One door will not lock or unlock?

[Russell]

My driver's side rear door will not lock or unlock with the key or remote. Does not matter if temperature is warm or cold.

Where to start to find the problem. Could there be an open fuse affecting only one door, actuator bad, broken wire, bad electical connection?

Just not sure how the door locking system is designed. ETK and Bentley seems hard to understand and It seems the later e34s may be different.

TIA

[tim]

Will it unlock if you do it manually? If so I would think actuator. Does the handle work normally? I wish I could take a snap of the etk for you. Are you comfortable taking the door panel off?

[Russell]

However, It just needs to be a bit warmer for me to deal with it. I can push the door lock "button" down and pull it up at will. It willstay in whatever position I leave it. So I push it down when I lock the car. reach around and pull it up when i need ot get in the back seat. I can check my etk, but I mayhave missed the proper section,

Thanks


Will it unlock if you do it manually? If so I would think actuator. Does the handle work normally? I wish I could take a snap of the etk for you. Are you comfortable taking the door panel off?

[tim]

That clears it up. actuator I'd say.

[paschalisg]

Is The Black Motor Mechanism Into The Door Panel?

[Russell]

Take the door panel off. Check and clean electicial connections etc. and test. If this does not fix teh problem, order an actuator from BMA. May try to see if there is anything I can do with the actuator first. I like to fix things without spending money!

Thanks again



That clears it up. actuator I'd say.

[Javier]

It is somehow plugged on to the actuator body, and its connection may become weak and dirty with time. Sometimes shaking the car in the road solves it (very easy to do with the craters in Caracas roads), if serious and permanent, then you may want to remove the actuator, open it and do some cleaning on the contacts of the motor. If you like to work with small mechanics, it will be a piece of cake.

Also clean the plug to the actuator itself, and the connector in the harness inside the door. Once cleaned, check continuity from pin 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 (see picture) at the actuator plug, depending on the actuator open/close stage.

You may want to leave the actuator opening as a last resource. If cleaning all the plugs/sockets fail. There is no reason to replace the actuator unless burnt motor, damaged micro-switch, or broken gears

Javier

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

The ETK is the Electronic Technical Katalog. A cool CD/online dtatbase that has tons of exploded diagrams and parts

The Black motor doo dad is the lock actuator.

[Javier]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD21&mospid=47383&prod=19920100&btnr=41_0819&hg=41&fg=45

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Hey...

Then what the heck is # 13?

[Javier]

in up to 9/91 models.

Javier

[tim]

Good, then I say take the little sucker out and start fiddling with it. If you get to the point where you think you might not get it to work, order the part. There's this stuff called electrical contact cleaner which is basically safe brake cleaner, that did wonders on my radio volume control pot. Leave the door locked until then.


Take the door panel off. Check and clean electicial connections etc. and test. If this does not fix teh problem, order an actuator from BMA. May try to see if there is anything I can do with the actuator first. I like to fix things without spending money!

Thanks again

[Russell]

Pretty sure there is dirt or something gummy in the gears along with the cold/humidity causing the problem. I can hear a motor or actuator trying to work. Hope to get at it this weekend. Thanks for the advice


Good, then I say take the little sucker out and start fiddling with it. If you get to the point where you think you might not get it to work, order the part. There's this stuff called electrical contact cleaner which is basically safe brake cleaner, that did wonders on my radio volume control pot. Leave the door locked until then.

[Russell]

great advice -thanks