Drivers door lock!! Broken!!

tgriffith009 · Post by **tgriffith009** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:15 am

Hi there,

My lock seemed to have snapped. It started when I could not open the passenger side lock from the drivers door so i tried twice and on the second attempt to turn the key it spun right around and snapped the lock I guess. When I closed the drivers door it then did something else to the lock where it wont even turn, almost as if I had the wrong key. Need as much infor as possible!!! Thanks!
Taylor G

Mr Lucky · Post by **Mr Lucky** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:38 am

You and me both Taylor. I had to knock my drivers door lock completely out so now I have a gaping round hole that lets in water. Apparently they are a royal PITA to fit. I bought a lock set from someone here (lost the details and I can't remember who they were) for a not inconsiderable sum and they neglected to put the the keys in with the lock set so now I have some lovely locks that are ready to fit to my car but alas if the central locking or battery dies I will be locked out.

Good luck on your search for info, wish I could assist you...

hoadie · Post by **hoadie** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:48 am

I had something similar happen to me last year. I believe part #2 was the culprit. It actually snapped.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=41&fg=40

From memory, I was finding it more and more difficult to turn the key, until SNAP. It went all loose.

My mechanic used some epoxy weld product to stick it back together because it looked like there would be a delay in receiving the part, but it ended up turning up within a couple of days so now I have one spare.

Chris Wright · Post by **Chris Wright** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:45 pm

Mr Lucky wrote:I bought a lock set from someone here (lost the details and I can't remember who they were) for a not inconsiderable sum and they neglected to put the the keys in with the lock set so now I have some lovely locks that are ready to fit to my car but alas if the central locking or battery dies I will be locked out.

You can take the tumblers (flat wafers in this case) out of your original locks and put them in your "new" used locks to re-key them to your original keys.

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:40 pm

I am actually in the process of doing this. You can buy a lock cylinder rebuild kit, either ~$30 for a 4 key code lock, or $80 passenger / $175 driver for a 5 key code lock (the dealer / parts place will have to look this up with your vin, I believe). The 5 key code ones should already be coded using your vin, and you can just install them without messing around with the tumblers.

Anyway, I was in a similar situation. I bought a car, probably from the same user you bought the lock set from, and he had replaced the driver side lock with one from a junked car. and provided me with the matching passenger side lock. He told me that I could just take it to a lock smith, and they could cut me a new key from the code on the cylinder.

Well, I want all of my keys to match and to be able to get new keys cut from the vin, so I took the driver side lock out of the car, disassembled it (not too difficult to do) and pretty much just took out all of the tumblers - the wafers, that Chris mentions. It seemed that the lock cylinder I had was a 4 key code tumbler, since there were only 4 different types of tumblers.

Since I didn't want to remove the passenger side lock and take it apart, what I did was put the tumblers back in one at a time, starting from the front of the lock and making my way back. After inserting a tumbler, I inserted the key all the way into the lock. If the tumbler sat flush with the lock cylinder when the key was inserted, I knew it was the correct tumbler for that position. If not, I removed the tumbler and tried one of the other 3 types of tumblers. Since tumblers 2 and 4 weren't used very much, this process took me about 5 minutes total to complete.

If you have all of the tumblers from your original lock, you can avoid this process by just swapping them in the correct order. It's very easy to do - they have little springs, and you can just lift them right out. Removing the lock, and taking it apart is the hard part, and this still isn't too bad to do. Unfortunately, I lost one of the tiny little ball bearings in there, so I'm waiting for a rebuild kit to arrive in the mail so I can begin the reassembly process. $25 for one stupid little ball bearing

Chris Wright · Post by **Chris Wright** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:48 pm

The top photo is the drivers side and the next is the passengers side. Note the different metal and nylon actuating arms.

There are two repair kits that come with a lock cylinder and a set of lock tumblers (or wafers) the you use to re-key the new cylinder to your original key. One kit is for the early locks that only turn 45? to unlock and the other is for the newer locks with the "double bolt" feature that turns a full 90?. The rub is that the kits for the early cars are around $25 but the later kit is over $100! The best bet is to get a used one and re-key it.

