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Thread: Driver Side Door Won't Close!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Canada
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    32
    My Cars
    1992 BMW 525i

    Driver Side Door Won't Close!

    The past couple mornings have been hell...
    Granted I washed the car the other day (Friday) and it's been bellow freezing these days (14 degrees fahrenheit). I did leave it in a heated garage overnight that particular evening.

    Since then, every morning when I leave for work my door will not latch shut. I will repeatedly slam it for a couple minutes until it loosely latches, slam it a couple more times and it will work fine until the next morning. My first thought was freezing so I used de-icer, and after it happened the next morning I doused the inner lock mechanism and anything else I could get to on the door with WD40. Again this morning I open it and it won't close.

    I need to mention after that initial slamming war every morning there are no problems for the rest of the day.

    Thoughts or suggestions?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    Crook County
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    BMW X5, Lotus
    Oil the latch, it is sticking when you open the door and doesn't lock when you close the door. Latch is on the jamb of the door, not the body.
    Quote Originally Posted by GarrettSR5 View Post
    Hate to admit it but attack_eagle is right.
    Quote Originally Posted by SpiritofBavaria View Post
    ............. then upallnight has probably got it right
    Spirit

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    www.garaget.org/skillz
    If you have the door open and take a screwdriver or whatever (that you can use to "emulate" the latch on the b-pillar), can you pick the door latch and make it close? You shouldn't be able to push the screwdriver back the same way you put it in if it's in a fully working condition. I don't know if you understand what i mean, but i hope you do.

    Anyways, that would be the first thing i'd check, if you can do that, then i guess the latch striker on the b-pillar has come out of allignment and all that is needed may be to adjust it slightly towards the door. Otherwise it's a door latch problem as i see it.

    Slamming the door doesn't sound healthy for anything located inside the door.. But i guess you don't have any other options..
    Last edited by M Quick; 11-30-2010 at 01:41 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Manassas VA
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    95 530i 106k nik
    So whats the word Mr. DonDraper? Did a simple oiling of the latch solve the problem?

    I have the same issue. Its been in the teens and 20s out here at night the last few weeks, and with the cold I started having this same problem.

    the first few times i was just closing forcefully randomly, with no luck, and i had to get to work so I held it shut. Right before i got to work, mid drive, i noticed it actually did stay shut. Same deal on way home. Wouldnt close, had to hold the door shut until just before home, and after about 12 mins into my 15 min ride (with heat blasting). It worked normally.

    Now i just try to make sure the car heats up before i drive and so-far-so-good. But its been 4 days with this problem. no fail, if i try it cold, the door will NOT shut.
    "I have come here to chew bubbleguma and kick @ss...and im all outta bubblegum" -Rowdy Roddy Piper

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
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    Texas
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    1995 M5T Elekta
    Your door brake is about to go if you don't get some lube in there. peel off the rubber gasket and look at it. You can damage your window guides and put an outward dent in your car if you force it.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    95 530i 106k nik

    Talking

    Quote Originally Posted by Elekta View Post
    Your door brake is about to go if you don't get some lube in there. peel off the rubber gasket and look at it. You can damage your window guides and put an outward dent in your car if you force it.
    not sure i was clear. When i said "wouldnt close" i didnt mean the swinging or opening/closing action involving the door break. I meant wouldnt "stay closed" with the latching issue the OP mentioned.

    I drenched mine in CRC 3-36 (its what i had avialable at work) for a quick fix, and will drench in lithium grease when i get home. Hoping that will get it done, but wondering if OP ever got a long term fix besides that.
    "I have come here to chew bubbleguma and kick @ss...and im all outta bubblegum" -Rowdy Roddy Piper

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
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    Chicago, IL
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    04 325iA, 95 525 5sp
    My E34 started right up and purrred happily this morning at -2*F. Put the kid in the car seat, opened the passenger door, same thing- would not latch no matter what. Manually moving the latch proved that it just would not latch shut. This has happened before on other doors but they've typically come loose and started to work after a while. Not this time. Shut the poor E34 off and took the Toyota. I felt bad for starting the car in that cold of weather, letting it idle, then just shutting it off, but I had no choice.
    Last edited by jhughes; 12-15-2010 at 02:46 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Canada
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    My Cars
    1992 BMW 525i

    Wd40

    I found recently a few things helped:
    1. Do whatever you can to let it sit overnight in a heated garage if you just washed it.
    2. Douse the internal keyhole, and latch with WD40. Short sprays inside the keyhole so it just doesn't all come back out, let the mechanism soak it up. Then get the latch good, shoot it up into it, and just douse it.
    3. Follow up 2hrs later with a better/real lubricant other than WD40. *WD40 will take care of any ice as well as lube our car but will eventually dry out.
    4. If it happends again you should only need to slam the door once to close it, and not a hard slam but rather the type you tell your little kid not to do when shutting the car door.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    Solon, Ohio,United States
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    Thank you, usually I do not comment on a thread if i'm not involved but this just saved me. I've been having problems with my door actuator and thought it had gone out. WD-40 then would Valvoline grease work??

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    '80 WBA/'98 WBS/'06 WBA
    I know this is a major bump, but I'm having the same issue with my E53 X5. This morning was the second time this has happened. Did anyone come up with a legitimate fix for this? Or are we at just spraying and hoping for the best? Thanks.


  11. #11
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by twastheglow View Post
    I know this is a major bump, but I'm having the same issue with my E53 X5. This morning was the second time this has happened. Did anyone come up with a legitimate fix for this? Or are we at just spraying and hoping for the best? Thanks.
    As a quick fix the WD-40 should work, but as mentioned it needs to be properly cleaned and lubed afterwards to maintain proper function. I've also had this happen to me when it was about -20* outside - my rear passenger door simply would not latch. The mechanism moved by hand, but it just wouldn't close over the locking post. Heat will fix it also, if you have access to a hair dryer/heat gun, but if you had easy access to that you'd likely not have the car so cold to start with. But yeah, you need to properly clean and lube the mechanism and it'll go back to working correctly all the time.

    Fox


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