E32 Driver Door wont open from the outside after being locked.

I have a strange problem with a driver side door on a 91 735i. Scenario:

  1. Lock doors using the key
  2. Unlock doors using the key
  3. Driver side door won't open from the outside.

I can open it from the inside and then it will open fine from the outside. But once I lock it it won't open from the outside again.

Any ideas! This is a new problem which just started today. Hell of a week. I replaced a radiator this weekend cause I got tired of watching it sit for 2 months and then I take it to the car wash and hit a javalina on the way there. F'd up the bumper skirt.

Thanks in advance!

Reply to
criii
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Linkage seized, loose or disconnected - window replaced recently?

Squirt some WD40 in.

Reply to
R. Mark Clayton

Or you could try using some actual lubricant. WD40 is a water displacing oil, not intended for lubrication.

I mean, what the heck, you could shoot some salad oil down there and it might work too.

Reply to
Fred W

I haven't replaced the window recently and it was working great up unitl a day ago. It seems everytime I fix one thing something else goes and I find myself on the forums again. Thanks for the advice. Should I remove the door panel and squirt the linkage or can I do this without removing the panel? Any recomendations on lubricants? :)

Reply to
criii

Lower the window as far as possible - you should get a gap. Then squirt in lubricant. In view of the previous post use aerosol 3 in 1 rather than WD40.

Reply to
R. Mark Clayton

My E36 door handles are all quite hard to pull from the inside. Same advice?

-Russ.

Reply to
Somebody.

On the E36 it's a design fault. Ours were the same.

Reply to
John Burns

No kidding? Wow. I just bought this guy, and a couple of the ones i tested seemed about the same but maybe not quite as bad. My daughter can barely get the door open on the passenger side, I had hoped there was an easy solution. Maybe there is if we poke at it hard enough, only I'm loath to open the panels up since there's an airbag in there.

-Russ.

Reply to
Somebody.

Same advice, except that I think you may have to pull the panel to get to the linkages.

I strongly recommend using Superlube, also. Not 3-in-1 spray, and for God's sake not WD40. Superlube is a thick grease in a light vehicle... the vehicle carries the grease into every crack and then evaporates.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

I'm a bit nervous about pulling the panel back due to the airbags in the doors. Any advice there?

Reply to
Somebody.

Yes. Get the Bentley manual. You MUST disconnect the battery and wait 20 min or so for all capacitors to discharge before you work on the airbags. Don't hook the battery back up until all airbags are back in place and properly hooked up.

Frank

Reply to
Raybender

The Bently is on it's way, should be here any time actually. (Just bought the car last week)

Same drill for the steering wheel? I want to banish the horn ring squeak -- unless someone knows a way to do that without pulling the wheel?

-Russ.

Reply to
Somebody.

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