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Thread: Driver's side door will not unlock! Button seems stuck

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    348

    Default Driver's side door will not unlock! Button seems stuck

    The lock button on the driver's side door of one of my 1991 525i's won't budge using any normal methods. I can't pull it up when using considerable force, but not really giving it all of my strength for fear of breaking something. All of the other doors plus the trunk lock and unlock normally from all three of the key receptacles, including the one in the driver's door. However, nothing seems to budge the button on the door and I cannot figure out what to do to get it unlocked. I can't imagine that this can be an electrical problem. Is this simply a mechanical problem that I can resolve easily?

    Anybody have any ideas what it could be or how to get it unlocked? I am too large to crawl over the console very many times without getting chafed in uncomfortable places. :-)

    Thanks,

    Dick Schneiders

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    baton rouge, loserana
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    6,922

    Default

    usually when this happins the solonoid is seized and needs to be replaced, you gotta take the door panel off and play with it to tell for sure
    all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it

  3. #3
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    Jan 2004
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    Benneton (United Colors of)
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    3,067

    Default from sean and yo-hawn's site.....


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Default there are also...

    other door lock concern procedures there in the menu, if that doesn't help.


    Quote Originally Posted by ryan roopnarine

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    348

    Default Winfred, will the door panel come off when the door is shut?

    Is there any way to "force" the door open to make working on this easier?

    Thanks,

    Dick Schneiders

    Quote Originally Posted by winfred
    usually when this happins the solonoid is seized and needs to be replaced, you gotta take the door panel off and play with it to tell for sure

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    baton rouge, loserana
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    Default

    getting the panel off with the door shut is a mother without killing the panel, i've never had to atack a front door, it's usually a rear door that's stuck so i am not sure if my usual plan will work, i break the black aluiminum trim around the handle off, then i can unbolt the handle push it inside the door and reach in through the hole and cut the white plastic end of the lock solonoid, then i can unlock the door and open. this is how i do a rear e34 door, this may not work on a front door
    all america wants is cold beer warm cat and a place to take a poop with a door on it

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    348

    Default Thanks, Winfred. That gives me a couple of options.

    I like that idea much better than taking a chance of ruining the panel.

    Dick Schneiders

    Quote Originally Posted by winfred
    getting the panel off with the door shut is a mother without killing the panel, i've never had to atack a front door, it's usually a rear door that's stuck so i am not sure if my usual plan will work, i break the black aluiminum trim around the handle off, then i can unbolt the handle push it inside the door and reach in through the hole and cut the white plastic end of the lock solonoid, then i can unlock the door and open. this is how i do a rear e34 door, this may not work on a front door

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    348

    Default Winfred, I hate to bother you again with this, but

    when I started to work on the door locking problem this afternoon, I decided to try to fiddle with the key and lock a bit more before breaking out any trim pieces or trying to remove the door panel. To my surprise, after several minutes of no success, the drivers side door button lifted and the door unlocked! It didn't jump right up quickly, as it normally does, but lifted slowly and not all the way. But the door was unlocked. Last night, when this happened, I spent almost an hour trying to use the key and locks in every combination I could think of and it never budged.

    Now I have a different problem and different questions. Certainly this is a much better situation than previously, but I am not very comfortable with locking the door any more without knowing what is going on. Would you venture a guess as to whether I should still order a new solonoid and replace the old one, or if something else might be going on? Could it be that the solonoid has shifted, like the article Ryan referenced in this discussion, and I need to get in there and adjust it slightly? Or should I just ignore this situation and go ahead and lock the car and *hope* it never happens again? :-)

    I really prefer the last choice, as it means doing nothing, but I doubt that this was simply a fluke due to the position of the earth to the moon last night.

    Thanks,

    Dick Schneiders

    Quote Originally Posted by winfred
    getting the panel off with the door shut is a mother without killing the panel, i've never had to atack a front door, it's usually a rear door that's stuck so i am not sure if my usual plan will work, i break the black aluiminum trim around the handle off, then i can unbolt the handle push it inside the door and reach in through the hole and cut the white plastic end of the lock solonoid, then i can unlock the door and open. this is how i do a rear e34 door, this may not work on a front door

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
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    14,839

    Default Dick, If i was you id at least pull the door panel and look around in there

    i pulled my door panel, it's not hard...really.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    348

    Default Thanks, Jeff, I appreciate the advice. I have

    never taken one out and it looked a bit daunting to me. However, since I was prepared to have to do this, I should go ahead and do it. Especially since now it will be much easier with the door open.

    Dick Schneiders

    Quote Originally Posted by 632 Regal
    i pulled my door panel, it's not hard...really.

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