Flat battery - can't unlock doors!

[pundit]

Well silly me left my park lights on last night and flattened the battery. The problem is the 'emergency' unlock procedure doesn't work. I've lifted the handle prior to turning the key to the unlock position but the internal door lock button only moves up slighty but not enough to unlock the door. Same applies to both doors. Er... Help please! Cheers

[Tiger]

Jack up the car and hook up the positive to the starter if you can... no need for humongous jumper cable type... but a thick wire with alligator clip... and hook up the jumper cable to that wire and ground to chassis (make sure it contact metal... not else.) This is so you can unlock your door... then you will pop your hood and do the normal jump start.

Perhaps all of us should hook up a wire from the jump post to somewhere accessible when locked out but protected from shorting.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Can you open the trunk? If so

Try hook up 12v to the trunk lights and power up the car.

Good luck

[pundit]

Jack up the car and hook up the positive to the starter if you can... no need for humongous jumper cable type... but a thick wire with alligator clip... and hook up the jumper cable to that wire and ground to chassis (make sure it contact metal... not else.) This is so you can unlock your door... then you will pop your hood and do the normal jump start.

Perhaps all of us should hook up a wire from the jump post to somewhere accessible when locked out but protected from shorting.
Thanks guys. Jacked it up and hooked up 12 volts from two series 6 volt batteries to the battery connection on the starter solenoid. It was enough to unlock the car. I'm going to fit an auxiliary 12 volt socket to somewhere in the trunk which will connect directly to the battery. Then it's just a case of plugging into that if/when this happens again. ;)

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

A socket from the trunk down to the wiring under back seat would be a great solution

[pundit]

A socket from the trunk down to the wiring under back seat would be a great solution
That's exactly what I was contemplating.

[Tiger]

Great Idea! I didn't think of the trunk.... a cigarette light socket would do the trick and safely! I would upgrade the wire to a thcker gauge and don't forget the fuse for it placed next to the socket for easy check/replacement.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Cigarette lighter socket....That's perfect!

You could also use it for other cool stuff too. Emergency light, power invertor, TV, Etc.

And of course who ever is taking a ride in the trunk with a shovel can enjoy a smoke. (dark joke)

[crashnburn80]

BMW did think of this and there is a much easier way to get into your car if your battery dies. The following is from BMWe34.net, it worked for me when my battery died.

My battery is dead, I am lock out, how do I unlock the doors?
• To unlock the passenger door, turn the key past the normal unlock position while raising the door handle. Release handle and lift again to open the door.

[Tiger]

Alot of people find this not working... the reason is previous owners removed the physical linkage because that is also the way to break into the car without key.

[pundit]

BMW did think of this and there is a much easier way to get into your car if your battery dies. The following is from BMWe34.net, it worked for me when my battery died.

My battery is dead, I am lock out, how do I unlock the doors?
• To unlock the passenger door, turn the key past the normal unlock position while raising the door handle. Release handle and lift again to open the door.
That was the problem. It didn't work. I tested this procedure when I got the car and had the battery disconnected. Insert key, lift handle and then turn key fully clockwiseand VOILA! ... door unlocks. After flattening the battery due to leaving my parkers on overnight, I thought oh well I'll just use the standard 'No power' unlock procedure. But for some reason both doors wouldn't unlock. When I tried using the key the button moved up slightly but I was unable to turn the key a full 90 degrees clockwise. I think what may have happened is the door actuators may have moved very slightly when I first tried to unlock the doors (with the flat battery) but obviously not enough to unlock the doors. My feeling is they stalled in that partial position and that caused the locking mechanism to 'lock me out' from using the emergency unlock procedure.

[bondheli]

TY guys, thought I was going to have to use AAA this morning. The bmw key trick worked charmingly. Once again, this e34 community saves the day.