
Central Lockin Again!!!
Moderator: martauto
Hey guys i posted a few days ago about my central locking playing up but it started working again untill today! Before i could open my petrol cap and passangers door but now i cant. I've tried using the key on the passangers door but the lock won't turn. Could that be causing the central locking to play up? Ive had a look behind the drivers footwell like suggested and there is some rust there. I've taken a pic to show you guys, i noticed that there is a few wires unplugged dunno if that makes a difference you can also see some rust where the ecu sits. Hope someone can help coz its really annoying


- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
That looks a right mess inside the sill, I'm afraid. Unusual to see rust like that in there.
Don't worry about the spare connectors - most of them are for an interior light delay unit.
Do worry about your locking ECU though! I suspect it's waterlogged and has fried a few locking motors.
There's a semi circular slit in the boot lining just behind the fuel filler area, where you can unlock the fuel filler manually.
Don't worry about the spare connectors - most of them are for an interior light delay unit.
Do worry about your locking ECU though! I suspect it's waterlogged and has fried a few locking motors.
There's a semi circular slit in the boot lining just behind the fuel filler area, where you can unlock the fuel filler manually.
I've managed to open my fuel cap but is there anyway i can get my passanger door open? It is really annoyin because my passangers have 2 climb ova my seat at the moment:x is there anything i can try to open the door?
- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
Remove the doorcard (not easy with the door shut!) ans unscrew the two 7mm screws in slotted holes that hold the locking motor in place.
Its all working again lol i cleaned the ecu a lil bit connected it all back together and its working! would that mean that its the ecu? or was it just a coinsidense that it startd working again? thanks 4 all your help brian:)
- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
I strongly suggest you do the red/black wire modification ASAP.
It's probably moving the wires around that brought it back to life.
It's probably moving the wires around that brought it back to life.
A few days after i said it was all working it stopped working lol
I was wondering as the passanger door deadlocks itself, is there any way i can disconnect it from the central locking untill i have time to fiddle about?The door isn't deadlocked at the moment if that makes it any easier. I think i know someone who has a spare ecu so im gonna try and change that see if that helps.
I was wondering as the passanger door deadlocks itself, is there any way i can disconnect it from the central locking untill i have time to fiddle about?The door isn't deadlocked at the moment if that makes it any easier. I think i know someone who has a spare ecu so im gonna try and change that see if that helps.
Have a search for Brian's Red/black wire mod. I involves cutting two red/black wires in the void behind the speaker and joining the two ends together so it is all inside the car not in the door.
It solved all my central locking problems.
(Brian Rules
)
It solved all my central locking problems.
(Brian Rules
Last edited by Chris on Thu May 24, 2007 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

where the wires travel to the doors there are connectors/plugs. (I did it to mine on the drivers side) Behind the kick panel you can see the group of wires leading to the plug/connector. there are two red and black stripey wires. disconnect these from the plug and join them together. 

- zimmerbimmer1
- BMW Parts Meister
- Posts: 2250
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 11:00 pm
E30's used to suffer from the pins in the Apost to door connectors corroding this used to cause havoc with central locking and interior light problems make sure this is up to scratch

- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
This is what the red/black wire modification is about. The red/black wire which feeds the locking and interior light delay unit goes into the driver's door, loops around and comes back out again.zimmerbimmer1 wrote:E30's used to suffer from the pins in the Apost to door connectors corroding this used to cause havoc with central locking and interior light problems make sure this is up to scratch
Permanently live wires in the door connector actively promote corrosion, so these two are best permanently removed and joined together.
- zimmerbimmer1
- BMW Parts Meister
- Posts: 2250
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 11:00 pm
You learn something new every dayBrianmoooore wrote:This is what the red/black wire modification is about. The red/black wire which feeds the locking and interior light delay unit goes into the driver's door, loops around and comes back out again.zimmerbimmer1 wrote:E30's used to suffer from the pins in the Apost to door connectors corroding this used to cause havoc with central locking and interior light problems make sure this is up to scratch
Permanently live wires in the door connector actively promote corrosion, so these two are best permanently removed and joined together.




