Key/Lock question

[winstontj]

I know I've put like four of these in the general but I'm an attention whore and I need readers to read and reply to this.

OK, when you walk up to your locked car and attempt to unock is the key/slot positioned verticle or horizontal? (mine is horizontal)

So I walk up to my locked car and put the key in the slot horizontal, rotate the key 90 degrees counter clockwise, so the key is straight up & down, the doors unlock, I remove the now verticle key and enter the car. Locking is opposite of unlocking.

Question #1 is the normal "at rest" position of a lock cylinder upright? Meaning locked and unlocked the key should go in upright (verticle) and to lock or unlock the car you simply insert the key upright and turn left (counter clockwise) to unlock and a full 90 degrees and then back to upright to lock?

If that makes sense Question #2 is that I just bought a set of cylinders rhat the dealer is re-keying to the VIN, do i need to buy any other little odds & ends in there (driver side pushrods, levers,cams,etc.) or will I be able to swap in the new cylinders and have everything work right?

Of you had to do a total R&R on the locks what would you need?

Thanks,
TJW

[Mike325]

My locks are vertical all the time. I don't think that you will have to change too much internal stuff when you get the new cylinders.

[ivo316]

MIne are also vertical all the time ;)

[StereoInstaller1]

Vertical is correct.

May I suggest that before you re-key, have a VIN key cut at the dealer and test the cylinders you have, unless you know them to be wrong.

When we had a VIN key cut done, we compared the two.

Hard to believe the fake keys worked at all. Teh new key works amazingly well in all cylinders, including the one that the fake keys would not operate!

Luke

[winstontj]

Luke,
Thats what started this, The car only came with two metal keys so me needing to be all BMW snobbish I went and ordered up a set of three keys at the dealer... a phone call to the PO later and I learn that he had it rekeyed for some reason. I just want to bring it back to stock so it matches the VIN and works like it did the day it was new.

Something is popping every time I lock/unlock the door. Guess I'll have to get the door panel off to really see.

[Jscotty]

You have the deadbolt feature on your lock cylinder. That popping you feel is the engaging of the deadbolt. When you turn the key 45 degrees clockwise, the doors will lock. If you turn the key all the way to a 90 degree position and remove the key, you will enable the deadbolt function which prevents the doors from being able to be unlocked from the inside of the car.. thus preventing the use of a slim jim or breaking a window and manually pulling up the lock.

[StereoInstaller1]

Hoo-boy, if JScotty is right (and I think he is), take your patience pills before starting on this one. I have looked at a deadblt E30s doorlocks, but had not planned on fucking with one.

My GF's '89 is having issues too, not locking all doors from the drivers door key.

Thank god she gets keyless/alarm/remote start instead of me having to FIX that crap...

Luke

[JGood]

Sounds like the double lock (deadbolt) is engaging properly and the normal lock is not. One of my e30's does this. I don't think re-keying will fix anything, I pulled my panel off and spent a long time tearing everything apart, lubing, and watching what is going on. It seems that the two prong lever, attached to the entire latch mechanism that the cylinder engages is not operating properly, it has too much free play. But, this is mine, maybe yours has a different issue.

I've always had issues with locks. I've rebuilt my drivers lock on my 325e twice and it still doesn't work right. The ball that slides in the groove for the double lock feature keeps binding up, causing my key to get stuck in the damn door. You wanna talk about getting pissed off, try being late for an interview and your entire fucking key chain is hanging out of your BMW's door and won't budge.

[Fanzotti]

I re-keyed my own locks. Not hard to do.

[Jscotty]

You wanna talk about getting pissed off, try being late for an interview and your entire fucking key chain is hanging out of your BMW's door and won't budge.

I got one even better- using the spare key because you think you misplaced your set of keys and after driving around all day you discover that they have been sitting in the trunk lock all day.

I keep one of those belt-loop type of key rings on my pants (like a janitor uses) with the keys to everything that I own. And then I have a single key that I keep on a BMW keychain that I use most times because I dont like having that big bundle of keys jingling and banging against the steering collumn while I am driving.. anyhow I was driving down the road one day and this pretty lady keeps blowing her horn at me and waving. I think nothing of it other than the fact that she is being friendly. This happens 5 times in the 70 mile trip that I took. Finally I discovered that I left the keys in the trunk lock! I probably would have gone nuts thinking that I lost my keys!

[JGood]

I got one even better- using the spare key because you think you misplaced your set of keys and after driving around all day you discover that they have been sitting in the trunk lock all day.

Nice! That's better then being flagged down because one side of your brand new $200 Reiger lip is hanging off, about 1mm from the ground...

[arnoldgtr]

A new driver's lock cylinder should fix the problem. The original deadbolt cylinder had a ball bearing detent for the normal (45 degree) locking. When it wears a groove into the pot metal housing, it will no longer lock normally. Then you have to turn the lock 90 degrees to activate the deadbolt function. The new deadbolt lock cylinder was redesigned with a roller bearing instead of the ball bearing.
BTW, you can substitute a standard non-deadbolt lock cylinder and still have central locking (just no deadbolt function). The standard cylinders are practically bulletproof.

[winstontj]

Wow! Thanks everyone... On top of this I have a loose wire in the doorhinge somewhere... If I move the wires just right he door locks dont work at all! even in deadbolt mode. I do have deadbolt locks and where I live I'm keeping them. I'll take pics when I'm in there, I have new cylinders that are getting re-keyed but that is completely different than this. My 45deg lock function just isnt working so I'll get something sorted, Thanks! Off to buy an owner's manual so I can learn how to use my car!

[Jscotty]

I keep saying that I am going to scan my manual as a PDF so that it can go into the tech section on here.. I am going to get that done this weekend once and for all.

[viali8]

i just bought an 89 325i and i was not able to lock the car. When i put the key in the drivers side door and turn the key nothing happened. When i tried to lock the car from the trunk i couldn't even turn the key. I went to the dealer and had a new key cut and it works perfectly fine now. the point i am trying to make is that the old key maybe worn down so mcuh that it will not work. Your lock cylinders could be ok. Therefore i would have a new key cut (about $13) before spending a lot of money on new cylinders. good luck.