door-lock cylinder removal and switch (?)

[timandbim]

hey guys - is there a trick to removing a door-lock cylinder? my car is in the garage for some pretty serious bodywork (i will post on this later- i knew all about it when i bought the car this summer) and both front doors replaced (errr, i will also post later) but for now i need to exchange lock cylinders on the doors so as to keep my old ones. my mechanic says this is very difficult (and more importantly 'time-consuming') and he is trustworthy but i certainly don't want to ask him to do anything he doesn't want to do while the meter is on. anyway, i'm going down there (on the bus:() tomorrow and if i could do it in pit-stop record time it would make my life a whole lot easier. my bentley manual is there so i can reference it, but tips would be greatly appreciated, he won't want me farting around in his shop too much.

also- apparently a plastic contact switch assembly 'just fell apart' for the switch that activates the interior lights on the passenger side door. (i think he's pissed about this and it's why he doesn't want to change the locks) i can't find this switch on realoem, do you guys know what he is talking about? and can i bypass just that switch so i don't have to buy the $65 replacement?

i could really use your help on this one, folks - i have to send the old doors back (with a set of locks) as soon as this is done...
and i keep missing the ????ing bus! aaargh!

[rob101]

http://evansweb.info/articles/2003/01/18/door-lock-barrel-replacement
its a link that's off shogun's page the e32 will be slightly different.
It'll be worth searching for in the e36 bentley (there's a procedure in there) also as the e34 has the similar outer door handle and lock cylinder so the removal process is probably the same as the e36 (look for outer door handle removal also http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232798 ) it requires on the e36 for you to slide a part to release the outer handle. then you can undo a collar on the lock cylinder.

[timandbim]

that would be great if i could just slide the whole thing off for now and send back the doors without, i will be able to take the handles back later. hopefully they are the same on the e34....

[timandbim]

now i have a project for the summer. in the meantime i have (check that... will soon have) a car with three keys! (only the trunk lock is original now) hardly record time but it was straightforward enough for me to finish without pissing anyone off. the hardest part was sliding the lock activator out and then squeezing the lock part past the window glide. nice of them to let me do it there, i must say.

thanks again, rob... and shogun for the original post.

[rob101]

errr... whoops...
glad i could help out. may I suggest perhaps thinking about Rekeying your locks this is not difficult and a believe the the e32 link goes through it in detail door rekey kits can be had for $30 USD a lock you may be then able to get it down to 1 or 2 keys

[genphreak]

glad i could help out. may I suggest perhaps thinking about Rekeying your locks this is not difficult and a believe the the e32 link goes through it in detail door rekey kits can be had for $30 USD a lock you may be then able to get it down to 1 or 2 keysJust did this on mine, one lock was screwdrivered by an unexperienced thief- so had to turf it. I simply got a replacement handle and lock assembly from the wrecker, removed teh old one form the door (the hardest part) and then removed what remained of the lock cylinder.

Got the replacement unit, removed cylinder from that too. Dismantled the sliders that the key profile moves when you put it in the lock, taking care to get the set that remained in the old lock into the new one in precisely the same order. Since they are spring loaded and the grease sticky this can be hard without losing them or at least the order, so one has to be very careful.

Once what remained of the old ones were transferred, check the key in the cylinder to make sure none of them poke out, once the key is inserted (again hard without losing siders). Then, through trial and error, one can use the sliders left over from the replacement lock to make up the difference (The sliders are all numbered to make this easier, 23 is for a low section in the key profile, 10 for a high one with variances in between)

All in all, that took an hour to get right. If any stick out a little you can always file them down flat to ensure smooth as silk operation.

Hardest part is definately the door handle, but I didn't look up the procedure - no doubt there is a gotcha in the process I didn't work out.

:) Nick

[timandbim]

i think i will just switch the lock cylinders. i have the key for the 'new' doors for now - wouldn't that be a lot easier? (and save me buying a kit) i can't think of any reason that wouldn't work. thanks for the advice, though.

[genphreak]

i think i will just switch the lock cylinders. i have the key for the 'new' doors for now - wouldn't that be a lot easier? (and save me buying a kit) i can't think of any reason that wouldn't work. thanks for the advice, though.Yep, certainly its easy that way. It's only if they are damaged where you might want to change them. Beware changing the cylinders though: the cam mechanism behind the lock cylinder needs to go back the same way... and the little levers in the cylinder are held in place by old grease, so beware them flying...