2000 318i Intermittent Central Locking

[dublinmeup]

Hi all,

Apologies for the TLR below.

Wondering if anyone can help me diagnose or find alternatives solutions to the E46 CL issue.

Having lurked here when the problem first surfaced last year I'm aware that it's usually the control module behind the glove box. Not sure that this is the case with my car.

So, symptoms are fairly usual. Fob or inside button has a mind of its own when it comes to whether the CL works.
I have noticed that on cold mornings it'll work 99% of the time and on warm days it won't work 99% of the time.

I have a bit of an electronics background so removed the control unit and tested the two Siemens relays last year. Both were fine so I resoldered them, was working of the premise that there may be a loose or old connection given the warm/cold (expansion/retraction) situation.
Maybe I missed something and this is THE fault inside either relay?

Anyway, this bought me six months of normal operation before it started going again. Repeating the process for a second time bought me another few months. Last time repeating it bought me about a week.

Somewhere within the above I noticed that if I didn't use the alarm fob and only used the key the CL would work at a greater frequency. This has since stopped being effective.

Does anyone know of other causes for this problem or perhaps a way of properly identifying the fault?
I've no problem replacing the control unit or ordering new components for the board but would like to be sure that that is the issue before doing so.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk

[easymoney]

My 02 330i a while back had kind of similar problem of what you mention. The door locking mechanism (tumbler) was busted. I had it removed and repaired and after re-installation everything went back to normal operation.

[MarcoZandrini]

The electronic relays for the General Module 5 (GM5) are no longer sold. Go to www.bmwgm5.com to find out about the GM5 module. The guy who owns the website repairs GM5 modules, but he’s in California and your in the Republic of Ireland. He may know if a repair facility in your country. He may also determine that the problems aren’t related to the GM5 module. How old is the car’s battery? What’s the car’s voltage when the CL works properly versus when it’s not working?

[easymoney]

The electronic relays for the General Module 5 (GM5) are no longer sold. Go to www.bmwgm5.com to find out about the GM5 module. The guy who owns the website repairs GM5 modules, but he’s in California and your in the Republic of Ireland. He may know if a repair facility in your country. He may also determine that the problems aren’t related to the GM5 module. How old is the car’s battery? What’s the car’s voltage when the CL works properly versus when it’s not working?

IE (Inland Empire) is Riverside/San Bernardino county which is about 70 miles from bmwgm5.com (Scott Johnson).

[dublinmeup]

My 02 330i a while back had kind of similar problem of what you mention. The door locking mechanism (tumbler) was busted. I had it removed and repaired and after re-installation everything went back to normal operation.

Thanks, I'll have a look into it

[dublinmeup]

The electronic relays for the General Module 5 (GM5) are no longer sold. Go to www.bmwgm5.com to find out about the GM5 module. The guy who owns the website repairs GM5 modules, but he’s in California and your in the Republic of Ireland. He may know if a repair facility in your country. He may also determine that the problems aren’t related to the GM5 module. How old is the car’s battery? What’s the car’s voltage when the CL works properly versus when it’s not working?

Hmm, thought I saw them on the maplins website not long ago.

I'll have a look and maybe contact him. Would be cool if he could even suggest what to look for.

I remember reading about a guy with similar problems caused by the battery now that you mention it.
Hadn't even considered it but could be an easy out to check, cheers.

[dublinmeup]

IE (Inland Empire) is Riverside/San Bernardino county which is about 70 miles from bmwgm5.com (Scott Johnson).

Emm.. Not sure if serious

[MarcoZandrini]

Ah! Ok, contact Scott.

[dgarella]

I think I have a similar problem.

My car is 2001 316I. My problem with door locks appears to be associated with the battery charge level. If the battery is topped up, all the door locks work fine, up and down, when clicking on my key fob.


But other times, the door locking system does not work at all. The key fob does not lock or unlock the doors; no click, nothing. The only way I can get into the car is using the key in the driver's door. The interior door lock button on the console does not activate any door locks up or down. I cannot even open the doors from the inside of the car using the interior door handles; the handle just swings out when I pull on it but without unlocking the door. Neither front nor rear doors can be opened from the inside of the car. The door locks do not work whether the car motor is running or not.


When the door locks will not open, the only solution I have found is putting the battery on a charger for a few hours. Once I have the battery topped up (it appears the battery must be all the way fully charged), then all the locking systems work again normally. The key fob opens and closes all door locks. The locking button on the console works. And the interior door handles can now be used to open all the doors even when they are locked, and even when the car motor is not running.


Under normal use of the car I can never count on the fact that the battery is fully, fully charged, so I don't dare lock the car at all for fear the automatic door locks will not open. I can, of course, still get into the locked car using the key in the driver's door, but none of the passenger doors will open at all.


Has anyone encountered a problem like this before? Any suggestions for a fix?


Thanks very much for your time.