Key Lock on Door just Spins Round

[Bumpa]

While I have the interior out of my Z3 trying to dry it out and fix the leaks, I have the battery disconnected because the seats are out and all the switches on the centre console are unplugged as well. I have been locking the car with the key in the driver's door. Two days ago there was the sound of a small object falling inside the door and now the lock simply spins round and round without doing anything.

What is likely to have broken and what will I have to do to fix it?

 

[Dino D]

I’m not sure but can offer some encouragement - it’s seems as if it really testing you at the moment!
Luckily most things are easily accessible and replaceable on these.
You should be able to op n the door from the inside handle and whip the door card off.

The outer door handle surround comes off easily enough - I look the link how

 

[Dino D]

Here’s a video:

View: https://youtu.be/yX8Rq9XZPPA

Nice sound track too..

 

[Bumpa]

OK. Spent some time this afternoon on the driver's door. Here is a photo of the lock mechanism.

And here are the two little items I found in the bottom of the door with a centimetre rule for size.

The piece on the left pretty obviously goes into the similar shaped hole at the bottom of the lock. But the most pressing question is this. How is the lock fixed? I need to get it out and have no clue how to proceed.

I don't think this car likes me, and at the moment I wish I had never seen it!

 

[colb]

Would hazard a guess that the flat plates fixing at the end of the unit has failed and the block and spring broke for freedom. Is there another block with a hole in it for the spring to fit in, looks like it in the picture fit the spring with its block back in an compress it in with the flat plate may have to use a cable tie to hold it in and see if you can peen the end over the plate to hold it in. Try the key to see if it works whilst its held together before trying to peen it over.
Just found this which explains a fix http://www.eatsleeptinker.com/2013/03/07/fixing-the-spinning-door-lock-on-m-coupe/ This link now broken.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEZ3v8j5UMc

Explanation on E36 spinning lock here.

 

[Bumpa]

Would hazard a guess that the flat plates fixing at the end of the unit has failed and the block and spring broke for freedom. Is there another block with a hole in it for the spring to fit in, looks like it in the picture fit the spring with its block back in an compress it in with the flat plate may have to use a cable tie to hold it in and see if you can peen the end over the plate to hold it in. Try the key to see if it works whilst its held together before trying to peen it over.
Just found this which explains a fix http://www.eatsleeptinker.com/2013/03/07/fixing-the-spinning-door-lock-on-m-coupe/

Wow! Thank you so much. That is exactly what I needed to know. The link you supplied tells me exactly what to do and it looks as though the fix won't cost a penny. Now I need it to stop raining - some hope!

 

[colb]

Looks like an interesting use of JB Weld to hold it all together probably get the same result using something like Araldite Rapid two part epoxy if you can't get hold of JB Weld.
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/pa...ives/j-b-weld-original-steel-reinforced-epoxy
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-body-repair/adhesives/araldite-rapid-tubes-2-x-15ml

 

[abh29]

I know its an old thread , but I have just got same trouble ---key is just rotating in the lock.
Unfortunatly the link is not working , anyone with help on this

 

[Bumpa]

Well, I was the originator of that thread and I fixed mine and so far it has remained fixed. All I have stored up is the following article written by the bloke who made the eatsleeptinker web site, which seems to be no longer there. In my two photos above you can see the bits that fell out and in the first picture the cut-out where it fits. I think I just put the spring and plunger back in and glued the plate over the top with Araldite. So far so good!!! Here's the text from the article.

FIXING KEY LOCK

Time to fix a fairly common issue with BMW door lock cylinders. The issue: the cylinder is kept from free spinning by a spring and plunger integrated into the door lock assembly. This spring is held under compression by a thin metal backing plate that is simply staked into place to the larger assembly. These weak stakes work themselves loose over time, eventually allowing the backing plate to fall away and the spring with it. The result is the lock will just spin freely when you turn the key. Fortunately I had already installed remote door locks before this issue occurred, so I was still able to get in and out.

I already had the doors torn apart to fix the broken glass and refresh the sliders, so this presented an opportunity to fix the door locks as well. Only the driver’s door lock had failed, but I preventively repaired the passenger door as well. The driver’s side plate was found at the bottom of the door panel, but the spring was nowhere to be found. Luckily I found a suitable spring at a local hardware store (#1 spring) which I just had to cut to length. Some claim you can weld the backing plate permanently to the lock assembly, perhaps with a more delicate TIG, but I found the metal was far to thin and my MIG, even on the lowest voltage, was just cutting right through. So my solution was to use JB Weld putty epoxy. While not as elegant, it’s sure to hold.