(There are little steel balls and springs, so assemble/disassemble it in a large ziplock bag to catch any flying objects)

Getting the door panel off:
viewtopic.php?p=59619#59619

Here is a thread that contains several helpful links:
viewtopic.php?t=8693&

<img src="http://bigcoupe.com/ims/pic.php?u=21GvpX2&i=351">
______________

dividedbydrew · Post by **dividedbydrew** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:17 pm

I've got lock issues as well. I'm thinking I'll take the "rebuild another old lock" route but I have not seen many old lock cylinders for sale. Granted I've been concentrating on my major mechanical issues and not so much worried about the lock at the moment but I do want to fix it when I get to driving the car more regularly. Are the e28 lock cylinders the same? Anyone have a good line on source for used locks? I really want to get one but paying $175 at the stealer just irks me.

Chris Wright · Post by **Chris Wright** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:23 pm

nataku83 wrote:I am actually in the process of doing this. You can buy a lock cylinder rebuild kit, either ~$30 for a 4 key code lock, or $80 passenger / $175 driver for a 5 key code lock (the dealer / parts place will have to look this up with your vin, I believe). The 5 key code ones should already be coded using your vin, and you can just install them without messing around with the tumblers.

Ah ... now we're getting somewhere. It sounds like the difference may not be in whether the key has the "double bolt" feature but if it has 4 or 5 tumblers (or maybe the "double bolt" feature was introduced with the 5 tumbler cylinder?). In any case it sounds like you are successfully using an early cylinder (the $25 kit) in a later car? Does the lock still turn the full 90? and "double bolt"?

Do you have the pat numbers for the 4 and 5 tumblers kits?

I believe the early or 4 tumbler cylinder repair kit is part number 51219556329
While the later kit is part number 51 21 9 061 345 for the Left side and 51 21 9 556 326 for the right side?

PS - when the new kit comes, I'd probably swap the tumblers and use the new cylinder, also assemble/disassemble it in a large ziplock bag to catch any flying objects. And take lots of pictures!!

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:42 pm

I'll keep you posted, but I doubt I'll be able to tell very much until the new kit comes. I'm assuming I have a 4 digit key code cylinder in there simply because there were only 4 different types of tumblers, but I have no idea where barry got the lock cylinder from so I can't really ID it. Can you be more specific as to the difference between the old and new style locks? The one I have looks just like your pictures. Also, with the lock off the car, the key appears to turn 90 degrees in either direction.

I really just ordered the cheap rebuild kit to get the ball bearings, but we'll see what other parts are compatible. p/n: 51219556329

Also, the part numbers and prices I got from JD @ crownauto were (for the 5 digit kits):

Coded Lock Cylinders

Left - 51211886519 - $180.34
Right - 51211915332 - $130.46

Un-coded Repair Kits

Left - 51219061345 - $174.11
Right - 51219556326 - $77.61

he's the one who clued me in as to the 4 digit code vs. 5 digit code difference.

Chris Wright · Post by **Chris Wright** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:00 pm

nataku83 wrote:I'll keep you posted, but I doubt I'll be able to tell very much until the new kit comes. I'm assuming I have a 4 digit key code cylinder in there simply because there were only 4 different types of tumblers, but I have no idea where barry got the lock cylinder from so I can't really ID it.

You can confirm this when the new repair kit comes.

Can you be more specific as to the difference between the old and new style locks?

This is one of the questions you may be able to help clear up when the new kit comes.

The one I have looks just like your pictures. Also, with the lock off the car, the key appears to turn 90 degrees in either direction.

The one in the pictures has 5 tumblers, aren't yours 4 tumbler?

I really just ordered the cheap rebuild kit to get the ball bearings, but we'll see what other parts are compatible. p/n: 51219556329

I was under the impression that this is the kit (same as Ref #11) for the early cars and comes with the cylinder (4 tumbler) and the tumbler wafers (but no outer case). It sounds like you already had one of these 4 tumbler lock cylinders in your car. If you could take the time to see if this repair kit fits and works in your case in your later car, that would go a long way to helping clear up this confusion for a lot of people! Thanks!

