1995 525i: Driver's door will not open - the lock WORKS

[wkohler]

I am familiar with the common problem of the door lock actuator failing in the door, preventing the door from opening. The problem I'm having is that the door lock functions normally. I can use the key. The keyless entry. Even pulling/pushing with the knob functions completely normally. The problem is that neither the exterior nor interior door handles will open the door. I've dealt with the broken interior handle cable on my last touring, but I cannot imagine that both cables broke simultaneously on this car.

I haven't had a lot of time to fiddle with this - mostly reading on the issue and I haven't seen anything like this aside from one thread on bimmerfest with little info that ended up in a bunch of drilling and destroying the car to open the door.

I plan to remove the door panel tomorrow (slightly apprehensive about doing it with the door closed, but the window functions, so it should give me more room), but was curious if anyone has had any experience with this failure.

Looking back, the only thing I can think that was out of the ordinary was that I closed the door a couple times, but it acted like the seatbelt was in the way of the door closing. The other day, it took more than one extra try to do it, but I was having one of those days where it could have easily been operator error.

The other problem I've got is that I don't have a master key for this car. Only a valet key. Figured once I got the keyless, it wasn't as big of a deal. I don't think I'll ever agree to buy another car without seeing it first myself. Anyway, because of that, I cannot attempt any of the emergency unlock procedures, if they'd even help.

Anyway, any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I'm at a loss here and would like to come up with a plan of attack before just digging in.

[jehu]

I once had the metal arm of the interiour release handle found on the inside of the door panel to which one end of the latch cable connect break off.. if this is the normal manner whereby that failure occurs rather than the cable itself breaking then I have no other experience but the idea that failures of both outside and inside handle connections whatever the cause occurred simultaneously may seem remote but its not entirely unbelievable you could have had one of the cables break and with the other have their little metal arm break.. stranger things have happened.. please update the thread when you find the problem. Good luck

[ross1]

Does the action of the locks feel normal? I wonder if a connecting link has failed as Jehu as experienced. Either way sounds like you need to get inside the door.
Removing the door panel on a closed door is tough but you can do it without destroying anything. Removing the weather strip and lower sill, the hardest part, will give you enough room to wiggle the door panel out. Don't forget it needs to lift up a bit to clear the clip in the center below the door handle.
You might just have something stuck from corrosion or old hardened grease. Once your inside if everything seems connected soak the latch mechanism with penetrating oil and work all the levers, you might free it up.
Enjoy

[wkohler]

Figured I'd post a follow-up. Spent some time working the inputs to the latch. Clearly nothing was happening. I was going to cut the striker bolts off from inside the B-pillar but ended up getting help from a friend who is a BMW mechanic. He bought my old touring from someone and was changing the door due to a fubared window guide caused by a broken door brake during the next owners ownership. He brought me the latch. I had the door panel off and the driver seat out of the way. He peeled open the metal part of the latch housing and the door was opened after some of the parts fell out. I put the new old latch in and it has been working fine since. Frustrating though. The lock solenoid is well documented and just my luck, I get some more difficult version of that problem.