First problem: Central lock failure

Jagamov · 03-22-2011, 06:49 PM

Well, after 3 months, I've finally had my first problem.

Central lock system failed this morning (I have Comfort Access). It worked when I left the house, but when I came out of the store...NADA...freaked me out.

Broke out the manual key and came home. Found fuse 73 blown. Replaced it and in promptly blew again.

Can't get the car in till next Tuesday since that's the first day they'll have a loaner available. Owell, at least they can do my 30,000 mile service while it's there too.

What a pain in the ass...a four door car reduced to a motorcycle...who the hell designed the doors to not unlock when something fails...Seems pretty dangerous to me if you had to get out in an emergency...

Priority 1 · 03-22-2011, 07:15 PM

you can ALWAYS get OUT in an emergency...i would DEFINITELY want the locks to fail locked rather than fail unlocked.

good luck with finding the fault

Jagamov · 03-22-2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Priority 1

you can ALWAYS get OUT in an emergency...i would DEFINITELY want the locks to fail locked rather than fail unlocked.

Interesting...mine have failed in the locked position and you are unable to open any door except the driver's door. Is there a way to open the other doors??

Priority 1 · 03-23-2011, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagamov

Interesting...mine have failed in the locked position and you are unable to open any door except the driver's door. Is there a way to open the other doors??

Are you telling us that you can't open any of the other doors by pulling on the handle twice from the inside?

Jagamov · 03-23-2011, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Priority 1

Are you telling us that you can't open any of the other doors by pulling on the handle twice from the inside?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. You pull the handle and nothing happens.

Would also like to add that all of my settings in the I-Drive also reset.

MusclezMarinara · 03-23-2011, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagamov

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. You pull the handle and nothing happens.

Sounds odd its emergency release all power cuts and the doors are manual to open think about it

when you open the lever inside you do it twice once manually pops up the lock second time opens the door.

hpowders · 03-23-2011, 08:33 AM

Damn. That's serious. Take the car to service.

R12ax7 · 03-23-2011, 08:43 AM

I had this exact thing happen to me in November ... the best part is that it happened when returning to the car after a big Costco run - I had to load everything through the driver's door. It was quite embarrassing to ask my girl to climb over my seat to get in.

The fix is pretty easy, just a fuse replacement. In my case they said the blown fuse was caused by the front passenger side locking mechanism pulling too much current. They replaced both drivers and passengers front locking mechanisms also.

Jagamov · 03-23-2011, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R12ax7

I had this exact thing happen to me in November ... the best part is that it happened when returning to the car after a big Costco run - I had to load everything through the driver's door. It was quite embarrassing to ask my girl to climb over my seat to get in.

The fix is pretty easy, just a fuse replacement. In my case they said the blown fuse was caused by the front passenger side locking mechanism pulling too much current. They replaced both drivers and passengers front locking mechanisms also.

Glad I'm not the only one...

Yeah, I did the fuse replacement. I blew 2 of them messing around. As soon as I hit the central lock button, the fuse blew.

Also, the front passenger door was the only one not to unlock, so it sounds exactly the same as your issue.

Jimboneze · 07-26-2011, 04:49 PM

My 2008 328i'spower door lock doesnt work as well. Only driver side door is able to get out.

Will bring to dealer tomorrow to get it fixed. Lucky i have warranty until October.

Cygnusx1 · 09-08-2011, 10:42 PM

06 330xi with 55k miles on it CPO. Had the locks fail today. When I came to my locked car, I unlocked it with the fob and three locks popped up. The driver's door stayed locked. Not thinking about using the key, I climbed in from the passenger's door. I could NOT open the drivers door no matter what. One pull, 30 pulls on the handle and the door was not going to open. Central lock button on the dash did nothing, the rest of the doors would no longer lock via the fob. I got home, called BMW, and got an emergency appointment, right away.

Very scary to NOT be able to get out of the car quickly if I had to. There absolutely should be a mechanical, lock over-ride, from the inside.

E90MCF · 09-09-2011, 02:31 AM

It is a common problem in the E9x, door actuator malfunction.
If you still have your CPO or warranty you only have to pay a small deductible which ends up being 10% of the cost for getting it done out of warranty.

My SA said most people replace all of them at once even if only one is malfunctioning.

Cygnusx1 · 09-16-2011, 11:17 PM

Two trips to the dealer, two loaners, $50 CPO deductable, and three actuators replaced... Now for my safety in the future, can I simply unscrew the stubby lock pulls, and replace them with something from the 70's that I can actually pull up to unlock the doors from the inside...just in case?

Shahaed · 09-16-2011, 11:36 PM

Happened to me 3 times. Just a fuse fix, but still a bummer. Also my passenger side door actuators went. So I have to replace that. The doors had terrible engineering done.

