BROKE DOOR LOCK & KEY FOB NOT WORKING! Z4 2003

[Stephen Pearce]

Hi folks

Need some help & advice here.

Today, I purchased a 2.5 2003 Z4 with a known driver door lock problem. The key fob and central locking worked fine, but the driver door doesn't open at all. The lock spins.

But the passenger door & boot worked fine on the key fob.

But my bigger problem is this. On the way home, I stalled the car, and when I went to restart it, the key fob came apart in my hand, I put the 2 plastic covers back together & restarted the car fine.

When I got home, the central locking didn't work. I assume because of something related to the key covers coming apart when I stalled the car earlier.

I put the key into the drivers lock, and although the lock spins, it did lock the car after a few turns.

Problem now is, I cannot unlock the drivers door/ get into the car with the key, or fob. The boot opens fine on the key.

I don't know whether the key needs reprogramming, but I understand this needs to be done with the key in the ignition.

Or whether there's a way to open the doors by removing the door handle, or a manual way to open the hood.

We managed to climb into the boot and removed the shelf, and got a hook around the passenger handle, but pulling this didn't work either. The door pin lifted as you'd expect, but dropped again as the handle was released.

Any help & advice would be much appreciated.

 

[ben g]

You can manually release the hood from the boot and then starsky and hutch into the interior. I think you have to pull on the red handle.

Regarding the door lock, mine also spins. It's because theres a clip inside the door that holds it steady, which will have either broken or fallen off. A new clip is very cheap from bmw, but it's getting to it that's the problem. I haven't fixed mine yet, but it's definitely a clip that holds it in as I checked realoem.com

 

[fixit man]

I guess you don't have a spare key !

M aybe just reassemble the key again and make sure all contacts are good, can't see why it would need programming, but you are correct to program it , it needs to be in the ignition.

Only other suggestion is to keep turning jiggling the barrel in the door you might get lucky ! Then get a spare key !

 

[Stephen Pearce]

Thanks for the replies.

I have 2 keys, none of which work the central locking. I put a new battery in the first key, and it all looks ok, and went back together fine.

I have got in the car today though. I removed the door handle from the outside, removed the lock barrel and can open the door with a screw driver in the latch mechanism and pull the cable at the same time.

Oddly though, I have to hold the screw driver in the fully unlock position that opens the windows, and pull the cable together.

A simple unlock opens the central locking, but door handles/ cables won't open the door.

At least now I can in the car, I can reprogramme the key and see if that works.

 

[srhutch]

I presume you have had to break the handle then?

 

[Stephen Pearce]

Yeah, no way to get the handle out without damaging it.

I can now see how/ why the door lock wasn't working too. The pin on the back wasn't turning with the lock, but can get service kits to refurb them.

£50 for a second hand handle

 

[srhutch]

At least you got in though. Would have cost more using any other route.

 

[nightyard]

Take the door card off and see what's broke....

 

[ben g]

Take the door card off and see what's broke....

From what I remember, you can't see behind the door handle. Behind the doorcard is a membrane, then you have the glass and all the other bits and bobs.

AFAIK you need some special tool to remove the door handle, which is why my lock still spins freely