Cannot Open Door

[Pigoo]

Hello folks...got a bit of a problem (like most folks posting questions).

I have a 1998 BMW 528i. The problem is my passenger side front door won't open. The door lock will lock/unlock using the remote...since I can see the button pop up & down when the remote is used, and I can hear the locking mechanism in the door operating. But the door cannot be opened using the outer or inner door handles.

I pretty much figure it's something mechanical (not electrical). The problem is...since I cannot open the door...is how to get the door panel off to get access to the everything.

Is there some sort of trick to get the door open...or is there some way to get the door panel off while the door is closed? I've removed the door panels before...so I'm familiar with the procedure...but this was always when I was able to open the door first.

Thanks,

- Nick

p.s. Also remember that only the drivers side front door has a slot for a key...so I cannot try using the key on any of the other doors to try to open them.

[JimiJ]

You might be able to see down in the door with the window open. Maybe with a long screwdriver or hook you can operate the latch to get the door open. Good luck.

[Pigoo]

You might be able to see down in the door with the window open. Maybe with a long screwdriver or hook you can operate the latch to get the door open. Good luck.

Yeah...I gave that idea try (thanks for the idea). There's VERY little gap between the window glass & the rubber window weather scraper...so not much chance of seeing what I'm doing. There is barely enough room to stick a metal clothes hanger in there...but not much to hook onto.

I actually have one of the rear door panels off already (for an electric window problem) so I was able to look at the mechanism more closely from that perspective. I'm thinking that cars for a long time now (even 1998 BMW's) have their locking mechanisms designed so something as simple as a bent clothes hanger cannot "pop" the lock.

Still need help folks. My basic question is...how can I get the door open...or how can I get the door panel off without being able to open the door?

Thanks,

- Nick

[Vipsa]

There's no way to take the door panel off with the door closed without damaging it. Can you provide us with a bit more information on what might have caused the mechanism to stop working? Did you do any work on that door? Btw, you can remove the exterior window frame from the outside of the window to get a better view with the window down. Also, I would remove the interior door handle and see if there's any tension on the cable that releases the door latch.

[Pigoo]

There's no way to take the door panel off with the door closed without damaging it.

Yes...this was pretty much my conclusion as well.

Can you provide us with a bit more information on what might have caused the mechanism to stop working? Did you do any work on that door?

Additional info: The door opening mechanisms on this door (outside & inside) just stopped working one day. Actually what initially happened was (when all 4 doors were unlocked one day)...I was getting into the car when leaving work & the passenger side door actually swung open all by itself as I made a slow turn out of the parking lot. When I tried to close it...it wouldn't latch (stay shut).

So imagine this...I need to drive home 12 miles on the highway...and my passenger side door won't latch & stay closed. I kept trying to physically pull it closed to get it to latch...but it wouldn't. Finally I tried holding the door closed...and used the remote to lock all the doors...and this worked. Ever since this event, I have not been able to get the door to open...either using the remote to unlock the doors, or using the inside opening lever or the door handle on the outside of the door.

Btw, you can remove the exterior window frame from the outside of the window to get a better view with the window down.

Yes I tried this...but I wasn't 100% sure how to get it off (without removing the door panel first)...and I didn't want to force anything and damage something. Since I've removed one of the rear door panels previously...I know that there are metal retainers that hold the window scraper in...but they are very hard to remove (and of course VERY hard to remove without the door panel removed first).

Also, I would remove the interior door handle and see if there's any tension on the cable that releases the door latch.

Yes...I did this as well. The cable from the door opening latch on the inside of the door panel operates as it should (attached to the cable & when you operate it you can hear all the mechanical sounds that normally happen).

What I'm starting to think is...something must have broke or wore out. When the remote is pressed the little nubbs/knobs that pop up on each door pop-up normally. And when I lock the doors with the remote...all 4 nubbs go down. The problem is...this passenger side front door won't unlock when the remote is pressed (even though the nubb on the door does pop up).

So as I mentioned before...I need to get the door open...so I can get the door panel off...and then be better able to troubleshoot things, identify what is wrong...then fix what's wrong, or replace the broken part.

