AWR-Fix: Door Handle Carrier Permanent Fix*

[Bmwe5320023.0]

I just ordered those metal zip ties and got this teflon tape
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000CSGEIW/..._ye2tEbSG0BMBX

Since I'm in Canada, we've lately had weather swinging from -20C at night to 10C during the day...
Out of 4 doors I only have 1 that opens from the outside so I gotta fix it before I can't get inside the car anymore.

I'm really impressed with you dedication on this subject and all the time you've taken to fix this extremely common defect on X5.

I'll post your iCloud link for people to get a better idea of the operation. I'm very visual and found it very helpful

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#...B-A86CE10D45B8

[andrewwynn]

Last resort u you can open the tailgate and climb though*. If your window still opens you can roll the window down by holding the door key in the unlock position. (And open the door using the inside handle)

* Yes of course personal experience and my 80+kg was a damn tight squeeze over the back seat in the upright position. (I didn't want to have to take the cargo cover out)

Spray some silicone on the door seals every week or three over the winter or at least any time the temps drop through freezing when water is in the air. Remember is not liquid precipitation that freezes the door latch, it's condensation

Teach your passengers and yourself that if the handle feels stuck down do not pull forcefully, open the door from the inside and defrost the door by driving with the heat on.

[andrewwynn]

Note with the metal zip ties, to get them to pass through twice they need to be opened slightly. I think it's covered in my write up. Also since they lock differently than nylon (they lock as they pull open slightly), you can't really make them short tight so don't try, just plan to shim like done above.

Test in a vice if possible before reassembly, that's how I figured out I needed to double wrap the metal zip.

[aureliusmax]

this thread is very confusing, the detail photos are zoomed in so much i don't have a good perspective of the entire picture

[Clavurion]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

Don’t take offense not a swipe other than to point out, my fix is far better than new. It effectively eliminates the design defects of both the dhc (by tuning the brittle joint that breaks into a flexible joint with give) and eliminates the freeze condition of the actuator that sets up for breaking the dhc.

No worries. I appreciate you efforts on this matter and would have likely used teflon tape as a glide surface on lock mechanism if I had known this before. I already renewed the lock and handle over 3 years ago. Previously the lock froze many times and eventually the handle broke like they do. After replacing the parts I've not encountered frozen lock. Conditions here in Finland are cold and the vehicle is still parked without cover.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Ahaha good point! Didn't think about getting in through the tailgate lol!

Well I think with your mode it doesn't really matter if I pull on the handle or not because I ground off that little piece. If i understood everything correctly, the handle will kind of "dry fire" and won't break. Not only that, but with this mode the handle won't freeze. And it addition it is beefed up quite well. So pretty much break proof!
I'll be installing it today and hopefully I'll finally be able to open the door from outside.

[andrewwynn]

The problem that causes the break usually is if the actuator freezes. Cold alone won’t be a problem need a magic combination of high humidity and the actuator cold enough to condense water out of the air followed by the ambient dropping below freezing. It usually happens 2-3x per year in Wisconsin.

Another problem that can happen is the cable can get water inside and freeze and BMW revised the DHC to have a little rubber nipple at the top of the cable to help keep water out but that’s not the main freeze point.

It’s possible to spray the likes of windshield anti-freeze or WD-40 to prevent a freeze through the screw access hole on the end of the door. I will try to take a video to show this. I may already have one I forgot.

The problem is that’s a one time treatment not a cure. But if you know it just rained and is about to go below freezing, spraying down the hole (bend the end of the spray tube to spray straight down about 3cm in the hole, it should coat the arm that freezes up.

[X5M-ISH]

I'll be putting in my third driver side carrier in the morning. The OEM one broke, then the super five star rated one broke after three days. I've been driving around with no exterior door handle May as well weld the doors shut at this point and climb in like the General Lee.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Oh well...we'll see, I just don't see it freezing with that amount of grease.
Grease takes all the place, so there's nowhere for ice to form to scrape off grease.

If you look at my photos, there's a pretty wide gap where you apply tape. I don't think there's any point in having tape there because it can't freeze, the gap is too large.

The only place it would freeze would be at the pivot point where the actuator moves (above where the tape is). There again I surrounded that area with grease so it shouldn't freeze.

I guess the hardest part was bending the spring. I kinda got it, but not as good as on your pictures.

[andrewwynn]

Unfortunately you are incorrect. The water will Bridge the gap. BMW tried to improve the design with not only a bigger gap but a bump to separate the moving metal parts.

In testing at temps barely below freezing 1/20ml was enough water to bridge a 1mm gap (after I bent the metal to make sure they didn't touch).

Enough grease may help for a good while but without the insulation and low friction of the tape, ice forms on the moving part and scrapes away the grease. It only took 2-3 freeze cycles with one drop of water and there was almost no grease left at all.

Grease on the elbow joint is not helpful. The joint can be completely frozen in a block of ice it won't affect the latch.

What locks the joint is the rivet of the elbow gets frozen to the body of the latch. The angle is so subtle the torque to break it free is insanely high and will break things. It can break a DHC the very first freeze.

The spring modification is only needed for when the actuator is cut open for replacing the motors but great job.



This is the primary concern with the freezing joint. One single drop of water will lock the actuator to where I was unable to break free without tools and can definitely put enough force on the DHC to break the hinge

The next time I have one apart ill do a couple more tests including how to spray some defrost down the window seal to get a frozen door open and I'd like to modify the little elbow joint where it's simply too far apart to collect enough water to freeze.