JunkStory · 09-16-2011, 11:39 PM

Has this happened to the e92? Just did a search, all victims were E90s.

bmwfan75 · 09-17-2011, 12:21 AM

Same here, except it happened when my wife was out shopping with her sister. This is a 2006 e90 325xi. Called me in a panic telling me that the doors won't unlock. So I had to walk her through over the phone on how to use the tiny ass key from the fob manually. Then her sister had to crawl through the driver side to the passenger side in the middle of a parking lot. How embarrassing for a BMW while people saw them doing this. I don't understand the point of making everything electronic with no mechanical fallback if the electronics fail so often in German cars. BMW even took away the mechanical trunk lock after what? 2008 models? Took the car to the dealer and said fuse blown, probably plugged something into the cigarette lighter sock incompletely or pulled incompletely. I was like.. say what? I didn't plug anything in there and neither did my wife.

BANKAI · 09-17-2011, 02:04 AM

Mine failed last week... this has definitely got to be safety issue...

rshew · 09-21-2011, 06:13 PM

My locks failed today. ONLY my driver side door will lock with FOB, all other 3 doors will not lock with FOB or lock button on dash. All four doors will not unlock with FOB.

I'm hoping it's just a fuse. Will check tonight.

rarlyl8 · 09-21-2011, 07:17 PM

Happened to me on my E91 at 32,939 miles....was freaking as well, could only get in or out by outside handle...fixed under warranty as "e90/e91 failure of locking (system lock)" defect code was 5121901500.

rshew · 09-22-2011, 01:26 AM

Change blown fuse #57. Fixed my door lock problem. Will see how long this last for.

Chadd · 09-22-2011, 01:36 AM

Happened to me too. My service agent replaced all four door actuators under warranty.

MKRK · 06-04-2012, 12:43 PM

Problem: 2008, E90 central door lock failure. Drivers’ door would not unlock using the FOB. Both doors on the passenger side would not unlock. These doors could not be opened from the outside or from the inside using two pulls on the door handle. The gas cap door would also not open.

Solution: Opened the drivers’ door using the emergency key found inside the FOB. Driving the car was not an issue. To refuel, open the battery box cover and locate a green in color pull handle. Gently pull to release the fuel cover door actuator. In consultation with a BMW service advisor, replaced fuse number 73 (15 amp) with a 20 amp fuse. All problems were solved. No need to disconnect the battery. Recommend keeping spare fuses in the trunk to resolve any future mishaps.

