Anyone in Berlin help me with my 525 touring, 1400km from home in England!

[cooljules]

Im in Berlin now, but yesterday was at some camping site in Dresden, packed the car and closed the boot lid (touring) it wouldnt lock, infact it would stay closed!

I had to use some rope from the tow bar to the rear wiper arm. but of course the rubber seal isnt good so exhaust fumes are getting in..i had to drive with all the windows down, and stop a few times, but im with my dog so not too good!

I had a better look, the 'motor' is ok, i can hear it, but its like...i cant tell for sure, i dont have many tools, and the part is fixed to the boot lid, maybe a spring has broke, so it doesnt pull back and then grab the metal bar to keep it closed, when you close it you do not hear the 'click' as to know its shut secure...you can just lift it open.

Im at a friends house in E Berlin, im due to get my dog injected for the trip home, which must be done Thur!!! At the moment the car is on the street, i removed the rope...as people would see it, and know they only have to cut it to get access to the car.

I am at Lichtenberg, my german handi nummer is 017667637386

If anyone knows a schrottplatz??? and can help me sort it and help me fix it, would for ever be in your dept! i cant afford to pay a garage, or get the part new from BMW...but i can pay with a bottle of Polish wodka i picked up last week!!

I have a bently manual, which i looked at, but no use...and it looks like the metal casing is sealed, so i think i will need one from another old car.

Nothing is jammed or trapped...

hope someone can help, i have a set time frame, for getting my dog injected, the ferry, and the number plate is coverd a little by the rope and with the fumes, i cannot risk it.

take a look here, www.julianhales.co.uk

Im due back in Sheffield at the weekend, as it stands i have just enough money for food for a couple of days...

[Ferret]

I've had this exact problem on my tourer - it's caused by bits of the toolkit mountings breaking off inside the back plastic cover, and neatly dropping down into the back of the lock mechanism.

You have to strip off the plastic casing from the inside of the touring hatch... which takes about 30 minutes, then get a piece of wire or something in the back of the locking mechanism.

First: try opening the rear door to its full height, then give the bottom of the locking mechanism a firm smack with something heavy and metal - but dont hit it too hard or you'll break it. Try having someone press the release button at the same time and wiggle the mechanism with a screwdriver. It usually ends up as a piece of plastic that's 4mm by 6mm that's just dropped into the mechanism...

[Ross]

If you are sure the latch hasn't closed somehow preventing it from grabbing the striker, and the striker is in place and not bent then replace the latch..
Mine had somewhere along the line been jammed, slammed and slightly deformed over the years and would always require a slam to shut, usually more than once, sometimes just refused unless slammed really hard.
I decided to replace the latch before having to replace the back glass.
All is well now, a gentle push and it clicks shut first time.
Part #51-24-8-120-847, $60 U.S. Not difficult to change.

[cooljules]

I've had this exact problem on my tourer - it's caused by bits of the toolkit mountings breaking off inside the back plastic cover, and neatly dropping down into the back of the lock mechanism.

You have to strip off the plastic casing from the inside of the touring hatch... which takes about 30 minutes, then get a piece of wire or something in the back of the locking mechanism.

First: try opening the rear door to its full height, then give the bottom of the locking mechanism a firm smack with something heavy and metal - but dont hit it too hard or you'll break it. Try having someone press the release button at the same time and wiggle the mechanism with a screwdriver. It usually ends up as a piece of plastic that's 4mm by 6mm that's just dropped into the mechanism...

thanks, i will try that. i did spend about 30 min trying to the the plastic casing off to get a better look, but after 30 min in the baking sun, i was sweating and stinking like a pig and no energy left.

I dont have the 2 pistons arms on, i use a broom to keep the lid open, when i bought the car last year there was only one and it didnt work. They were too expensive from GSF at the time to replace, and got by for a year, just bloody heavy to lift.

I have removed all the screws, inc all the hidden ones, but i couldnt get the plastic off, so i will another go, i ran out of light last night, i couldnt get the plastic cover to come away, even with a thin scroggy to help lever it.

