E46 central locking
Discussion
Hello everyone.
My central locking has become insanely annoying, its become very intermittent.
one time it'll work perfectly fine and other it'll take many attempts to get the car unlocked.
So obviously using the buttons on the key, sometimes it'll unlock the doors fine, sometimes it'll only unlock the drivers door or neither of the doors, and it effects the petrol cap aswell which is extra annoying in the petrol stations. the button in the centre console is also very hit and miss.
I've taken the car into the garage a few times already with it and spent a few hundred quid so far and to honest i'm fed up of spending money on it.
they have changed the locking mechanism on the passenger side door which made no difference. Now they say its the control unit located behind the glove box which they quote me about £400+ for a new one from bmw, i know i could get a second hand one but that'll probably still be a couple of hundred quid.
i just thought i'd try on here to see if anyone knows if there is anything i can do myself.
Thank you for any help.
My central locking has become insanely annoying, its become very intermittent.
one time it'll work perfectly fine and other it'll take many attempts to get the car unlocked.
So obviously using the buttons on the key, sometimes it'll unlock the doors fine, sometimes it'll only unlock the drivers door or neither of the doors, and it effects the petrol cap aswell which is extra annoying in the petrol stations. the button in the centre console is also very hit and miss.
I've taken the car into the garage a few times already with it and spent a few hundred quid so far and to honest i'm fed up of spending money on it.
they have changed the locking mechanism on the passenger side door which made no difference. Now they say its the control unit located behind the glove box which they quote me about £400+ for a new one from bmw, i know i could get a second hand one but that'll probably still be a couple of hundred quid.
i just thought i'd try on here to see if anyone knows if there is anything i can do myself.
Thank you for any help.
This could come in handy....
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?a...
Intermittent fault, so a bit of a pain in the arse. But I’d hope the garage doing the work, will be interrogating the central door locking module, before replacing it. I’m thinking inputs from the doors in relation, to their open/close positions. Especially the driver’s door, which appears to have 3 switches.
‘TK’ I presume, is ajar position.
I’d guess at least 1 of the other switches is the mechanical key position.
Which brings me on to the next thing
... Couple of things you can check yourself. I presume the binnacle shows you door positions ? If so, have a little play with each door, and make sure that you get a nice open/close... no movement on the switch, if you give the door a little nudge. Boot included.
Turn that feature on, that locks the doors over 5mph, and check it works.
The mechanical key for the driver’s door.... make sure that’s fully located left or right. Test it works while you’re there.
And for someone more BMW minded than me, the diagram shows a ‘valet position switch’ and a ‘DWA cancel switch’.... where are they, and are they in the fully open/closed position ?
Looks like there a key barrel for the boot too ? Again, make sure it’s left/right, and check it’s working.
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?a...
Intermittent fault, so a bit of a pain in the arse. But I’d hope the garage doing the work, will be interrogating the central door locking module, before replacing it. I’m thinking inputs from the doors in relation, to their open/close positions. Especially the driver’s door, which appears to have 3 switches.
‘TK’ I presume, is ajar position.
I’d guess at least 1 of the other switches is the mechanical key position.
Which brings me on to the next thing
... Couple of things you can check yourself. I presume the binnacle shows you door positions ? If so, have a little play with each door, and make sure that you get a nice open/close... no movement on the switch, if you give the door a little nudge. Boot included.Turn that feature on, that locks the doors over 5mph, and check it works.
The mechanical key for the driver’s door.... make sure that’s fully located left or right. Test it works while you’re there.
And for someone more BMW minded than me, the diagram shows a ‘valet position switch’ and a ‘DWA cancel switch’.... where are they, and are they in the fully open/closed position ?
Looks like there a key barrel for the boot too ? Again, make sure it’s left/right, and check it’s working.
Touring442 said:
GM5 module behind the glovebox. £25 for a used one, an hour to fit and code it.
A standard E46 problem.
Only if the interior light comes on though, but the doors stay locked?A standard E46 problem.
My 330 convertible is the same, but because the interior light doesn't come on, I was told the GM5 module was unlikely?
Which e46 is it? I had an early E46 touring which did something like you've described, apparently it was because the central locking relays were from the e36 and couldn't cope with the number of locks plus deadlocks. I found a chap who put soldered new relays into the module for me for a few tenners. An auto electrician may be able to fix it for you, or I can dig out the chaps name if you like - IIRC he was in chippenham but did mail order.
Mave said:
Which e46 is it? I had an early E46 touring which did something like you've described, apparently it was because the central locking relays were from the e36 and couldn't cope with the number of locks plus deadlocks. I found a chap who put soldered new relays into the module for me for a few tenners. An auto electrician may be able to fix it for you, or I can dig out the chaps name if you like - IIRC he was in chippenham but did mail order.
thank you.its a 2002 330 coupe. its only been like it for the last six months or so.
E46-PAS said:
excuse my ignorance but are they all the same can i just get any old one of ebay?
No, 2 door, 4 door, convertible, sunroof etc so there are High and Low versions. You need the part number from yours and either match it or get a supercession number - RealOEM is your friend here. E46-PAS said:
thank you.
its a 2002 330 coupe. its only been like it for the last six months or so.
I checked my old e-mails, the chaps name was Colin Abrahams, based in Farnham with a website BMWGM5.Co.uk. That website doesn't seem to exist anymore, but if you Google it there are lots of companies offering similar services. its a 2002 330 coupe. its only been like it for the last six months or so.
Touring442 said:
No, 2 door, 4 door, convertible, sunroof etc so there are High and Low versions. You need the part number from yours and either match it or get a supercession number - RealOEM is your friend here.
My last E46 touring had non working rear windows when I bought it. Some muppet had fitted a low Coupe general module.Mave said:
E46-PAS said:
thank you.
its a 2002 330 coupe. its only been like it for the last six months or so.
I checked my old e-mails, the chaps name was Colin Abrahams, based in Farnham with a website BMWGM5.Co.uk. That website doesn't seem to exist anymore, but if you Google it there are lots of companies offering similar services. its a 2002 330 coupe. its only been like it for the last six months or so.
Rebuilding noisy 1 Series and E90 318i/320i diffs has followed the same path because the cars are bangers now and not worth spending 500 quid on.
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