 03 Z4 3.0i Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Southern Oregon iTrader: (0)	This just happened to me. Same scenario as OP. Almost gave up to take to shop, but happened to get the unlock to catch while pulling on the handle so I could open the door. While I was fiddling with the door and locks up and down it appeared the door was not actually closed all the way. Although the seam on the outside looked square, if you firmly pushed and pulled on the door from the inside you could feel something was not tight. So, after finally getting the door open and checking out the latching mechanism in the door I found that there are 3 steps or clicks in the rotator to that thing latching correctly. The third step or click is just a fraction more of a turn on the latch than the first and second clicks. So I believe what is happening in many of these circumstances is that the door is not fully latching, or only getting past the second click, which then does not allow the unlocking mechanism to engage and release the lock. I did try pushing on the door at times but it didn't seem to be making a difference. The OP running his coupe off the track might have jarred that door loose back to the second click on the latch. Might have been some body twisting or other stressors that allowed that to happen. In my case I think I just need to ensure a firm two-handed door closing to be sure the latch fully rotated to lock. Just an observation. Maybe a find. Thanks.
	Appreciate 0 Quote