Central locking system and reading light

[Piperpa18]

Hi I have just joined. I have won in a raffle a Silver ,like new, z3 roadster3.0 . year 2000. 26000 Miles on the clock. I have just come across a fault with the central locking system in that when I press the key to unlock the car it unlocks but I cannot open the drivers door? does anyone have any idea what I should do. I am changing the battery tomorrow but I do not think that is the problem

 

[colb]

Plugged into BMW Inpa you should be able to view all of the locking actuators and see if they are working, a duff actuator in your door may well be the cause. When activated is the locking pin raising or is it just staying down. If it is staying down then I would suspect the actuator has gone bad. May also be a link rod come detatched, door card will have to come off to inspect the workings, best done if you can get the door open to remove it otherwise its a bit of a faff removing it with the door still closed.

 

[Piperpa18]

Plugged into BMW Inpa you should be able to view all of the locking actuators and see if they are working, a duff actuator in your door may well be the cause. When activated is the locking pin raising or is it just staying down. If it is staying down then I would suspect the actuator has gone bad. May also be a link rod come detatched, door card will have to come off to inspect the workings, best done if you can get the door open to remove it otherwise its a bit of a faff removing it with the door still closed.

Many thanks for your advice. The Locking pin does come up and you can open it from inside. Its going to be done tomorrow (Not by BMW who estimated £300/400!!!!) My guy reckons its not a big problem, ill let you know
Ian

 

[colb]

Might be worth checking the boot lid to body loom that often causes locking issues if the wires fracture. Strip back the outer cover and inspect for broken wires solder repair and heat shrink any found broken.

 

[GorillaPie]

Slow to the party here and hopefully you've sorted the issue by now - but the Z3 I recently bought does exactly the same thing, apparently it's a common issue and I discovered a trick via YouTube: if you gently push against the driver's door with your knee while lifting the door handle, it magically seems to open every time for reasons I'm not entirely sure of...

 

[bombur]

Slow to the party here and hopefully you've sorted the issue by now - but the Z3 I recently bought does exactly the same thing, apparently it's a common issue and I discovered a trick via YouTube: if you gently push against the driver's door with your knee while lifting the door handle, it magically seems to open every time for reasons I'm not entirely sure of...

Cant find that in the manual

 

[GorillaPie]

Hey, it's charming little 'eccentricities' like this which are why we drive 20yo roadsters rather than new cars, right?

 

[bombur]

Yes spot on!