locks, driver's won't lock, passenger stuck locked no motor

[clydesdale]

My central locks were acting up intermittently and now they simply don't work. The gas tank is stuck locked, but I know how to remedy that. The passenger is stuck locked and the driver's won' t lock. Where do I start? The #27 fuse looks fine.

[Alex]

sounds like they are deadlocked, if it wasnt deadlocked you could lock the drivers through the passanger and lock that manually,

most problems are because the live feed goes through the door loops back and comes back through the door again, not sure why bmw did this but it causes lots of trouble as the wire can break and have a bad connection through the connector as they age.

Take the drivers side kick panel out and speaker and look for two red and black wires going to the door wireing loom connector, cut them and join them together, if it still wont work after this try a new central locking modual as these can fail too, these again are located bechind the drivers speaker down towards the sills, there will be ablack cover that you will have to remove before you can get your hands on it, this just lifts out

[Brianmoooore]

I've never known a central locking ECU to fail for no reason. They either fail because they have been flooded as a result on blocked sill drains, or the non resettable thermal fuse fails as a result of some problem with the locks themselves.
To expand a bit on Alex's instructions, you are looking for two identical wires that are red with a black stripe, going to two seperate pins on the back of the door loom socket.
Cut these as close to the socket as you can, and then join the ends (which come from two seperate looms) together.
If you have a cab, there will be three red/black wires.

[clydesdale]

What will this do for me? Will the locks function as designed or will they become manual lockers? Thanks guys, you are always a big help. I just have to remember to catch you early in the day, because I think you are about 6 hours ahead of New York.

[DanThe]

Time here is 21.38

The Red/Black wire goes into the door then comes back out on a separate pin, the pins can get damp and corrode which usually results in intermittent locking problems

Just out of interest, is the CL system on a LHD car the opposite layout to that of a RHD car?

[Brianmoooore]

Just out of interest, is the CL system on a LHD car the opposite layout to that of a RHD car?

Whole thing is changed around. Locking ECU is still in the driver's side sill, and I can't think of any reason why the loom should be different.

[clydesdale]

Not sure, how could I tell? I know that I had to splice in a new harness in the driver's side door. The connector was all corroded. I will try to disconnect and reconnect and see if it helps. I know every few months I have to kind of wiggle the connector to get the driver's window to work.

[DanThe]

Well thats obviously part of the problem, the Red/Black is power to the CL module

[Alex]

I've never known a central locking ECU to fail for no reason. They either fail because they have been flooded as a result on blocked sill drains, or the non resettable thermal fuse fails as a result of some problem with the locks themselves.

i never said they fail for no reason

[Brianmoooore]

Well thats obviously part of the problem, the Red/Black is power to the CL module

And is the main reason that the connector corrodes, affecting the other pins.
The corrosion is an electro-chemical reaction, and removing the constant power from the socket reduces greatly the tendency for corrosion to occur.

[DanThe]

Just for the record I pulled a door loom apart the other day and the two Red/Black wires make a soldered joint inside the loom where another Red/Black comes out towards the door handle, presumably for heated door locks

[clydesdale]

So, splicing that one wire will possibly avoid having to splice in a whole new connector again?

[DanThe]

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... =red+black

[daimlerman]

LHD/RHD....door looms are drivers door and passenger door.
This holds good whichever side the steery wheel is on.
The major wiring difference is that the car loom is arranged differently between LHD/RHD so that the 'A' post sockets will accomodate the correct looms.
So as far as the OP is concerned,his red/black wire will be entering/leaving the L/H door.... and his C/L relay will be under the L/H front speaker!
The problems start when fools like me convert from LHD to RHD.....

[clydesdale]

I have a follow up question:
How do I get the kick panel wire to meet the door harness wire? Do I drill the harness connectors out? I understand that I need to solder these together, but how do I get the too ends to meet with the connector in the way?
BTW, I got lucky and the locks worked and I was able to unlock the door. Now I just lock it manually from the passenger side.

[Brianmoooore]

I have a follow up question:
How do I get the kick panel wire to meet the door harness wire? Do I drill the harness connectors out? I understand that I need to solder these together, but how do I get the too ends to meet with the connector in the way?
BTW, I got lucky and the locks worked and I was able to unlock the door. Now I just lock it manually from the passenger side.

If this is about the red/black wires, then the answer is : you don't!
The red/black wire modification has two purposes: a) to restore the power supply to the locking ECU permanently, and b) to remove the constant live terminals completely from the door plug and socket, where they are the main cause of the corrosion that occurs.
The stubs of the red/black wires connected to the door pillar socket are abandoned, and the two ends from two seperate looms are simply connected together.

[clydesdale]

ok, I was and may still be confused, sorry. So, I do not touch a thing on the door side of the connector, correct? I am only cutting wires on the kick panel side.
I am looking for 2 red/black wires on the kick panel of the connector. I cut them at the connector, stopping power running to the connector. I then connect the two ends of the wire.
So, all the work is done on the kick panel side?