I just can't get the door open!!! Help!!!

Thanks,

- Nick

[Vipsa]

I haven't tried this on the E39, but see if you can remove the plastic covering the lower part of the B-pillar. Then see if you can remove some of the door rubber seal around where the door latch is from the inside. If you can even barely see the door latch, you should be able to get a screw driver in there and try and manually force the trigger to unlatch from the striker. I've successfully opened frozen closed doors this way on a few older vehicles. If that doesn't work, I think you'll have to cut up the door panel and replace it once the issue's fixed.

[Pigoo]

I haven't tried this on the E39, but see if you can remove the plastic covering the lower part of the B-pillar.

Hey again...great idea! But I beat you to it. I tried this a couple of hours ago. I removed the plastic trim material from the "b pillar" on the inside...removed a couple of the rubber/plastic access plugs...but all I could see was solid metal where the door latch mechanism would be for the front door.

I was thinking the same thing as you...if there was a hole or two that would allow access to the front door latch...maybe a could wiggle a screw driver in there somehow & unlock it.

Awesome idea...thanks.

- Nick

Ok...a bit of a positive update. So I've been working on this door all afternoon (vacation day today). My wife decides that she wants to go shopping...so she starts up the car...and before she pulls out of the garage I think to myself ("Hey why not give the door handle one more try just for the heck of it.")...BAMM...the door opens!!!

I have no idea what difference starting the engine made...but for some reason the door opened. So I've disconnected the battery, the door is open (not shutting it until I got this thing figured out).

I'm going to start taking off the door panel in a little while...but in the meantime...anybody got any theories why the door wouldn't open with the engine not running...but would open with the engine running??? I should also mention that the doors were already unlocked...and that the power locks were not actuated before I tried this.

- Nick

[TommyFTR]

Was the car ever hit on that side? My guess, and only a guess, is that something may be slightly off, something else has worn out. When your wife was backing up there may have been just enough tension on the chassis for it to "twist" enough to open. May sound far fetched but given that the door swung open while driving and was stuck shut while not driving, I think I'm onto something.

[Pigoo]

Was the car ever hit on that side? My guess, and only a guess, is that something may be slightly off, something else has worn out. When your wife was backing up there may have been just enough tension on the chassis for it to "twist" enough to open. May sound far fetched but given that the door swung open while driving and was stuck shut while not driving, I think I'm onto something.

Not a bad theory...and could certainly make sense for a car that had been hit on the passenger side.

But the car has never been hit...and my wife never actually moved the car before I tried to open the door one last time before she left (car was still in park, all she did was turn the ignition key to start the engine).

Any other ideas?

- Nick

[TommyFTR]

Not a bad theory...and could certainly make sense for a car that had been hit on the passenger side.

But the car has never been hit...and my wife never actually moved the car before I tried to open the door one last time before she left (car was still in park, all she did was turn the ignition key to start the engine).

Any other ideas?

- Nick

No, that's all I have. How long ago did it swing open at work? Has it been opened and closed since?

[Pigoo]

No, that's all I have. How long ago did it swing open at work? Has it been opened and closed since?

It happened about a month ago. Once I got the door to stay closed...I didn't mess with it. It basically took me until now to get motivated/have enough time to look into the problem. Now that I got the door open again...I'm going to take the door panel off today...and see what I can find.

Thanks for the help,

- Nick

[Pigoo]

Just a quick update. I got the door panel off...and a chance to look at things. It looks like:

- the actual mechanical locking mechanism needed some lubrication
- the locking mechanism was/is rubbing something (compared to the locking mechanisms on the other doors)
- the release spring on the locking mechanism seems weak

- Nick

[Lavalamp]

Sounds like you bent something when the door swung open. I was gonna suggest trying to unlock the door while putting pressure on either side, since that is how you got it stuck to begin with.

[Pigoo]

Sounds like you bent something when the door swung open. I was gonna suggest trying to unlock the door while putting pressure on either side, since that is how you got it stuck to begin with.

Sorry friend...that's not it at all! It's totally impossible to bend anything in the locking mechanism area from the door swinging open. The only part of the door that contacts the rest of the vehicle when a door swings open are the door hinges...and the door hinges are fine.

