reopen locked doors

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 6:19 am

i 've just bought an E34 ( gas conversion kit fitted breaking the rest of it ) and the battery is flat so now i can't open the doors / boot , someone may have an idea how to overcome this ( hopefully) not deadlocked but the central locking is working Cheers in advance Keith

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 7:39 am

keith52 wrote:i 've just bought an E34 ( gas conversion kit fitted breaking the rest of it ) and the battery is flat so now i can't open the doors / boot , someone may have an idea how to overcome this ( hopefully) not deadlocked but the central locking is working Cheers in advance Keith

I had this problem on my E34 (well 5 series). I managed to get into the boot and disconnected the live feed to the elec ariel. It then got a car battery charger, earthed it a repeatedly struck the live arial which popped open the back right door.

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:11 am

Stoney_god wrote:I had this problem on my E34 (well 5 series). I managed to get into the boot and disconnected the live feed to the elec ariel. It then got a car battery charger, earthed it a repeatedly struck the live arial which popped open the back right door.

Didn't think of that... this happened to me before.. I smashed the small rear quarter glass!!!

took a fair few hefty smacks with a biggish hammer and all!!!!!!!!!

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:41 am

I'm a bit of an old hand at this now

on the e34 its easy enough, get a claw hammer and a cloth and a straightened coathanger

hold the cloth on the B pillar and put he claw of the hammer under the door frame and lever it up to open a gap at the top of the door

make a hook in the coathanger (best to do hook at right angles to main bit of coathanger) then shove it into the car from the top.

Fiddle about til you hook it over the door snib then PULL UP (taking care to aoid the hook slipping off.

Door should now open (if deadlocks are activated then try the passenger door)

When in the car, pop the bonnet and boost the battery. Put one window down a bit so you can get back in.

take battery and charge it

wilson, the trick to breaking window glass is to hit it in the corner

cos its set up like double glazing (bounces the hammer off the middle

)

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:28 pm

320Touring wrote:wilson, the trick to breaking window glass is to hit it in the corner
cos its set up like double glazing (bounces the hammer off the middle )

Cool... Wish i'd known then though. Will in future!!! Luckily I was breaking the car anyhow... my trick was hit it fcukin harder!!!!

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:08 pm

open boot, connect battery to the boot lights bulb connectors, then operate the remote or key from drivers door, it will then unlock

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:20 pm

A1BMW325iSport wrote:open boot, connect battery to the boot lights bulb connectors, then operate the remote or key from drivers door, it will then unlock

depends how gashed the battery is, also some of the e34's ive seen only have key-remote is long gone!

good plan tho

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:13 pm

320Touring wrote:
wilson, the trick to breaking window glass is to hit it in the corner
cos its set up like double glazing (bounces the hammer off the middle )

Thats cos its toughened glass
will pop if hit in corner
not all double glazingis toughened depends on whereits being fitted
and that any glassona house etc

all car snow are toughened except the screan most of these are laminated

keith if it was your house you was locked out of i couldget you in at minimal cost
but the car im buggered if i know

the coat hanger trick ormaly works as long as the dead locks arnt activated

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:30 pm

Thanks for the replies : in the distant past on a forum somewhere, mention was made of turning the key while holding the handle up and after a short time the door would open ( hasn't worked so far) i will break the rear quarter but thats a bit excessive and only if i've got to , can't find a way of popping the bonnet from the outside at least i could put leads on the battery. putting a short jumper wire onto an external item is only any good if that is permenantly powered Can't open the boot for the same reason.

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:32 pm

Small spring loaded centre punch to a corner of a window normally shatters the glass with little scattering of glass ( no not a car thief but thats sometimes what they use )

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:48 pm

This might not work as not sure set up on 5 series but if the front or rear screens are fitted the same as an E30 then they can be removed from the outside. If either screen was removed then his would allow access to the cabin to pop the bonnet & boost the battery. Would also save breaking any glass.

Taylor.

Post Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:53 pm

Is it not possible to open the bonnet from underneath on these????

Post Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:02 am

can you get the pass side grille off at all, then get to the bonnet release?

Post Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:09 am

I'm confused: why doesn't the key work?

My car locked and unlocked fine (with the key) whilst I had the battery disconnected.

Post Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:21 am

keith52 wrote: mention was made of turning the key while holding the handle up and after a short time the door would open.

This works, learned it the other day. Don't think its time dependant, its more the posision of the handle I think

My right rear door is also stuck closed on the E34

Andy

Post Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:14 am

Grill screws are hidden, it's a long way up from underneath to reach the bonnet cable , windscreen removal is an option ( not yet though) i don't no why it won't open on the key there's no movement there at all
I thought i heard about the holding of the handle up whilst turning the key but that won't work either. It's a pity to break a window when there is a solution to this ( somewhere) Cheers keith

Post Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:19 am

Taylor325i wrote:This might not work as not sure set up on 5 series but if the front or rear screens are fitted the same as an E30 then they can be removed from the outside. If either screen was removed then his would allow access to the cabin to pop the bonnet & boost the battery. Would also save breaking any glass.

Taylor.

Front and rear screens are bonded on the E34. I need a pair for an E34 that I have, and have tried without success to remove them from a scrapper.

Post Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:19 pm

Brian, if you do work it out I have a front and rear from a touring you can have

Post Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:55 pm

They come off AFAIK with the 'cheesewire' approach. Serrated wire with finger grips each end is inserted under a corner of the window and then it is 'simply' sawn of, ie you are cutting through the sealant.
did you know all this already? (probably)
Some windows come off with the trim still on, some you remove the trim before the glass. I'm not sure about the E34 or E30 touring.

I was shown how to do it once when I worked at a body shop, but it was really hard to saw, so I stuck to selling the cocoa butter soap :lol:

no, it wasn't that kind of body shop.

Post Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:30 pm

tourer-dan wrote:They come off AFAIK with the 'cheesewire' approach. Serrated wire with finger grips each end is inserted under a corner of the window and then it is 'simply' sawn of, ie you are cutting through the sealant.
did you know all this already? (probably)
.

Tried that, got fed up after about six inches, then managed to crack the front screen.

Post Sat Jul 23, 2005 4:59 pm

back to the original topic, why not power the car up from the starter main feed ?? some have a concealed jump start point under the N/S chassis rail, kinda in the footwell area if you get what I'm meaning ?

as for the screens.... PITA for defo !

Post Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:24 am

Cheers Ant i was starting to get lost myself

I know what you mean its now a matter of waiting for the rain to stop Let you know how i get on Cheers Keith