[Brianmoooore]

Correct! No need to touch either side of the door connector. Just reach in through the speaker hole and cut the wires as close as possible to the back of the connector.
Two red/black wires on a saloon, three on a cab.

[clydesdale]

Thanks again my friends across the pond. Everything is working perfectly. I cut the two wires, soldered, shrink wrapped and I am good as new.

[grantfk10]

Yay! another one finally got the message, the red/black wire mod DOES sort a lot of problems!

[Sanchez]

Its easy to explain but if you dont know your wires then it sounds confusing.

After i done it it made sense to me but before was like understanding BadDave the first time i meet him.

[clydesdale]

Arghh, I spoke too soon. These are the current symptoms. I cannot get the drivers door lock to open the passenger door for anything. I also can only double lock the car. When I turn the driver's cylinder to 45 degrees, nothing happens. When I go to 90 degrees all the doors lock. If I then try to open the car from the driver's side, I can ony get the driver's to open. The passenger door is double locked and the cylinder does not move. If I then get in the car, I cannot unlock the passenger from inside the car. So, I can double lock, but I cannot lock. And the only way I can open the passenger door is via the trunk or from the passenger side, if I did not lock it from the driver's side, which only appears to double lock. What do you think. I did cut the 2 red wires with black stripe and soldered them together. What next in my diagnosis? Thanks.

[grantfk10]

before was like understanding BadDave the first time i meet him.

lmfao - deffo!

[clydesdale]

So, it appears that I can only double lock from the driver's door. The only way to unlock the passenger is from the trunk or from the passenger door cylinder when the car is locked from the passenger side. If locked from the driver's side, I cannot get the passenger door to work.

[Brianmoooore]

The dead locks are activated by a microswitch on a plate around the lock barrel.
The locks in the other doors are activated by a switch inside the lock motor case, and are activated by the mechanical linkage between the lock barrel and the lock motor inside the door.
Note where the lock motor is positioned in its mounting slots, unscrew the two self tappers that hold it, and move the motor up and down. This will operate the switch, and the other doors should lock and unlock.
If they do, then the problem is that the linkage is worn, but you may be able to get things working by a slight adjustment of the lock motor in its slots.
If they don't, then the problem is probably the door pillar socket's pins and buckets that the lock motor wires pass through.

[clydesdale]

Which lock motor do you think is suspect? The driver's side or passenger? The driver's lock will only double lock, when the key is at 45 degrees nothing happens. It appears whatever motor is on the passenger side is working as I can get it to lock and unlock from the trunk. I want to make sure I did not screw the cutting of the wires. I cut two wires that were red with black stripe and soldered them together. Prior to all of this I did not have a problem with the passenger door not being able to unlock from the driver's key. Although I don't think anything has been happening at the 45 degree turn for quite a while.

[Brianmoooore]

Problem is with the driver's door.
Take the door card and plastic film off and see if the linkage moves at the lock motor when you turn the key to 45 degrees.
Could possibly be a problem with the swiveling L shaped piece on the back of the lock barrel as well, if it has seized in the deadlock position.

[clydesdale]

This door gets REAL stiff in the winter. Bad enough where I think I may break the key, so I end up using the trunk. So, I do not doubt the linkage is stiff. But, will this explain the passenger side not unlocking from the driver's door?

[Brianmoooore]

This door gets REAL stiff in the winter.

Time for a service of the lock barrel mechanism in any case, then!
Get the lock barrel out, clean and lubricate it, and check that the 'over centre' mechanism on the back of it is working.

[clydesdale]

Can this explain the passenger side not unlocking, or is that a different issue? Thanks for all your help.

[Brianmoooore]

I pressume the dead lock motor is being engaged on the passenger side by the switch in the driver's door.

[clydesdale]

ok, I will look into over the next few days. Thanks.

[clydesdale]

0k, Brian, I took the door card off and took a look inside. It seems like nothing happens when I move the lock to the 45 degree. I see no linkage working. Where would you like me to go next with this? Thanks for all your help.

[clydesdale]

I loosened the central lock motor and slid it up and down. When I slide it one way the locks will all lock. But sliding it the other way will not unlock the passenger. So the passenger is not unlocking. I believe this problem only started since I cut the red wire with black stripe. Is there any chance that this could have caused this? Or is it that the fact that the passenger will still unlock from the trunk, rules this out? Maybe something esle got loose in the kick panel mechanism or do you think this is still a door cylinder problem. Nothing happens at the 45 degree turn and the passenger will only double lock from the driver's and cannot be unlocked from anywhere but the trunk. Thanks.

[DanThe]

Time for a remote locking upgrade I think

If you turn the drivers lock to the deadlock position, and then back to vertical, is the passenger door still dead locked?