Rear door rubicks cube question

[Jeff N.]

Posting for a friend.

He has an E34 sedan with the following problem - rear door is locked shut. Won't open from the outside and won't open from the inside.

Looks like the door lock mechanism is jammed. When he tries to pull up the lock release, it won't lift.

So, how would you open the door? Normally I'd think to pull the door panel but with the door locked shut, that seems pretty hard.

Thoughts?

TIA!

Jeff

[Bo525i]

I´d pull the door panel off at the top, wiggling it making just enough room to get my hand in there to pull the levercord..

Or maybe sacrifice the door panel plastic clips and pull it off entirely if the cord´s broken!

[Robin-535im]

Posting for a friend.

He has an E34 sedan with the following problem - rear door is locked shut. Won't open from the outside and won't open from the inside.

Looks like the door lock mechanism is jammed. When he tries to pull up the lock release, it won't lift.

So, how would you open the door? Normally I'd think to pull the door panel but with the door locked shut, that seems pretty hard.

Thoughts?

TIA!

Jeff

My condolence... been there, not fun!

What I did was take as much of the door panel off as you can, and ease the top part of the panel up and off the door. You can get just enough room to get a screwdriver or seal puller down in there and actuate the door lock mechanism. Mine was stuck locked really tight and it was not a fun job. I now am a true believer in fixing door locks when they START to act funny, not after they fail!

HTH

PS - did you get the oil housing? Sent it earlier this week via USPS.

[BennyM]

Ha. I just ordered 50 of those stupid clips since about half of mine are broken.

I´d pull the door panel off at the top, wiggling it making just enough room to get my hand in there to pull the levercord..

Or maybe sacrifice the door panel plastic clips and pull it off entirely if the cord´s broken!

[shogun]

on the E32 it works like this
http://bmwe32.masscom.net/johan/dead...cked_door.html

[Bo525i]

Ha. I just ordered 50 of those stupid clips since about half of mine are broken.

Have you had the plastic clip holder break off from the door panel too? That system was thought out by someone either drunk or with a severe hangover

[Bill R.]

Hi Jeff, I posted the tech bulletin a long time ago on the fixes section of body but when Ed had all the trouble with the site the image got wiped out.
Anyway you pull the top of the door panel back, ie unsnap it from the chrome trim by the glass, you're then able to pry it back far enough to get a long screwdriver or pry bar into the rear lower section where the door linkage connects to a pivot and then goes to the lock power actuator. You usually have to use the screwdriver and a hammer and break the plastic link at the doorlock power actuator, then you can pull the door lock up manually.
On the e34 the door power actuator usually seizes up and won't move. Even though my car isn't in rust country i had one seize up a couple of months ago and had to break the actuator link. I picked up another actuator at a junkyard for 10 bucks

Posting for a friend.

He has an E34 sedan with the following problem - rear door is locked shut. Won't open from the outside and won't open from the inside.

Looks like the door lock mechanism is jammed. When he tries to pull up the lock release, it won't lift.

So, how would you open the door? Normally I'd think to pull the door panel but with the door locked shut, that seems pretty hard.

Thoughts?

TIA!

Jeff

[genphreak]

It may depend on the year as to the likelyhood of the problem, up to 9/89 they had an earlier system, differnent actuators. Maybe the later models are better, heh, or then again worse... heh.

Then again, this is BMW: Probably the damn same or worse...