Door problem - not lock actuator?

[mddecker]

Funny problem with the front driver side door of my 2001 X5 3.0. I don't think it's the lock actuator as I replaced that part about two years ago and the lock itself works fine. The problem lies in opening the door from the outside. For about the past 6 months, every fifth or so time I opened my door it would stick - meaning it wouldn't open. The handle would come up but the door would not open. After pulling a couple times it would then release.

Fast forward to now and the door will not open at all using the outside door handle. I went ahead and pulled off the door and played around. It seems that the cable pictured below is not functioning. The handle pulls the boden cable 90% of the way, but there is still a little play left. I am able to move it the rest of the way with my finger:




Does anyone have any experience with this? Can I just replace the cable? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[BrianX54.4is]

I have had some problems in this area but more to do with corrosion/sticking of the lever. You could first try to adjust the cable fixing point to compensate for any stretching - see image below.

The problem however may be with the door handle carrier where the upper end of the cable connects to the outer handle so check it for any damage/wear - see this post how to remove (scroll to second post of the thread).

[mddecker]

Thanks for the link - that is an awesome writeup. I had exactly the same thought about changing the fixing point. I'll give it a try - hopefully it works. Thanks!

[mrlaguna]

I have exactly the same problem. It needs just a couple of mm to unlock the door just like mddecker did . Does anyone know if moving the cable fixing point fix the problem? Any response appreciated. Thanks

[rooroo]

In my case, the fact that the door handle carrier was broken kept the cable from retracting back into the plastic sleeve. This gives the impression that the cable was stretched or loose. The door handle carrier and the cable are all the same part. Follow the instructions in the "how to" section to remove the part, and you will see where the failure happened. Chances are that replacement is the only option.
Good luck

[Isambard]

I actually did the moving of the position of the cable. I filed two flats on the lower groove because the diameter is larger than the upper groove and will not fit into the locating tab otherwise.

I thought I'd solved the problem, but then just as I was putting the carrier back in I noticed it was broken! The position of the small break it would seem is just enough to cause enough 'give' in the carrier to prevent it pulling the cable far enough to pull the latch on the lock.

It works because I have made the cable taut enough now, but I have to operate the handle sharply to open it, which means its borderline 'working', and the break in the carrier will get worse. So I've bitten the bullet and shelled out the £65 for a new carrier. Will be fitting it Monday!

[joeboch348]

you did the hard part of pulling the panel spend the money and replace the carrier

[mrlaguna]

Thanks for all the replies. Greatly appreciated. I will now go out and get a new carrier since the cable is part of it. You are not able to buy the cable separately. I will update on the outcome once I get the new carrier.

Isambard - The cost of £65, is it from BMW or an OEM?

Cheers to All.

[kevinkay]

OLD post, but had the same problem. When i googled, this thread came up - it helped me with understanding and so throwing out my "fix" if it might help someone else.

when I replaced 2 of my carriers they did'nt come with new cable?? I had to switch the cables over. Recently my drivers side I had to pull up high and fast on the handle to get it open. Could not find any issues with the carrier so I pulled the lock actuator, put it in the vise and bent the cable mounting forks just a bit higher and its working perfect now.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Thanks for the idea! I fixed my rear left door and changed to a different cable. But I don't have a spare cable for the rear right door.
This little metal stopper on the end of the cable, there's gotta be a tool to install it? Could be an easy fix if cable is stretched, cut off the end, install a new end, that's it.
For now I'll try bending the fork.
Did anyone ever figure our about the 2 grooves that go unto the fork? I ripped my fingers trying to get the cable in on a tighter groove, only to find out that the further groove is 10mm in diameter, and closer groove us 8mm in diameter. Why did bmw do that?
I had to take it out and file it down, and it didn't fix the issue...