I know exactly what's wrong with it, now that I've been able to examine it. Thanks for all the help folks.

- Nick

[Lavalamp]

If you bend the hinges, or the attachment points for the hinges, it'll throw the door alignment out of whack. Door misaligned = possible locking problem.
Furthermore, "the locking mechanism was/is rubbing something", could also hint to an alignment problem.

But either way, I'm glad you got the door open and know what's wrong.

Also just noticed you changed "couldn't be more wrong" to "that's not it at all", first version being the reason for my reply, so yeah, carry on

[Pigoo]

If you bend the hinges, or the attachment points for the hinges, it'll throw the door alignment out of whack. Door misaligned = possible locking problem.
Furthermore, "the locking mechanism was/is rubbing something", could also hint to an alignment problem.

I agree with you in many cases bent hinges could & probably would lead to an alignment problem...and lead to a locking mechanism issue. But...in my particular case I don't have bent hinges, and I don't have an alignment issue.

The problems are:

- the latching mechanism in the door (the "C" shaped part that rotates & engages the locking pin mounted on the "B-piller) seems to be rubbing against part of the housing in that area (and probably has been doing this for years & years)
- the return/release spring for this "C" shaped locking mechanism part seems weak
- the mechanical moving parts of the lock needed some lubrication
- the car is 13 years old...and wear & tear does occur

Also recall in my earlier posts in this thread that the locking mechanism issue occurred BEFORE the door swung open...so the door swinging open did not cause the initial locking mechanism issue.

- Nick

[Lavalamp]

Oh I had read it as the door swung open prior to the problem. But I was no longer saying that might have been your problem after you said you figured out what it was, I was just pointing out that it would have been a valid assumption...had the "swinging of the door" happened prior to the problem.
Now I just have to hope I won't have the same problem, I have no idea how I'd get that door panel off w/o damaging it.

edit:

Additional info: The door opening mechanisms on this door (outside & inside) just stopped working one day. Actually what initially happened was (when all 4 doors were unlocked one day)...I was getting into the car when leaving work & the passenger side door actually swung open all by itself as I made a slow turn out of the parking lot. When I tried to close it...it wouldn't latch (stay shut).

So imagine this...I need to drive home 12 miles on the highway...and my passenger side door won't latch & stay closed. I kept trying to physically pull it closed to get it to latch...but it wouldn't. Finally I tried holding the door closed...and used the remote to lock all the doors...and this worked. Ever since this event, I have not been able to get the door to open...either using the remote to unlock the doors, or using the inside opening lever or the door handle on the outside of the door.

That it what lead me to believe A caused B.

[Pigoo]

Oh I had read it as the door swung open prior to the problem. But I was no longer saying that might have been your problem after you said you figured out what it was, I was just pointing out that it would have been a valid assumption...had the "swinging of the door" happened prior to the problem.
Now I just have to hope I won't have the same problem, I have no idea how I'd get that door panel off w/o damaging it.

edit:

That it what lead me to believe A caused B.

Yes...the order of events (for my problem):

1. Unlocked the car.
2. Got in.
3. Started the car.
4. Pulled out of my parking spot & SLOWLY turned left at like 2-3 mph.
5. The passenger side door ever so slowly started to open (the door never actually fully opened to cause any sort stress on the hinges).
6. Stopped the car.
7. Tried pulling the door closed a couple times but it wouldn't latch.
8. Finally got the passenger side door to latch my using the remote.

So really nothing that would cause a door alignment problem. The long story the door latch mechanism should probably be replaced...but after lubricating it...it seems to be operating ok...so we'll see how it goes.

I TOTALLY agree with what you mentioned earlier...that a collision on the passenger side or stress on the door hinges could definitely cause alignment issues...which then could or would lead to issues with the operation of the door locking mechanism.

Thanks for the help,

- Nick

[cnn]

I have a question for the Lock Actuator gurus...


- For the problem "cannot open door from outside or inside", is the problem with the electrical unit (#2) or the mechanical unit (#1)?


- When you buy complete actuator PN 51218235097, does it include the electrical portion #2?


Thanks.