Frozen door latches...easy remedy!
 

I have read many treads about the frozen door latches. The new upgraded carrier, people not being able to open the door or they get it open and it won't close.

It has happened to me 3 times now when it gets in the low teens. Door opens but won't latch shut. So far only on the drivers door, of course the most annoying. One time I got it shut, then it would not open and all 6.3 of me had to drag myself out the passenger side. It heals after it gets warm.

I know the feeling when I pull on the door handle and it opens, but you can just feel that it did not free up the cable and it won't close. It's nice driving around trying to hold the door shut.

I have searched this board, and read a lot but this solution might just be the ticket.

It happened to me last night, very cold here in Buffalo, so I called the dealer. The service advisor knew all about it as well as the service upgrade.

He told me to put some antifreeze in a spray bottle and spray the latches and to open the small access opening just above the latches and spray inside there as well. Said antifreeze has plenty of lubricants in it as well as not freezing, that it has been suggested to quite a few customers with excellent results. Made sense to me.

So I tried his suggestion.

This morning it was 3, we are up to a whopping 5 now. The door flew open and closed perfectly. So far so good.:thumbup:

Supposed to be really cold here for the next week we will see how it works.

Thought I would pass this along. Even if you keep some in the trunk it's sure a lot better than trying to use a hair dryer or hot water that will only freeze again.

:thumbup: tips.

Great idea, never would have thought of that!

Great tip. Can you post some pictures of where exactly you sprayed to make this thread complete? Also do you know when the new upgraded carrier was implemented?

I can't open the door!!........Just kidding.

Not sure about the updated carrier, although there are some threads here about it.

It is the middle portion that pops out. At first I tried prying out the whole thing.

thanks!! i'll try that tonight!!

Hrm, i wonder if this will work if your actuator is going?

Great picture and great tip. Again, thanks. If you can get a part number for the actuators that would make this thread invaluable!

Here is 4 years and 6 pages. Look through them.

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...t=frozen+doors

That search drop box can tell you a lot.

Unbelievable.... I've been suffering from the same problem with my 08 E70... Been twice to the dealer and they "could not find anything wrong"... This morning they managed to reproduce it right in front of me... And I've been telling them all along that it is something about the cable...

is there any odor from the spray?

Also, is it full strength or 50/50?

Not that I can detect. Full strength. Just went into our boat shop and found a 1/2 a jug of generic green ethel glycol, think it was called "Prime".

So far it has been fine all day at 9 degrees. Will see how it is in the AM, temps are supposed to drop below zero.

If I can get my doors open in the morning, I will try this. Current temp are at 12 degrees and falling. Friday's high is 7!
Also, I carry a 100' cord and a duel stage 1500 degree heat gun in the back just in case I get locked out during the day.

skiboats,

If this proves to be a good reasonably long-lasting solution, you are going to be a hero to many on this site. That's a great recommendation from your dealer.

Since my first freeze-up episode, I've been spraying a bit of Jig-a-Loo lubricant spray at the door handle and latch area once a week. I just lift up the door handle and shoot it into the two openings. So far I haven't frozen up any more, but that's probably because it's only been cold, not cold AND wet. The true test is when it's both cold and snowy/wet outside. I will definitely take your recommendation and spray a bit of antifreeze in there, it certainly can't hurt.

It has been 14 hrs of sub zero, well it is up to 9 now as I post from my iPhone

My door flew open.:thumbup:

The handle lifted with ease with no binding at all. Smooth as silk.

Nice! :thumbup: Wish I'd have known about this last year!

to the OP: great result on my x, the door handles usually freeze up around 28 degrees. i put some last night, now i woke up and it was around 17 degrees and the door handles work pretty well like it's summer time...lolz...btw...i might put more later on just to be on the safe side since it's going to get colder tomorrow....thanks a lot!

Your welcome! Glad it worked for you. I was amazed myself, that it worked so well.

Guess I better acknowledge Towne Automotive Group/ Towne BMW in Buffalo. They have always treated me very well. I have been a customer for many years with various vehicles. Their service is superior and reasonable.:thumbup:

Do you think this would work after a car wash? I am very leary this time of year to wash my car when it is consistantly below freezing for this very problem.

I might go for it. My car looks like ET when he is sick.
That's what my kids say.

It is supposed to be 1 out tomorrow.

Well, I just tried it on the drivers door. I couldn't get the plug out on the passenger side. I just was too cold to keep messing with it. I will update tomorrow morning if it worked. Currently -2 with wind chill of -7, according to www.Intellicast.com.

Agreed. My car looks black with all of the road grime and salt building up on it. I wouldn't even wash it when it was up to 35 degrees when we were in DC over the weekend.

I wonder if spraying the antifreeze inside the door could be corrosive ???? anyone ????:dunno:

I don't think so. To the contrary actually.

" The modern antifreeze, however, does much more. It provides year-round protection of the cooling system: It prevents freeze up in winter and boilover in summer (especially in cars with air conditioning). It provides protection from rust and corrosion and does not harm rubber hoses and plastics. A desirable antifreeze should not corrode metal parts, attack rubber, become viscous at low temperatures, or evaporate readily at the ordinary engine operating temperature. It should be chemically stable, a good conductor of heat, and a poor conductor of electricity (which causes electrolysis)."

Found here and others.

http://www.waynesgarage.com/docs/engine_coolant.htm

did you premix the antifreeze w/ water 50/50 or the full strength ?

Full strength. It's in this thread somewhere.

