Door stuck closed? Lock actuator broken? Here's the fix...

[BrandonM3]

So, my rear door lock actuator broke in its locked position. I wasn't able to manually unlock the doors, and as a result, couldn't open the door. After searching the archives for a similar scenario, I couldn't find anything that helped me out. I went to tinkering with the door and finally found a way to open it up. While I was at it, I thought I'd show you guys how to replace the lock actuator too.

First, start out by taking the door panel off. It wasn’t too difficult getting it off despite the door being shut. Just start in the upper corner (farthest from the front seat).



The red circles are plastic clip locations, and the blue circles are metal clip locations. You'll start by unclipping the right-most blue circle.

There are two torx bolts, behind little plastic covers, you have to remove. They are just below the interior handle. Also, remove the door pin by unscrewing it.

Once you remove the door panel, remove the foam vapor barrier by simply (but carefully) pulling it off. It's just glued on, but be careful not to tear it.

Next, insert a long flat-head screwdriver into the hole shown. It's one of the holes that the clips were in.



You're feeling for the sliding clip that holds the external door handle molding on. You're going to slide it toward the front of the car. I don't have a picture of it, but if you look through the hole, you can see a tab that sticks out. The tab position is drawn in the picture below.



Once you push that tab forward, the external molding will be free and the door handle screws will be exposed.



Unscrew the screws and move the handle down and out of the door. You can only remove the door handle from the door with the window up.



Next, unplug the door lock actuator.



Remove the door lock actuator by lifting straight up. You will have to pry the clip to release the actuator. It's not really a clip though... the door lock actuator has an indented cut out that the clip on the plastic sleeve clips into. It's simple, you'll see. The little cut out is circled below.



Here's a picture of the backside of the actuator assembly (the side you can't see when you're working).



One more pic of how to remove the actuator. I had a hard time getting it off; at first it seemed like there was something else holding it on near the front of it. It was just the lock shaft, it's a pretty snug fit. Just work it off with a screwdriver and you'll be fine.



Once you have the actuator out, unlock the door by pulling up on the lock pin.

Now the door is unlocked. The circled tab opens the door.



Pull the tab back toward you.



Door is open!!!!

Now, if you want to replace the lock actuator, keep on reading.

[BrandonM3]

Lift the window about three inches upward. Pry off the clip holding the window arm to the window, pictured below.



Once it's off, pull the arm out of the socket.



The window is now free.

Unplug the window motor (circled below). Lower the window a bit (by pushing it now) and pull the window sealing off from around the window. It won't come all the way off in the middle of the door.



We need to remove the black trim (window channel) nearest the front door. Once you remove the window sealing, you will expose three screws. Two are pictured and circled; the other is just below them.



Once you remove the screws, pull of the trim by pulling up and to the rear. The pictures below show how it's attached.





Pull off the rubber sealing at the base of the window. I found it easiest to just remove them with the metal clips.



Remove the window by lifting upwards. It's a bit tricky to get it out, but just keep trying, it will come. Be careful with it, it's glass.

[BrandonM3]

Now you will need to remove the other window channel. Remove the top most screw.



Next remove the two bolts. One at the top of the door, and the other near the bottom.





Remove the window guide by pulling toward the front of the car and downward slightly.



It's very difficult to fully remove the rail from the door, so just move it aside for now. Also, to avoid damaging the seal, hang it in the same way I did it in the pic. The red arrow is pointing to the rail we put aside.



Remove the gadget pictured below.



Remove the door handle. Notice the unplugged window motor connector (circled). Also, the white clip needs to be unclipped.



Remove the handle from the rod.



Remove the three torx bolts holding the door lock/latch assembly.



Pull the assembly forward and attach the new lock actuator.



Bolt the assembly back and test the lock. If it works, you're done! Just reassemble in the same way you took everything apart. One important note: Remember the tab you pushed to get the molding off? You will have to push that tab back the other way, while holding the molding (haha, rhymed), to get the molding back on.

You will also have to reinitialize the window motors - don't forget to plug it back in. To reinitialize the window, roll the window down all the way; roll it up all the way; and then press the "up" button for 5 seconds.

If you have any questions, email me at b_wehman@hotmail.com

[Patrick33]

great writeup!

[fpa1974]

Great write-up.

I actually managed to replace my rear door actuator without removing the glass and associated pieces. All I removed was the rods from the L shaped connector and the door lock (3 or 4 torx bolts). Door lock just needs to be free of its bolts, you do not need to pull it out. It was a bit tedious to get the old acutator out and put a new one back in but possible.

Florian

[lkstaack]

Great write up for removing the window, but you don't have to go to all that trouble to remove the actuator. You can do it by removing the liner, interior handle and the latch held on by three torex bolts.

[zrozof]

Great write up.

Lately when I unlock the doors my front passenger door won't unlock. I can unlock it manually, but it doesn't unlock with the other doors. Does this mean my actuator needs to be replaced? Is the procedure the same for the front doors?

Thanks for the write up, I'll definitely use it when/if mine needs to be replaced.

[lkstaack]

Great write up.

Lately when I unlock the doors my front passenger door won't unlock. I can unlock it manually, but it doesn't unlock with the other doors. Does this mean my actuator needs to be replaced? Is the procedure the same for the front doors?

Thanks for the write up, I'll definitely use it when/if mine needs to be replaced.

Yes

[Jerrysull2]

Awesome write up. Only problem, I've got this problem on my E39. How much different will this task be? and can I still get the panel off the closed door?

[Balthazarr]

Door construction is a lot different from my '95.

[M3 Pete]

Door construction is a lot different from my '95.

that's because it's a REAR door, which your '95 does not have.

Great write up.

Lately when I unlock the doors my front passenger door won't unlock. I can unlock it manually, but it doesn't unlock with the other doors. Does this mean my actuator needs to be replaced? Is the procedure the same for the front doors?

Definitely not. Front doors are much easier.

The front door actuator is pretty simple, and does NOT require you to remove any part of the lock. Here is my thread, which has some links to other DIYs for the front door actuator (including this very thread), but make sure to read my portion of the writeup, as removing the lock is NOT required.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=703120

Here is a link to some really great photos of the front door mechanism and actuator, but as the guy says, he didn't need to remove the lock to replace the actuator after all.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...38884788VGBqEZ

[M3 Pete]

Awesome write up. Only problem, I've got this problem on my E39. How much different will this task be? and can I still get the panel off the closed door?

you can't open the door? That sounds like a different prooblem if you can't unlock the door manually from inside. Getting the interior panel off AND doing the repair is going to be a royal PITA (if not impossible) on a closed door.

[Jerrysull2]

Getting the interior panel off AND doing the repair is going to be a royal PITA (if not impossible) on a closed door.

Yea, it royally sucks. My BMW dealership scratched their heads and said "Surgery" was my solution. Local mechanic gave me 2 options:
1.Destroy inside panel to get to actuator
2.Drill hole in door to remove actuator
I hate this problem.........

[M3 Pete]

I just replaced my REAR door actuator. It is NOT, I repeat, NOT necessary to remove the window glass to change the actuator. Here is a DIY link.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=131544

I just did this myself this weekend so I can verify that it can be easily done without removing any windows.

[hfritz]

with or without glass removed - the first part of this post is a life saver. it should be stickied or put into the DIY section.

Thx!

[vsonix]

I currently have this problem... and this looks like just the thread, only all the images are broken. I know nobody's posted on it in 10 years but any chance the OP still has the images or someone can direct me to another DIY with valid images?