03-22-2011, 06:49 PM	#1
Jagamov Private 8 Rep 72 Posts Drives: 2015 BMW 335i Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	First problem: Central lock failure Well, after 3 months, I've finally had my first problem. Central lock system failed this morning (I have Comfort Access). It worked when I left the house, but when I came out of the store...NADA...freaked me out. Broke out the manual key and came home. Found fuse 73 blown. Replaced it and in promptly blew again. Can't get the car in till next Tuesday since that's the first day they'll have a loaner available. Owell, at least they can do my 30,000 mile service while it's there too. What a pain in the ass...a four door car reduced to a motorcycle...who the hell designed the doors to not unlock when something fails...Seems pretty dangerous to me if you had to get out in an emergency...
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03-22-2011, 07:15 PM	#2
Priority 1 Private First Class 9 Rep 157 Posts Drives: e92 335xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0)	you can ALWAYS get OUT in an emergency...i would DEFINITELY want the locks to fail locked rather than fail unlocked. good luck with finding the fault
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03-23-2011, 08:33 AM	#7
hpowders 228i Fanatic 16 Rep 969 Posts Drives: BMW 228i and BMW 328i Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Damn. That's serious. Take the car to service.
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03-23-2011, 08:43 AM	#8
R12ax7 Major 120 Rep 1,053 Posts Drives: 2021 340xi Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Philly iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011 328i [0.00]	I had this exact thing happen to me in November ... the best part is that it happened when returning to the car after a big Costco run - I had to load everything through the driver's door. It was quite embarrassing to ask my girl to climb over my seat to get in. The fix is pretty easy, just a fuse replacement. In my case they said the blown fuse was caused by the front passenger side locking mechanism pulling too much current. They replaced both drivers and passengers front locking mechanisms also.
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07-26-2011, 04:49 PM	#10
Jimboneze New Member 4 Rep 18 Posts Drives: 08 328i sedan Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (0)	My 2008 328i'spower door lock doesnt work as well. Only driver side door is able to get out. Will bring to dealer tomorrow to get it fixed. Lucky i have warranty until October.
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09-08-2011, 10:42 PM	#11
Cygnusx1 Second Lieutenant 16 Rep 242 Posts Drives: 2006 330xi Sedan Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New York iTrader: (0) Garage List 1976 280Z [10.00] 1972 Datsun 240Z [10.00] 2006 330xi [0.00]	06 330xi with 55k miles on it CPO. Had the locks fail today. When I came to my locked car, I unlocked it with the fob and three locks popped up. The driver's door stayed locked. Not thinking about using the key, I climbed in from the passenger's door. I could NOT open the drivers door no matter what. One pull, 30 pulls on the handle and the door was not going to open. Central lock button on the dash did nothing, the rest of the doors would no longer lock via the fob. I got home, called BMW, and got an emergency appointment, right away. Very scary to NOT be able to get out of the car quickly if I had to. There absolutely should be a mechanical, lock over-ride, from the inside. __________________ Straight-Six Addict - Dave
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09-09-2011, 02:31 AM	#12
E90MCF Lieutenant Colonel 93 Rep 1,542 Posts Drives: 06' AW E90 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: YYC iTrader: (1)	It is a common problem in the E9x, door actuator malfunction. If you still have your CPO or warranty you only have to pay a small deductible which ends up being 10% of the cost for getting it done out of warranty. My SA said most people replace all of them at once even if only one is malfunctioning. __________________
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09-16-2011, 11:17 PM	#13
Cygnusx1 Second Lieutenant 16 Rep 242 Posts Drives: 2006 330xi Sedan Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New York iTrader: (0) Garage List 1976 280Z [10.00] 1972 Datsun 240Z [10.00] 2006 330xi [0.00]	Two trips to the dealer, two loaners, $50 CPO deductable, and three actuators replaced... Now for my safety in the future, can I simply unscrew the stubby lock pulls, and replace them with something from the 70's that I can actually pull up to unlock the doors from the inside...just in case? __________________ Straight-Six Addict - Dave
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09-16-2011, 11:36 PM	#14
Shahaed Second Lieutenant 21 Rep 268 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa iTrader: (0)	Happened to me 3 times. Just a fuse fix, but still a bummer. Also my passenger side door actuators went. So I have to replace that. The doors had terrible engineering done.
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09-16-2011, 11:39 PM	#15
JunkStory Major 160 Rep 1,307 Posts Drives: E92 M3, 8V RS3 Join Date: May 2008 Location: 98230 iTrader: (3)	Has this happened to the e92? Just did a search, all victims were E90s.
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09-17-2011, 12:21 AM	#16
bmwfan75 Private 7 Rep 88 Posts Drives: 2006 325xi Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	Same here, except it happened when my wife was out shopping with her sister. This is a 2006 e90 325xi. Called me in a panic telling me that the doors won't unlock. So I had to walk her through over the phone on how to use the tiny ass key from the fob manually. Then her sister had to crawl through the driver side to the passenger side in the middle of a parking lot. How embarrassing for a BMW while people saw them doing this. I don't understand the point of making everything electronic with no mechanical fallback if the electronics fail so often in German cars. BMW even took away the mechanical trunk lock after what? 2008 models? Took the car to the dealer and said fuse blown, probably plugged something into the cigarette lighter sock incompletely or pulled incompletely. I was like.. say what? I didn't plug anything in there and neither did my wife.
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09-17-2011, 02:04 AM	#17
BANKAI Private First Class 7 Rep 108 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	Mine failed last week... this has definitely got to be safety issue...
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09-21-2011, 06:13 PM	#18
rshew member 2 Rep 118 Posts Drives: BMW 325i 2006, BMW 328xi 2014 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Van iTrader: (0)	My locks failed today. ONLY my driver side door will lock with FOB, all other 3 doors will not lock with FOB or lock button on dash. All four doors will not unlock with FOB. I'm hoping it's just a fuse. Will check tonight.
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09-21-2011, 07:17 PM	#19
rarlyl8 Private First Class 89 Rep 136 Posts Drives: M5/328it/Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	Happened to me on my E91 at 32,939 miles....was freaking as well, could only get in or out by outside handle...fixed under warranty as "e90/e91 failure of locking (system lock)" defect code was 5121901500.
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09-22-2011, 01:26 AM	#20
rshew member 2 Rep 118 Posts Drives: BMW 325i 2006, BMW 328xi 2014 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Van iTrader: (0)	Change blown fuse #57. Fixed my door lock problem. Will see how long this last for.
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09-22-2011, 01:36 AM	#21
Chadd Banned 25 Rep 513 Posts Drives: 08 AW 335 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Woodland Hills, California iTrader: (15)	Happened to me too. My service agent replaced all four door actuators under warranty.
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06-04-2012, 12:43 PM	#22
MKRK Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2008, E90 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Washington state iTrader: (0)	Central door locking failure Problem: 2008, E90 central door lock failure. Drivers’ door would not unlock using the FOB. Both doors on the passenger side would not unlock. These doors could not be opened from the outside or from the inside using two pulls on the door handle. The gas cap door would also not open. Solution: Opened the drivers’ door using the emergency key found inside the FOB. Driving the car was not an issue. To refuel, open the battery box cover and locate a green in color pull handle. Gently pull to release the fuel cover door actuator. In consultation with a BMW service advisor, replaced fuse number 73 (15 amp) with a 20 amp fuse. All problems were solved. No need to disconnect the battery. Recommend keeping spare fuses in the trunk to resolve any future mishaps.
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