central locking and keyless entry

[Shaunt23]

hi All! so my central locking worked perfect. I shopped around, read forums and found a unit that has been successfully installed on many e30's. the brand is random, Ratek, but the transmitter is an aftermarket BMW key, so thats why i got this one... instructions are poor, diagrams dont say much. so with the help of forum posts and other peoples DIY instructions, i got it connected in 15 minutes. everything works, except for the unlock feature. as you all know the locking system is a negative trigger or grounded system... so i figured i need a relay... i installed that, and still nothing. ultimately after everything i tried i think something else got messed up because with the key, the central unlock no longer works when i unlock from the trunk, but the locking works. And from the driver side door everything works fine with the key...

so I have questions and need help:

• have i now damaged something in the central locking since it doesnt unlock everything when i use the key at the trunk?
• or did i mess up the trunk actuator? since the unlock and lock work from the driver door, when using the key
• what am i doing wrong that i cannot get the unlock feature work? the lock feature works the same way, grounded / negative trigger, why is that working, but not the unlock??

Please Help!!!

[StereoInstaller1]

The door lock system is fairly simple, but unique to BMW.

You need to use relays for both lock and unlock, even though they are negative trigger.

When the CL system switches, the wires stay on ground, so thats the main reason for needing relays, as your aftermarket system does not like the lock wires resting on ground.

[reelizmpro]

There are a bunch of threads on this very topic already. You will need to troubleshoot. Good reason to bring the car to the Van Nuys meet tonight. I will be there and can take a look.

[Shaunt23]

thanks for the input guys! I know about the threads and etc... the problem that i am seeing is that even with the relay it did not work. the wiring in the car is original, and has not been modified or jimmy rigged... the lock feature is working perfectly without a relay... i am thinking when i was testing/installing the relay, i may have done something to the CL??

[reelizmpro]

You don't need to add any relays. It's a ground pulse of a few milliseconds that throws the relays inside the CLU just like the microswitch at the lock when you use a key. The Keyless system supplies the ground pulses instead of the microswitches. Check your splice on the unlock wire with a meter. Then troubleshoot why everything works from the door but not the trunk. Check the door jamb connector terminals, etc. Make sure all the actuators are working including the trunk and gas door. A bad actuator can cause issues as well.

[330SMG]

Download a wiring schematic it can help a ton. I hope you hooked it up under the dash directly to the control unit and not the hack way in the trunk.

[Shaunt23]

I looked for schematics can't find any for this ratek keyless... None that actually describes what the wires do... I tries under the dash also, directly the controller no luck there either... It seems that not knowing what the keyless wire do is the problem???