[cooljules]

If you are sure the latch hasn't closed somehow preventing it from grabbing the striker, and the striker is in place and not bent then replace the latch..
Mine had somewhere along the line been jammed, slammed and slightly deformed over the years and would always require a slam to shut, usually more than once, sometimes just refused unless slammed really hard.
I decided to replace the latch before having to replace the back glass.
All is well now, a gentle push and it clicks shut first time.
Part #51-24-8-120-847, $60 U.S. Not difficult to change.

i have never had to slam it hard.

Whats a striker? i guess its a US term. you mean the bar that is grabbed by the arm in the latch?

[Omega]

Whats a striker? i guess its a US term. you mean the bar that is grabbed by the arm in the latch?
Correct.

Can you push the claw (arm) back to the locked position and does it lock in place? If it feels stiff or doesn't latch, spray some WD40 - or a derivative (even Vodka) into the lock mechanism. It may just be clogged with cr4p..

Personally if it were mine, I'd pry the plastic off from inside the boot and see if the lock is knackared. Any damage to the plastic can be repaired later.

If the lock is broken I would buy (or borrow) some self tapping screws and screw the boot into the car body from the inside. Then fix it when you get home. Do not risk driving 1400km's with CO leaking into the car, especially as it will affect Arthur more than you.

Have a good and safe trip back.

[cooljules]

Correct.

Can you push the claw (arm) back to the locked position and does it lock in place? If it feels stiff or doesn't latch, spray some WD40 - or a derivative (even Vodka) into the lock mechanism. It may just be clogged with cr4p..

Personally if it were mine, I'd pry the plastic off from inside the boot and see if the lock is knackared. Any damage to the plastic can be repaired later.

If the lock is broken I would buy (or borrow) some self tapping screws and screw the boot into the car body from the inside. Then fix it when you get home. Do not risk driving 1400km's with CO leaking into the car, especially as it will affect Arthur more than you.

Have a good and safe trip back.

Hey


When it happend, i was in Dresden, thats about 110 miles from Berlin. I once was overcome by CO fumes, 15 years ago, i just remember seeing dragons and mosters as i was driving, the other 3 in the car were knocked out, luckily i had taken my foot off the accelerator and came to a stop on the motorway, the exhaust had cracked next to the downpipe and got in. Last night i drove with all the windows open and stopped many times, esp for the dog it the back, stopped at reststops and let him run around, i was eating sweets, and could sense a funny taste.

This afternoon, i got online with e34.de and chatted to some Germans, theres a guy tomorrow, who has one and is willing to help me fit it etc. which is good, 20quid, my written German was poor (ny english aint much better), so i could describe the problem and what i needed...i didnt make myself clear, that there might be a bit of plastic jammed, which to try first, rather than just getting one...but if it solves the problem, im happy, the dogs happy, then ok.


I would have been willing to stay longer, even without money, as i wouldnt risk the dogs health or other road users

Yesterday at the time, i had taken out all the screws, in view and hidden behind panels, just to get to the metal skin and a better look, but i couldnt pry it off, but with some help tomorrow im sure it will be ok...

The straps and ropes were really tight, but as you can imagine, without the actual mechinism pulling and holding tight, just a mm or 2, so the rubber wasnt sealed, was enough to let the fumes in.

BTW this is the car i got last Aug, off UK ebay for 600quid, with 277,000 on the clock, this is my third trip and done over 12k in europe and never missed a beat, seems to run better in Germany for some reason, maybe it knows its home :)

Odd little nigly things, like display pops up now and again, rear brake light problem, sometimes it ticks over bad...and recently, when i take my food off the gas (its a auto) it revs higher, say2 or 3krpm, and i use my foot to lift the gas pedal a bit higher. i have a feeling it could be throttle cable getting weaker and streched, but generaly the car is great, good high speeds on the autobahn fully laden.

I have a black 525 salloon, big alloys and looks good, with eipach springs etc, if i could tighten up the handling on the touring, i would love it...but not in its colour now of met red....

Oh yeah, i couldnt self tap it closed, until i got home, the car is my home (part camping trip) some nights, and all my stuff is in there...plus at borders in Poland etc, where i have to go, it looks a bit dodgy if i cant open it...haha

[cooljules]

met up with a local guy i spoke to on e34.de we dismantled the cover, took off the unit and amaying there was a long bolt in there, jamming it, the hole it got in, was a fraction bigger, and i couldnt have dropped a bolt from a foot or 2 into that hold in a 1000 times...now its all sorted!