 

[abh29]

Many Thanks for that

 

[mrscalex]

Very easy fix once you’ve got it out. Just needs JB Weld or similar to hold it in place.

Missing parts always drop to bottom of door.

Poor squeezed metal type fitting that fails.

 

[Red 2.5]

I just completed this repair, and like others found all 3 parts inside the door. A small pen magnet can help you find them if needed. Secured all of it back together with an epoxy. One thing I would suggest is that you operate the lock and make sure the micro switch works BEFORE you reinstall the door panel. Mine has apparently failed (not sure when, car is new to me) and I'm wishing that I had not put it all back together before fully testing it out. My door panel fought me some going back on correctly, but I should be an expert the second time around!
Thank you for having this repair posted!

Edit: I wanted to add that it's important to release the plastic part that snaps over the arm on the lock/handle unit that fits into the lock post/rod (the post that you can see and push down to lock the door when the door panel is installed... kind of hard to describe). The plastic part clips on and off of the arm, allowing the end of the arm to slide out of the hole it goes into to actuate the rod (the plastic part will probably remain inside the door fitted into the rod hole). You can see the white plastic part in the picture that was posted by the originator of this post. If you don't do this, the handle unit will not come out of the door and you will ultimately break the plastic part as you wiggle it around to force it out (I did). Mine still works as I only broke half of it, but it would be yet another, probably hard to find part that if done right will be just fine. Hope that helps and makes sense...

 

[bombur]

need to do this over winter

 

[Red 2.5]

The hardest part was the door Panel! There are decent videos on utube. BTW, another thing I found is that after I reinstalled the unit the door would not open unless I pushed down on the top of the door just a bit... it was fine before (and I had lubed up mechanisms etc a few days earlier)! I didnt want to reposition the latch etc... it WAS fine before, should be fine now I reasoned. I solved this by again removing the clip and the post that secures the handle unit to the door, loosening up the nut that surrounds the lock barrel part of the unit to the door, then making sure everything seated fully down flat against the door inside before screwing it tight, THEN installed the pin and clip. Used a screw driver to simulate the latch pin as though the door was closed, operated the handle to see how it would release, hit it with more lube, tested it multiple times with the screw driver, and satified it was releasing well, tested it by shutting the door... fixed! Apparently these handles can be sensitive to being slightly out of position.

 

[bombur]

Im thinking of doing this repair next. However I have two concerns. 1, my door pull handle has a screw in it, obviously a fix and to be fair it is fine- BUT I dont want to create a problem by removing the door panel.....will it?

2. I have chrome covers on my door handles, will I need to remove them? I dont really want to. Can I do the fix with the door lock/handle insitu?

 

[bombur]

bump....Will taking the door card off impact my handle repair...guess that's my main concern

 

[Duncodin]

bump....Will taking the door card off impact my handle repair...guess that's my main concern

"Impact your handle repair"? Do you mean that philips screw into the armrest door pull?

The little panel where the mirror adjust buttons are. You should be able to pull that out. Just carefully put a flat screw driver under it and lever it out.

But don't force it. We can't know what that philips screw is there for. Maybe the little panel with the mirror adjust knobs kept popping out so somebody bodged a screw in there to keep it in. Or the screw may be some kind of repair of the plastic bracket inside that is prone to breaking.

In any case that little panel with the mirror adjust knobs needs to come out because there's a torx screw holding the handle to the door that's only accessible when the mirror adjust knobs are out. You won't get the door card off unless you take it out.

 

[bombur]

"Impact your handle repair"? Do you mean that philips screw into the armrest door pull?

The little panel where the mirror adjust buttons are. You should be able to pull that out. Just carefully put a flat screw driver under it and lever it out.

But don't force it. I don't know what that philips screw is doing. It may be there to stop the little mirror adjust thing falling out. if that's the case then you can take out the screw - and maybe do a better repair if that's all the screw is doing.

In any case that little panel with the mirror adjust knobs needs to come out because there's a torx screw behind that holding the handle to the door and you won't get the door car off unless you take it out.

Thanks @Duncodin. What I find with the car is if I leave it as it is then all is good. As soon as I start tinkering there is a chain of events. Didn't want to start one off with the door card and what I could see as potential issue. My job next week then...

 

[Duncodin]

BTW. Those chrome covers on the handle. They usually just stick on with double sided tape. If you look on ebay there's tons of them and you can see how they're fixed.

But removing the chrome cover won't give you any access to the lock barrel.

 

[bombur]

I bought them and stuck them on and don't really want to remove them..so thanks again