Battery is dead, car is locked...HELP!

[evertoconquer]

Droped my car off at the mechanic last week to have some work done that i don't have the time or knowledge to do and the battery drained on it from the time i left it to the time he gets to it. Guess i left the interior lights on or something, anyway, can't get into the car with the key either. Am i just screwed or is a locksmith in my immediate future?

[cbouchez]

Can you open your trunk? If you can you will find the battery there you can jump start the car.

[evertoconquer]

Can't open anything at all. I didn't know that when the battery died, nothing can be done with the car at all, or is that just mine and something else is f'd up.

[Hogg]

Jump the car to the terminals under the hood in front. There is a little black cover with a + sign on it on the right side of the engine block (as you face the car from the front), and there is a large bronze/gold covered nut on the left strut tower for your negative connection.

So, connect another car to those terminals, just like you are going to jump start the car. that will give it enough juice to respond to the unlock command from your key and allow you access to the trunk.

Ask me how i know!!

And oh yeah, get a new mechanic. If he doesn't know something this simple about your car then he shouldn't be doing anything complicated on it.

[mr540ia]

Can't manually open the doors or trunk by turning all the way counter clock wise? Doesn't make sense. I heard you can jump via license plate lights. lol

[cbouchez]

I know... but I have to ask did you use your key?? It's a mechanical mechanism not electrical.

[evertoconquer]

Hogg, i don't think you understand what i am saying or i didn't type it correctly, i can't get into the car to open the hood at all. The guy that is my mechanic has been one for almost 30 years so i trust him and he has always fixed my cars when i couldn't.

[Geralt]

You should be able to get into the car with your key without any battery.

From the Manual
"(in the event of an electrical malfunction)
By turning the key to the limit positions in the door lock, you can lock and unlock the driver's door."

Once opened (from own XP):
Get another battery and some wires;
Put one wire on "+" and another on "-" (Careful!);
Other end of the "+" wire put around some long screwdriver and cover screwdriver with insulation so only the tip is visible;
Take out cigarette lighter;
Put the tip of the screwdriver ("+") onto very bottom and center of the lighter well (there is some kind of bolt or smth, can't remember);
Now with wire from "-" (minus) terminal touch the wall of the well and there you have it - it's alive !
Ask someone to push trunk unlock button.

EDIT:
OH! If your mechanic with his 30 years XP really can't get into the car (really strange however) - he can do it the same way through the lighting of the number plate on the trunk. Haven't done this, so no DIY here from me.

[evertoconquer]

I know... but I have to ask did you use your key?? It's a mechanical mechanism not electrical.

Yep, tried that. It wouldn't do a thing.

Well, he said something about the tail gate lights but i was so pissed about everything that i just dissmissed it.

[CLKFAN]

Id hate for this to happen to me with BMW roadside assistance. Mercedes will send a mobile tech to handle the situation with your key and get the car open. BMW wont. I would suggest trying to give BMW roadside a call anyway and see if they will send you a local tech like Mercedes does. It may cost you a bit but at least they will get the car open for you.

Are you sure the key wont open the door manually? Does your key go in the door lock but wont turn?

[evertoconquer]

CLK, i'm positive it will not turn, i did it my self. He told me that the alarm went off a couple of times by itself so i figured that was the battery dying.

[cnn]

Same issue here, 2000 5-series wagon locked out:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=502380

Jack up the driver's side front wheel and support with jackstand for safety reason.
There is a red cable going to the starter motor.
You can jump through that (+) post labeled "Red Positive Cable" and a ground (such as Transmission).
You may have to remove some plastic shield to expose the red cable:

[jamesdc4]

Same issue here, 2000 5-series wagon locked out:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=502380

Jack up the driver's side front wheel and support with jackstand for safety reason.
There is a red cable going to the starter motor.
You can jump through that (+) post labeled "Red Positive Cable" and a ground (such as Transmission).
You may have to remove some plastic shield to expose the red cable:

Nice, Cam!
I'm confused as to why the manual lock/unlock doesn't work on some E39s.

