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1997 E36 323i saloon - pass rear door won't open from inside or outside

17K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  jovanfcb 
#1 ·
Hi guys, the passenger side rear door won't open on may car since Sunday. I dis-armed the alarm to open, and everything unlocked except the pass rear door. I reached in from the pass front door, pulled up the button, but won't open from the outside handle or the inside handle either.

Haven't had a chance to get the door card off yet, but it's gna be a bit awkward with the door closed. The electric window does still go up and down fully.

Both the outside and inside handles spring back as normal, no notchiness or catching at all. I have also tried using the key to lock and unlock the central locking, but still no good. I thought maybe someone had switched the rear door child lock on, but it doesn't open from the outside anyway.
 
#3 ·
I tried Youtube, there was one video that wasn't much help, his COULD open from the outside, but mine won't open from in or out even with the button up. I think it may be the mechanism is jammed inside. Outside handle pulls up as normal, and inside handle pulls back/inwards as normal, both with springiness, but just won't release the door.
 
#5 ·
I think the actuator HAS died, when I pull the button up, there isn't a motory whine sound up or down. I only lock the doors with the remote tho, so the deadlocks wouldn't activate would they? I thought the deadlocks only come on when you turn the key all the way round. Still haven't had a chance to take the door card off yet tho, chucking it down today here. If the deadlock HAS come on, how does one un-deadlock it?
 
#6 ·
Have finally managed to get the door card off, and can't see up in the rear corner where the handle is. The rod of the inner handle is connected and moves ok, the button is still connected also, just can't see up in the rear corner. So the actuator is part and parcel with the deadlock is it then? So when the doors lock, the deadlocks come on with the motor right? I can see the 3 wires along the bottom of the door, white, blue and black, but again, can't see the motor in the rear corner.
 
#7 ·
Ok, went to the indy I know and asked him, he said the actuator will be at fault, just gotta rip it out, literally, and the door will be openable, but will have to manually lock/unlock it. COuldn't see up in the corner, so ended up having to drill out some holes carefully, and got an eye view of the actuator, prised it out with flatblade, hey presto, the door unlocked and could open from inside and out. Hurray.

Had to unbolt the catch from the door and then could free the actuator and out it came. Have to get another from the breakers now, and with my newly made work view ports, I can now see what goes where and how.
 
#8 ·
try opening your door handle and then shutting it fast to force the mechanism back.
i know its not the same car but i had the problem on my old 106 not locking or unlocking,
i eventually smashed out the old lock to get the door open, put a new one in and a few days later got the same problem.
all because the door handle mechanism was sticky and not returning properly.
 
#10 ·
I took some fotos for anyone else who may come across this problem later. Fotos show the passenger side rear door with holes I drilled with a hole cutter bit. There are pics of the actuator, one showing the underside where the metal vertical lock lever goes into which the actuator moves back and forth to lock/unlock the door. On the side of the actuator case, you can see a wedged indent, it is the same on the other side too. These indents are what lock into the mounting bracket at the top of the door which hold the actuator in place ON the lock lever. You MUST take out the 3 torx bolts which hold the door latch in situ, which then may or may not drop loose, if not, give a little tap, then, and only then, can you pull or prise the actuator out of the mounting bracket. I also tried to take a couple of pics of up inside the door to show whats inside/where things are located etc. Hope these pics help.





























 
#12 ·
I went to the breakers this morning, picked up 2 rear actuators for a 5iver!!! Anyway, quickly fittted the missing one. Boy was it alot faffing about. The onl hard part really was getting the actuator to locate properly with the metal pins. Took about 10 mins of shuffling about, but got there in the end. Now I can lock ALL my doors with the press of a single button again. Hurray.
 
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