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Thread: I'm going insane. Help!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    E36 4 door, E39 540it

    Angry I'm going insane. Help!

    02/2003 E39 540it.
    Rear left door latch refuses to work.
    I am on my third latch now. This makes no sense. It's driving me crazy.
    Rear left latch never worked properly since I got the car a few years ago. I am finally showing the car some love and decided to fix it while doing the whole interior. I have a 2002 E39 540 parts car with a rear left latch I know is good. So I swap over the striker, latch with actuator, bowden cable, and outside handle cable. Replaced it all to rule everything out. Door now works inside and out. Cool.
    2 weeks later, no good. Stopped working after locking and unlocking the door. Annoying. Had to destroy the latch to get the door open. Went to a junkyard and got a rear left latch from a super clean low miles 2001 525. Installed the latch along with a brand new bowden cable, outside handle cable, and actuator all from BMW.
    Door works. Both handles feel crisp. Aaaaah, finally..... Nope.
    Turn the car on, lock the doors, unlock the doors, no more worky. No inside or outside handle. If I manually operate the teeth of the latch with the big arm at the bottom, and open the door and close it, the door works fine again. As soon as I lock the door, its over.
    This is the third latch with the same issue. WTF. Why would it stop working after just locking the latch.
    E36 4dr M52b28 5 speed
    E39 540it

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Posts
    215
    My Cars
    '99 540iAT; '00 528iT/5
    I haven't had this exact issue, but when I've had sticking or non-working door handles on my touring, what's worked for me is pulling on both levers simultaneously or alternating in quick succession. I do this by rolling down the window to access both the inside and outside handles at the same time. After doing this a few times it usually starts working normally again. Not sure if this will help you, but wishing you the best.
    1999 540iAT Glacier Green / Black
    2003 525iT/5 Oxford Green II / Beige
    2011 328i Conv. Platinum Bronze

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