Central Locking relay

Post Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:05 am

It's and '89 325i and the central locking has never worked since i've had it. Managed to locate the central locking relay and just wanted to know how to "test" it to see if weather the relay is at fault.

Post Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:12 am

Quick Question.......Where did you find the "Relay" ?

Post Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:31 am

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... g_problems

Post Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:24 am

Found in the interior. In the drivers side corner, mounted on a triangle plate. It was a black rectangular box. Is that not it?

Post Tue Jun 23, 2015 8:46 pm

Thought i'd dig up old thread instead of creating new one.

Ok so found the resistor thing in the relay broken off, as shown in wiki. Re soldered it and still no central locking.

Just did the red/black wire mod. Cutting three wires leading into the socket (in the A pillar leading into door) and joined them together.

Still not working. Not sure what to do next as ive done all wiki has suggested. My plan was to go breakers on weekend and try another relay as i read somwere you shouldnt add new solder when joining the resistor but re use original one. And i cant remember weather i did use new solder.

Also the red/black wire mod ive just "twirled" the the three wires up because ive run out of solder etc. i didnt think the solder and heat shrink would make a difference at this troubleshooting stage.

And finally the location of my central locking relay is totally different to what wiki and other forums say. No removing of speaker panel was needed. Just the panel under the steering column

Post Wed Jun 24, 2015 9:42 am

Anybody? Any suggestions?!

Post Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:18 am

I'm going to fit an aftermarket alarm, something like a toad ai606 along with microwave sensor etc.

Are there any aftermarket solutions with regards to the central locking relay/module?!

Post Thu Jun 25, 2015 11:11 am

satvir wrote:
And finally the location of my central locking relay is totally different to what wiki and other forums say. No removing of speaker panel was needed. Just the panel under the steering column

Your car has obviously received attention from an idiot who thought he could improve on BMW's design by relocating the locking ECU, which was placed where it should be for good reasons.
Given that idiots usually make more mistakes as they proceed, there could be any number of reasons why the locking doesn't work, but start by connecting a 12 volt bulb of at least 21W across the brown and red/black wires at the ECU's socket, checking that it lights at full brightness, then use wire links to momentarily connect those two wires to the blue and white wires, to see if the lock motors are working.
Find the combination that locks everything (driver's door closed), check that every lock has worked, including fuel filler, then reverse the links and check that they all unlock.

Post Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:44 pm

I'll check tomorrow and take some pics. Are they located in behind the door cards? And one in the boot lid?

It's a convertible

Post Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:21 pm

Ok so before i re soldered the risistor in the relay and did the red/black wire mod.....maybe i should have checked the fuse box

Popped in a 30amp fuse. Turned the key (drivers door lock) heard some noises i hadnt heard before. But nothing locked or opened, except the fuel filler cap locked. And now it wont open. Tried from the boot to open it, but no luck. Its making noises and i can see the "pin" just move back and forth slightly, but not enough to unlock the cap. How the hell do i open it?

If the solonoids are there, could it be likely they're siezed as the they havent functioned for at least 3 yrs?

Post Thu Jul 02, 2015 8:05 pm

Managed to unlock fuel cap. Manually by removing boot trim

Post Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:33 pm

Driver side - locks petrol filler cap ONLY (not drivers door). Then it doesnt open the fuel filler cap.

Boot - locks boot and fuel filler cap. Upon opening it unlocks the boot but doesnt fuel filler cap.

Passengers - locks passenger side door, boot and fuel filler cap. Upon opening, opens only passenger door but fuel cap and boot remained closed.

What do i?

Having a alarm installed on the 18th chap saying he can fit two new actuators to the doors as the alarm ecu has the relays etc. So the front doors will be (remote) central locking. And he said boot will obv be operated manually. And the fuel filler cap will always be open?!

He said this was the best cost/time effective solution as doing the doors will be easy. He said he can add new actuators for the boot too but obv will cost more. Will have to run wires etc

Post Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:35 pm

Drivers side door card removed, anything missing?! :

Post Fri Jul 03, 2015 8:23 pm

Any advice?

A. Do i spend/money trying to put central locking back to factory. May need new solenoids etc because they aint been used in yrs. But the whole loom/central locking relay in the speaker well is a mess. So could be a number of any issues to get factory central locking working

Or

B. New (aftermarket) actuators that will work off the new alarm ecu. Money will be spent on the new actuators and time on routing loom to fuel filler cap and boot for new actuators.

Alarm is being installed on the 18th. So i can either spend the timen left tyna fix existing central locking. Or just leave it all and have new actuators fitted along with new alarm etc

Post Sat Jul 04, 2015 10:42 am

I certainly wouldn't recommend going down the aftermarket actuator route, which will use some Chinese made motors, built to the lowest possible price rather than the BMW ethos of the highest possible quality, will be bodged into place, and will never be completely trustworthy.
Door locking motors are located nowhere near your pics. They are halfway down the rear of the door, and their fixing screws are in slotted holes, just covered by the rear edge of the door card, UNLESS this is a very late car, when the (unreliable) motors may be part of the door catches, similar to E34/E36.
Check the lock motors methodically, one at a time, (unplug all but one), as I said further up the thread, including applying momentary power across the blue and black dead lock motor wires, if any of the motors don't work.
If any motors won't work, then find out why! Is it seized solid? Is there a problem with the pins in the A pillar door loom plug? Is the rest of the mechanism in the door preventing the motor moving?
It's all quite simple if you approach it methodically and logically.
Once the lock motors are all working as they should, we can move on to the lock and unlock request signals to the ECU, and check that all is well there as well.