Thank you for your post Brian...

Honestly I figured it out. I'M A BIG FAT DORK! When I originally replaced the handle carrier (unbeknownst to me at the time), it was a PASSENGER REAR carrier... When the door wouldn't lock after replacing it, I didn't really think it had anything to do with the carrier and everyone I spoke with kept telling me (based on my symptoms) that it was the door actuator because everything else in the car worked beatifully. So, I spent the money to get a new actuator, pulled that damn door panel off (WITH THE DOOR CLOSED!) for the 2nd time, I disconnected the carrier from the actuator and lifted up on the latch and the door miraculously opened! Still, not thinking it was the carrier, I put in a whole new actuator and hooked everything up, tested everything (including the locks) in every which way you can imagine and everything worked beatifully EXCEPT when I closed the door and locked it, low and behold the DAMN THING WOULDN'T OPEN AGAIN! I ripped that panel off AGAIN...I should work for BMW...(I'm getting to become an expert in removing the panels ~ without damage)...and after a little more fiddling and further investigation, I noticed that the cable on the carrier seemed to be crimping or appeared to be too long...so, I went back online to look at the differences in the handle carriers and VIOLA I discovered that that 1) the FRONT PASSENGER carrier is about 1/2 inch shorter than the PASSENGER REAR and 2) I HAD ORDERED THE WRONG PART! Well, needless to say, I put the ORIGINAL actuator back in, returned it (got my money back, to the tune of about $185), purchased the RIGHT part (for about $55), put it in and, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ~ EVERYTHING WORKS LIKE A CHARM!!!

The moral to my story ~ make SURE you order the RIGHT part the first time around and DOUBLE CHECK when it arrives that you GOT the right part before you start ripping into your car! It will save you a LOT of time and money! Although, I am thankful that "I" was the one who screwed up and not the dealer ~ CHACHING!!!!