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Thread: Driver door locked and wouldn’t open

  1. #1
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    Driver door locked and wouldn’t open

    Door seems to operate correctly. Key would raise pin. Pin would operate electric motors. Problem is - door wouldn’t open using onside or outside handle. Is this something common? I hope I won’t have to cut anything... this is 92 525i

  2. #2
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    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  3. #3
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    Ok. So the door card have to be cut. At least not a sheet metal

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by katit2 View Post
    Ok. So the door card have to be cut. At least not a sheet metal
    no need to cut the door card, read my post 10 in the link
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  5. #5
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    I will try, but front panels much bigger, doubt I will be able to pull it out

  6. #6
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    hiss by my window
    make sure you understand how the door cards attach. They need to be lifted off of a center mount behind the armrest as well as pulled away at the edges.
    with a closed door it can be done by removing the weather strip which gives just enough clearance to pop the clips around the edges.
    You'll need to be pretty aggressive and expect to break some clips and probably at this age dislodge a few of the pieces that hold the clips.
    I've dealt with three stuck door latch mechanisms in the past few weeks of cold weather. Clean and lube is usually all it needs.
    Enjoy!

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  7. #7
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    Ross, I just went through cards rebuild on my car so I know how they attach

    will try removing card

  8. #8
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    87vert & 24V sedan,98 M3
    Anything ever happen with this? I'm having the same issue on my 95 touring. Have the door card removed but don't know where to go from here.

  9. #9
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    Well. This is a donor car for me. Getting card out and taking actuator out didn't help anything. Destroyed card for nothing. I ended up with taking B-pillar cover off, taking belt off, then I drilled out door latch mounts. The only damage - 2 holes in B-pillar visible when opening passenger door. You can plug it with rubber plugs. But again, This is the only way I found and I didn't care too much about "cosmetics"

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by katit2 View Post
    Well. This is a donor car for me. Getting card out and taking actuator out didn't help anything. Destroyed card for nothing. I ended up with taking B-pillar cover off, taking belt off, then I drilled out door latch mounts. The only damage - 2 holes in B-pillar visible when opening passenger door. You can plug it with rubber plugs. But again, This is the only way I found and I didn't care too much about "cosmetics"
    I've had doors on both the e34 and e38 lock on me, even the driver doors, and no damage required, you just need to be patient and creative. Once both front doors of the e38 locked on me and I could only enter/exit from the rear doors and climb over the center armrest to get it the seat, you should have seen the look in people's faces watching me get in/out of the car.

    Once the panels are off, play with the door latch mechanism to figure out how they work and sooner or later something will inspire you and you'll get it open. The e34 is not usually a big problem (mine is a 1995), but the e38 has all kinds of anti-theft protections that it took me an entire day once to get the mechanism to do something.

    I know I'm not giving you any precise technical info, but don't damage your cars, this is not that complicated, what Shogun posted shows the ingenuity to get to the problem.

    02 e39 540i Sport (Son), 01 DINAN 7 (Me), 12 e70 X5 x35i (Mrs), 95 e34 525i (Daughter 2), 01 e46 325Ci vert (Daughter 1)

  11. #11
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    87vert & 24V sedan,98 M3
    I was actually able to get it to open after I sprayed some crc screwloose into the latch mechanism from inside the door.
    i think it got a little rusty in there and the parts inside weren't moving like they should.

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