Also, the part numbers and prices I got from JD @ crownauto were (for the 5 digit kits):

Coded Lock Cylinders

Left - 51211886519 - $180.34
Right - 51211915332 - $130.46

Un-coded Repair Kits

Left - 51219061345 - $174.11
Right - 51219556326 - $77.61

he's the one who clued me in as to the 4 digit code vs. 5 digit code difference.

Great information, but what you are calling "Lock Cylinders" is the entire assembly (Ref #4) and the Repair kits (Ref #11) come with new lock cylinders

<a><img src="http://static.bmwfans.info/images/epc/NTI3OV9w.png" border="0"></a>
<a>BMW parts catalog</a>

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:17 pm

Hrmm, there may be some confusion here - the one in the picture shows 5 tumblers, but what I'm talking about is the different TYPES of tumblers. My lock actually has 11 tumblers total, but they're all numbered 1, 2, 3 or 4. The 5 key code lock may have the same number of tumblers, but there would be 5 different options.

Sorry for the terminology issue between "lock cylinders" and "repair kits" - i just copied that section directly from my email with JD.

Based on the realoem pictures, I would guess that I do in fact have a 5 digit code, but maybe they only used tumblers 1-4. This sounds stupid, but I believe I only used tumblers #2 and #4 once, and tumblers #1 and #3 were used for the other 9 out of 11 positions, so it could be possible that #5 was just completely unusued.

My lock cylinder arrangement looks a LOT more like 51211886519 than like 51211850079. I will let you all know how much the 4 key code repair kit has in common, though. It would be very convenient if tumblers 1-4 were the same for both code types.

Brucey · Post by **Brucey** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 9:47 pm

Mr Lucky wrote:You and me both Taylor. I had to knock my drivers door lock completely out so now I have a gaping round hole that lets in water. Apparently they are a royal PITA to fit. I bought a lock set from someone here (lost the details and I can't remember who they were) for a not inconsiderable sum and they neglected to put the the keys in with the lock set so now I have some lovely locks that are ready to fit to my car but alas if the central locking or battery dies I will be locked out.

Good luck on your search for info, wish I could assist you...

you can make your new locks fit the old key as Chris describes above, it isn't very difficult.

good luck to all, sounds like a 'mare....

worth going with keyless locking if it spares you all this grief.....

cheers

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:25 pm

I just wanted to post a quick update right now, and will probably follow with an in-depth update tonight.

I received my 4 digit key code lock cylinder repair kit last night. It appears to be pretty much identical to the spare passenger side lock that I have from the previous owner. The cylinder is NOT USABLE in the driver side lock for the 5 digit key code cylinder. Among other things, it does NOT have a slot in the back for the L-shaped tab, nor does it have the hole for the spring and ball bearings.

I have not compared the tumblers (wafers) closely but they look like they should fit the 5 digit key code lock cylinder on the drivers side. I will probably replace all of the old tumblers with these, and re-grease everything. The kit also came with the plastic parts of the lock mechanism, a full set of tumblers and springs, the external seal, but unfortunately for me, not the ball bearings that I needed! Looks like I'm going to have to measure the one I have and order a large lot of them from mcmaster or something!

bpoliakoff · Post by **bpoliakoff** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:18 pm

My belief is you DO NOT grease a lock, as this can cause them to stick. You could lubricate it with graphite designed for locks. Ace Hardware sores, or any bearing supply house, stock individual ball bearings and should save you buying a large quantity from McMasters etc..

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:28 pm

So you think it's not acceptable to use the wax that was included with the rebuild kit? In addition, the locks I disassembled had wax on the tumblers. I personally would prefer to use a liquid / teflon lube meant for cables - those have a tendency not to gum up either.

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:31 pm

So you think it's not acceptable to use the wax that was included with the rebuild kit? In addition, the locks I disassembled had wax on the tumblers. I personally would prefer to use a liquid / teflon lube meant for cables - those have a tendency not to gum up either.

bpoliakoff · Post by **bpoliakoff** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:55 pm

Far from me thinking I am a lock expert, let me rephrase what I said..I wouldn't use grease on the locks. I am sure there are other alternatives. If I wanted to be sure, I would call a locksmith and do as they recommend!!

