E30 Zone

my 91 316i's central locking is tempermental it locks ok on the drivers side but sometimes wont unlock the key wont turn in the lock,but if you unlock from the passengers side its fine any ideas please

try the boot, if you double lock the boot, i.e. turn the key all the way to the left in the boot then you can´t open the drivers door, its a safety thing i think, try only turning it till you can take the key out and not past it, and also try unlocking the boot next time it happens to you,

Dead lock on the boot is purely mechanical, and doesn't have any effect on the doors.
This problem is caused by wear/lack of lubrication of the L shaped alloy piece on the back end of the driver's door key barrel.
You might be able to improve things by adjusting the locking motor in its slotted mounting holes.

thanks brian i'll have a look at it this wk end work and weather permitting

has anyone any pics of this or can point to a previous thread etc. I've got the same prob.