(Image courtesy Qsilver7)

[cnn]

Nice, Cam!
I'm confused as to why the manual lock/unlock doesn't work on some E39s.

(Image courtesy Qsilver7)

1+,

I am baffled by this too. I have no issues whatsoever when I d/c my battery and use the key manually.

In this post and some other posts, the owner cannot open BOTH the driver door AND the trunk! Hard to explain why!

[Hogg]

Duh - yeah. If you cant get into the car then how can you pop the hood.

Did some googling on your behalf, and at least on other person ran into the same issue, and thought the "key in drivers side lock" would not work. But he was just not turning it hard enough. So, try it again and put some elbow grease behind it.

[evertoconquer]

Thank you so much CNN, that was the ticket. The locksmith said he wouldn't touch it, too much liability.

I think this should be put into the DIY section, surely I'm not the only one this has ever happened to here.

[UkiSash]

Nope your not. However im not sure if the touring is diff. but on a sedan 5 the truck could be operated manually. Ive had this happen to me before the truck opened just find... have to twist it to the left all the way.

[FP5241]

Nice, Cam!
I'm confused as to why the manual lock/unlock doesn't work on some E39s.

(Image courtesy Qsilver7)

We should compile a list of e39 models that can pop open the doors with keys when the battery dies...

Example:

-
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-2000 528i (sport)
-
-
-

[Doc325i]

Nope your not. However im not sure if the touring is diff. but on a sedan 5 the truck could be operated manually. Ive had this happen to me before the truck opened just find... have to twist it to the left all the way.

^ Tough read!


I thought all 5's opened manually with a firm complete turn of the key just like the owner's manual illustrates. I've seen where folks aren't turning hard enough.

[Qsilver7]

Owners unfamiliar with how to unlock their cars in the event of an electrical failure has plagued every BMW forum I've ever been on...going back to my first BMW...a 1985 e30 325e. In each case 99% of the time it is OPERATOR ERROR. First, most asking the question either missed it, forgot it, or never read the info in their owners manual...then when told what to do...they many times fail to turn the key far enough counter clockwise to the manual unlock position.

This is the manual unlock position for the driver's door (as an example that the lock DOES turn that far)....if your's don't, then when was the last time you lubricated your locks?

-

If you can gain entry into the cabin of the car...all that is required to jump start the car or charge the battery is to lift the hood and connect jumper cables or a battery charger to the posts in the engine bay. Screwdrivers & cig lighters seem like a whole bunch of effort if you have the proper tools to jump or charge:

Jump Start instructions from owners manual:


6 cylinder engines:


8 cylinder engines:

BTW...the same goes for the trunk lock cylinder on the e39 sedan (the e39 Touring does not have an external lock cylinder...but the tail gate can be opened manually from inside...see your owners manual for instruction).

-

[m5hoot]

^ Tough read!

Man thanks. I thought it was just me.

[ElleShooTiger]

Same issue here, 2000 5-series wagon locked out:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=502380

Jack up the driver's side front wheel and support with jackstand for safety reason.
There is a red cable going to the starter motor.
You can jump through that (+) post labeled "Red Positive Cable" and a ground (such as Transmission).
You may have to remove some plastic shield to expose the red cable:

I wrote the same thing in a reply to a post here where a E38 couldnt be opened!

Can be done on almost any car, and probably works a lot better than plugging in the license lights haha.

[jamesdc4]

I'll gather all this info together and place it in both the DIY section and the FAQ.

[cnn]

Thank you so much CNN, that was the ticket. The locksmith said he wouldn't touch it, too much liability.

I think this should be put into the DIY section, surely I'm not the only one this has ever happened to here.

So did you succeed with this trick of "Red Cable" jumping?

[evertoconquer]

CNN, worked like a charm, thanks for the link and info.