Chris Wright · Post by **Chris Wright** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:28 pm

Can you post a photo of the cylinder and the repair kit?

What is the part number of the kit you ordered?

nataku83 · Post by **nataku83** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:28 pm

ok, sorry for the blurriness of the pictures, I was using my camcorder to take stills since that's what I had handy:

The entire kit looks like this:
<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/425 ... 5356bf.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Zi6_0212">

the one of these on the right:

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/425 ... 55f4f3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Zi6_0208">

And the tumblers:

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/425 ... 12e1d0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Zi6_0213">

If you look at picture 2, you can see the the bracket that goes around the cylinder is pretty much the mirror image of the correct passenger side bracket for the 5 code lock, so it is probably unusable. Both of these (the 4 code and 5 code ones that I have) only allow for 45 degrees of movement in each direction

The cylinders themselves appear to be identical, as do the tumblers:

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/425 ... 327095.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Zi6_0210">

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/425 ... c427ec.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Zi6_0209">

Finally, it looks like the triangular plastic piece that attaches to the actuator arm is the same, as is the spring and the seal, but the other plastic piece and the metal piece are not

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2756/425 ... c0b5a4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Zi6_0211">

In summary - the cylinder, tumblers (I think), spring, plastic link to actuator arm, and the seal, should all be interchangeable between the 4 code lock rebuild kit, p/n 51219556329 and the 5 code PASSENGER side lock ONLY. I think that maybe the tumblers are the only thing compatible with the 5 code DRIVER side.

Hope this info helps!

cvillebimmer · Post by **cvillebimmer** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 4:53 am

Wow, just replaced the exterior door handle. What a PITA!

Anyhow, can someone explain the proper orientation of the spring pictured here:

As it fits into the newer style assembly shown here:

I managed to complete the repair, but the lock tumbler doesn't return to center. Thanks!

Chris Wright · Post by **Chris Wright** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:22 am

I thought this kit only worked in the older assy. but you fitted to a newer assy.?

In any case, this might help:

viewtopic.php?t=7374&

(the Pics are in reverse order, the one that is supposed to be first, at the top of the series is last)

cvillebimmer · Post by **cvillebimmer** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 1:02 pm

Chris,

Thanks for the link, the pics are perfect. I can't believe I didn't see it when I searched!

The car is an 89 with the newer assembly, I just used the pics from this thread as reference. Now I just have to get back in there and do it right.

carbers635 · Post by **carbers635** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:19 pm

What you have to aim for is those two prongs on the spring need to swap places, ie wind the spring round so the lower prong goes ABOVE the upper one, that way it will supply the lock with a return force on both lock and unlock.
The notch on the circular plastic part then sits inbetween the two prongs.
It can be a bit of an arse to do, you really need a couple of fine screwdrivers to manipulate it into place

Brucey · Post by **Brucey** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:19 pm

dividedbydrew wrote:I've got lock issues as well. I'm thinking I'll take the "rebuild another old lock" route but I have not seen many old lock cylinders for sale. Granted I've been concentrating on my major mechanical issues and not so much worried about the lock at the moment but I do want to fix it when I get to driving the car more regularly. Are the e28 lock cylinders the same? Anyone have a good line on source for used locks? I really want to get one but paying $175 at the stealer just irks me.

some parts from E28 cylinders will fit but the bezel is a slightly different shape, not sure about everything else.....

hth

cheers

dividedbydrew · Post by **dividedbydrew** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:36 pm

FYI, I tried to order a repair kit for the left door just last week and was told it is no longer available. I was told to order the coded cylinder instead. Best price I could find was at Maximillian Importing Company http://www.bmwmobiletradition-online.com/ it was about $130 for the coded cylinder. I had to email them a scanned copy of my registration and drivers license. Hopefully it will actually arrive...just ordered today.

Un-coded Repair Kits
Left - 51219061345 - no longer available

Coded Lock Cylinders
Left - 51211886519