[stvcheetham]

The door locks only work intermittently on my M3. It will lock then refuses to open. The key mechanism has been removed as a security feature which leaves me locked out. I can remotely open the windows but the inside handle won’t open the door either. Both sides are the same. The drivers door latch has been replaced and was working fine. I can sometimes grip the inside button with pliers and pull it up which enables the opening of the door with the key fob. Even then the drivers door remains locked. Everything else works and I can drive the car. Sometimes when I then stop, everything will work fine but other times the door remains locked. When I try and open the doors with the key fob, the locks just click as if stuck and will activate in the door really slowly as if something is flat. Even then the locks fail to open. At the moment I daren’t lock the car. The boot still works fine. WTF, any ideas.

 

[SloopJohnB]

The door locks only work intermittently on my M3. It will lock then refuses to open. The key mechanism has been removed as a security feature which leaves me locked out. I can remotely open the windows but the inside handle won’t open the door either. Both sides are the same. The drivers door latch has been replaced and was working fine. I can sometimes grip the inside button with pliers and pull it up which enables the opening of the door with the key fob. Even then the drivers door remains locked. Everything else works and I can drive the car. Sometimes when I then stop, everything will work fine but other times the door remains locked. When I try and open the doors with the key fob, the locks just click as if stuck and will activate in the door really slowly as if something is flat. Even then the locks fail to open. At the moment I daren’t lock the car. The boot still works fine. WTF, any ideas.

All bets are off since you altered the key mechanism. Hypothetically it could be a dead/dying key fob battery although they usually work or don't. There are various kluges like charging the key fob in an electric toothbrush charger that fits close enough, or just leave the ignition on overnight...I have a garage and wasn't worried about theft while the key was left charging in the vehicle. It worked for me.

 

[paxromana]

The door locks only work intermittently on my M3. It will lock then refuses to open. The key mechanism has been removed as a security feature which leaves me locked out. I can remotely open the windows but the inside handle won’t open the door either. Both sides are the same. The drivers door latch has been replaced and was working fine. I can sometimes grip the inside button with pliers and pull it up which enables the opening of the door with the key fob. Even then the drivers door remains locked. Everything else works and I can drive the car. Sometimes when I then stop, everything will work fine but other times the door remains locked. When I try and open the doors with the key fob, the locks just click as if stuck and will activate in the door really slowly as if something is flat. Even then the locks fail to open. At the moment I daren’t lock the car. The boot still works fine. WTF, any ideas.

Scan you ZKE a/k/a GM5 module. My bet that your Central Locking Relay is on the way out. Do not replace shit, just scan the module and look for error code.
You have confusing symptoms, it might be door actuator or it could be GM5.
Scan the module and tell what you see.

And please don't touch your battery in a keyfob, you only gonna make it worse.

 

[4aceman]

The key mechanism has been removed as a security feature which leaves me locked out.

Put it back, it's designed for this exact reason.

If someone wanted in your car, they wouldn't piss about trying to pick a laser cut key. They'd cut your vert roof and jump in.

 

[stvcheetham]

So annoying coz one minute it works and next minute nothing. I can leave the key in without much worry overnight so I’ll try it. I disabled the manual key entry about four years ago and it’s been fine ever since. Problem being, yes it’s harder to steal, it’s also harder for me to access if the remote doesn’t work. Oh well, can’t have both I suppose.

 

[paxromana]

Put it back, it's designed for this exact reason.

If someone wanted in your car, they wouldn't piss about trying to pick a laser cut key. They'd cut your vert roof and jump in.

Unless I'm missing something OP didn't remove EWS. Have fun stealing a car with EWS in it

 

[stvcheetham]

Put it back, it's designed for this exact reason.

If someone wanted in your car, they wouldn't piss about trying to pick a laser cut key. They'd cut your vert roof and jump in.

Ha ha, They would have to jump through a steel roof, wouldn’t dream of having a vert.

 

[4aceman]

Ha ha, They would have to jump through a steel roof, wouldn’t dream of having a vert.

Have I gone crazy or did you just change your bio.

I think I need to sleep :'(

 

[stvcheetham]

Put it back, it's designed for this exact reason.

If someone wanted in your car, they wouldn't piss about trying to pick a laser cut key. They'd cut your vert roof and jump in.

You mean put this back?

 

[stvcheetham]

Have I gone crazy or did you just change your bio.

I think I need to sleep :'(

Sorry, no I never touched it. Sleep is good 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[4aceman]

Sorry, no I never touched it. Sleep is good 🤷🏼‍♂️

See you all in the morning

You mean put this back?
View attachment 958383

If that's what you took out then yeah, if you still have it.

 

[stvcheetham]

Scan you ZKE a/k/a GM5 module. My bet that your Central Locking Relay is on the way out. Do not replace shit, just scan the module and look for error code.
You have confusing symptoms, it might be door actuator or it could be GM5.
Scan the module and tell what you see.

And please don't touch your battery in a keyfob, you only gonna make it worse.

You may be right about the GM5 but I’ve never had trouble with one. I’ll check

 

[stvcheetham]

See you all in the morning


If that's what you took out then yeah, if you still have it.

I’ve got more than one probably but they are so fiddly and the door card never goes back right. That’s why it’s not gone back.

 

[4aceman]

I’ve got more than one probably but they are so fiddly and the door card never goes back right. That’s why it’s not gone back.

I don't think door cards need to be removed for the lock cylinder. It pulls out from the outside. I think you need to loosen one screw then do some wiggling

 

[stvcheetham]

I don't think door cards need to be removed for the lock cylinder. It pulls out from the outside. I think you need to loosen one screw then do some wiggling

Sorry, yes you’re right, although replacing said item will not cure the problem. It will save me from climbing through the bloody window, which I have done before. All this has happened before but I thought I had cured it.

 

[elfer]

I’ve got more than one probably but they are so fiddly and the door card never goes back right. That’s why it’s not gone back.

What works for me is to visually check every clip is lined up with its hole before I thump them in. It needs pulling up to get the lower ones lined up when the top ones are in. Whether it's that or whether I only use BMW clips - and the correct colour clips in the correct places - I don't know but they go back on properly for me.

At least with the coupe we've the option of ungainly crawling through from the boot if we can't unlock the doors but, still, i don't see enough of a theft deterrent in removing the door lock to justify the risk of remote unlocking failure. Thirty years ago scrotes would screwdriver open door locks to steal your stereo but now it's so easy for them to use a cordless recip saw to cut off a catalytic converter, or an ipad to steal an entire Range Rover, that I don't think they bother any more.

 

[jdamore44]

My money is on the GM5. The relays go bad. You can find someone to repair it , or buy a used one and code it to your car. 90% of the time the intermittant locking and unlocking is the GM5 on these cars.

 

[russcoop]

I think he should put back mechanical lock shaft, if he lost the bits the kit is easily bought an that little do hicky helps keep the actuator cable straight up/ lined up and down via its spring in the tumbler or actuator may be off enough to cause issues

 

[russcoop]

Lots of stories on here of being locked out especially wagons where people done fit their mechanical locks, don t depend on your fab

 

[russcoop]

coupes and verts door actuators are troublesome enough, I was using a screw driver for awhile to lock but one day car would not start an traced to EWS tampering. mode, fix lock an all is fine, I think I failed get screwer in the straight up an down position