central locking

[grumpygit]

Hi all, back again with another problem, this time it's the central locking, passenger side will open both doors and boot, boot will open both doors, drivers door the key will turn but nothing happens, so I know the actuators work so it's not that , any ideas what could be wrong??

[roguetoaster]

Roll down your windows, unlock all doors/trunk, close all doors, lock the car from the DS lock knob on the interior. Unlock via the key from the DS door, see what result that has.

[82eye]

Hi all, back again with another problem, this time it's the central locking, passenger side will open both doors and boot, boot will open both doors, drivers door the key will turn but nothing happens, so I know the actuators work so it's not that , any ideas what could be wrong??

lock mechanism broke. it's quite common and super expensive. but only if you can find the part. which you won't. it's been out of stock for a little over 2 yras and may never get made again. some guy on ebay makes a printed part for the cost of the replacement kit, it may or may not work.

[grumpygit]

thanks for the replies lads, I'm hoping the first suggestion might work if not I'll keep looking for a replacement locking mechanism.
cheers lads, have a good new year

[zaq123]

e30 as many other BMWs have drivers door lock setup for a double lock feature. Basically if you double lock (turn key in drivers door twice) it prevents opening doors from the inside. Silly anti-theft feature that require drivers door lock to be super complicated and results in a frequent breakage of the lock cylinder. It's a silly feature that a lot of people actually want to disable. If you want to keep originality of the design, eBay guy is your only option (I have his part and it's not much stronger than the original). Older e30 didn't have that feature and use the same lock cylinder mechanism as your passenger side. Much more robust design that still allows you to centre lock everything minus silly double locking feature.
My advice is to buy the lock assembly for the passenger side and install it into the driver's side. You will fix your central locking and get rid of that double lock nonsence.
Very simple. Here is a little How To...Step 21 is somewhat important or you will push your lock hole inside the door while jamming the cylinder retainer creating a little dimple in your door lock hole. If your car isn't pristine shape and you just want to fit the lock, its not essential.

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/e30-faq-and-diy/192373-how-to-retrofit-‘double-lock’-driver-door-lock-and-keep-central-locking

[ehrawn]

My advice is to buy the lock assembly for the passenger side and install it into the driver's side. You will fix your central locking and get rid of that double lock nonsence.

Re-soldering the fuse in the central locking mechanism restored most of my system's function. Now, I have the same symptoms as the OP. i just purchased a passenger side lock to do as zaq123 suggested. I'll report back.

[grumpygit]

that step by step guide is brilliant, thank you, I've sourced a replacement barrel off Ebay, I've taken my door barrel out and the end piece has piece broken off, so hopefully just need to replace that bit, fingers crossed.

[82eye]

Re-soldering the fuse in the central locking mechanism restored most of my system's function. Now, I have the same symptoms as the OP. i just purchased a passenger side lock to do as zaq123 suggested. I'll report back.

let us know if it flies. it's been reported the end piece off the lock barrel is oriented opposite and does not swap side to side.

[82eye]

that step by step guide is brilliant, thank you, I've sourced a replacement barrel off Ebay, I've taken my door barrel out and the end piece has piece broken off, so hopefully just need to replace that bit, fingers crossed.

let us know if it works. i have to fix mine before body and paint this spring.

[grumpygit]

will do 👍

[Zekerbox]

I have this issue on my 91 and was planning to install keyless entry to get around this issue and replace the driver side. Tuned in to see how OP makes out.


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[nadodude111]

Hey Grumpygit hope the new part solves your problem! Just want to confirm with the wise people here, even if the cylinder repair kit is NLA, can’t we just order a new keyed driver door lock cylinder from BMW or are ALL cylinders NLA?

The only part that breaks and renders the lock useless can be replaced with any healthy drivers lock cylinder. It’s that flimsy metal layer that holds the ball bearing. I took another cylinder I found in a junkyard and replaced the metal layer (red circle) with the broken piece in my cylinder and good as new. You do not need to take the whole cylinder apart just the top three layers. Not sure why the repair kit came with the tumblers and all other parts?

[Zekerbox]

Hey Grumpygit hope the new part solves your problem! Just want to confirm with the wise people here, even if the cylinder repair kit is NLA, can’t we just order a new keyed driver door lock cylinder from BMW or are ALL cylinders NLA?

The only part that breaks and renders the lock useless can be replaced with any healthy drivers lock cylinder. It’s that flimsy metal layer that holds the ball bearing. I took another cylinder I found in a junkyard and replaced the metal layer (red circle) with the broken piece in my cylinder and good as new. You do not need to take the whole cylinder apart just the top three layers. Not sure why the repair kit came with the tumblers and all other parts?

Do you know if these parts can be scavenged from either side? or are they driver side specific?

[grumpygit]

Hi Nadodude, that exactly the piece that broke on mine, I'm gonna try and do exactly what you've said, complete barrel only cost £20 off Ebay, this weekends job for me.

[reelizmpro]

Yeah it's a very common issue. I had a car with the same problem once and I just locked/unlocked from the trunk. Instead of fixing it, save yourself the trouble and install a keyless entry system. They are very inexpensive nowadays. They're convenient and will save wear and tear on not only the lock but the key itself.