BTW, (hope this is not stupid question)you guys park outside or in the garage when this door freeze thing happens?

most of freezing things happen due to parking out side of the garage
parking in the garage help some but not when your car is wet.

I'm sorry these may seen like dumb questions but where exactly are you supposed to spray? That protroding black piece?? And do you have to do this everyday or just once?

Thanks!

There was a picture posted on the first page of this thread. Pry out the inside of the red circled black access plug. Spray in there and the latches. All 4 doors are the same.

So far I have done it once.

So after 5 days of near zero, I have had no issues.

I developed the NAD'S to wash it today.

Upper teens and doors are smooth and nice.

Well, it didn't work for me. It finally was warm enough to melt some snow, about 31 - 32 degrees. This evening, after watching the Steelers beat the ravens at the local club, we went out to the x. Drivers door handle was stuck, but not really bad. I did manage to open the door, but the door would not latch when I tried to close it. Also, the window was frozen and wouldn't go down. I guess I didn't have any problems over the last few days because it was so cold, there was no moisture. Since it did warm up a little, the moisture came back, and froze my door. It was worth a try. I ended up driving my x home while trying to hold the door from flying open. DO YOU HEAR THIS BMW? I am sure it won't make a difference, but I will be calling them tomorrow. Not the local dealer, but corporate.

31 degrees and still froze up? When you sprayed did you work
It in by repeatedley working the door handle?

Thanks for the help!! this will rescue me every morning

It got cold again, into the teens when this happened. It had been warmer during the day.

I took mine through the wash last night and this morning
@13 degrees it opened right up. It sucks to drive holding the
Door shut.

Keep a small sprayer in the car at least you can hit it if you need to.

I was thinking about doing this...but I wonder, what kind of small sprayer would work? I wish there was a pressurized type of de-icer or antifreeze with a straw extension (like a can of wd-40 has).

On a related note, I wonder if the RV antifreeze would work as well as glycol antifreeze. The RV antifreeze is non-toxic, I use it to fill up my return pipes of my pool every fall when I close it up. I bet it might work just as well...?

I don't think the pink stuff has the lubricants in it like the green has.

I keep it in a small plant sprayer.

Anyone ever tried this stuff? Seems like a nice small bottle that you can also keep in the car (along with jumper cables, air compressor, flashlights, etc....!) Keep in mind this is used as a fix to defrost and not as a prevention like the DIY coolant method. BMW does recommend to use lock cylinder grease to prevent the problem (far below). However both seem to be impossible to acquire in the states.

BTW, BMW also makes a silicone spray that might work as well as the coolant fix (though at probably 10 times the cost!).

How's it going skiboat.?
Still not frozen up..?

Im also having trouble with the doors gettig frozen.. Yesterday it was -1 Celsius, and the driver side handle froze.. I was going to the doctor and when i got there i had to get out the passanger side..

Pretty embarresing..

I then followed you instrucition and sprayed it with anti freeze..

Today at -3celsius, none of the doors where frozen... Yiiiihaaaaaa.. Very pleasent feeling opening the door.

Now im just wondering approx. how long this remedy will work..

Going good here thanks!

I have done one application since I first posted this. It has been almost a month. It has stayed pretty cold although today almost 40 F.

I have had no problems since.

I have washed the car 1/2 dozen times. Last week when it was 10 F. after the car wash the handle froze momentarily. I mean it was really cold and the initial crusting of ice, after the wash, and sitting overnight, froze the handle on the first opening of the morning. Two or three flips of the handle freed it right up and it has been fine.

So far it really does work.

Okey..

Thats good to hear...:)

It usually never get below 23F where i live, but it has been a problem anyways.. Its a bit humid though, since i live by the coast..

Lookin forward to see if this works for a while.. Its an easy remedy for a somewhat anoying problem.. The guide for taking off the panels and lubricate the wire and things, seemes like a hassel.. I'd rather just reapply some of the freeze fluid if it keeps working..

Thanks..:)

It is unbelievable that BMW hasn't fixed the frozen door handle problem through the years.
I have had 4 BMW´s that all have had this problem:
E30 325i '86
E32 750i '92
E46 318i '03
E53 X5 '05

and I have heard that the new X5 has this ''pleasant'' problem to :( why BMW, WHY ???

I have used the WD40 and my motorcycle chain lube on the doors and has not frozen yet this year:D and i have been taking it to the hand wash...WooHoooo.

Been trying the antifreeze trick and so far it's been working great! :)

Hey guys, did anybody else have one hell of a time trying to pry out that little black plug to spray the antifreeze in? I've got one frozen handle that I think I'm going to need to get repaired and want to make sure that it doesn't happen to any others but I can't get those plugs out with my thumb nails (now nearly broken) or a flat screwdriver.

I had the same problem, i ended up taking a flat head screwdriver and piecering the black piece in the middle and then pulling the whole black thing out. I then ordered new replacement pieces from the dealer ($1.00 each).

Good luck!

In case anyone is interested, just found out what BMW NA recommends as an alternative to the stuff they use in Europe that we just can't get here (see post # 39 & 40).

The recommendations are as follows:

* Door Hinges and Pivots - Molybdenum Disulfide (MOS2) Spray for quieting squeaks and similar noises.
- (former BMW Part No. 81 22 9 400 720)
- 3M Part No. 8876
- Loctite Part No. 24378

* Door Brakes - Grease for any sliding contact area, especially door brake mechanisms.
- (former BMW Part No. 81 22 9 407 629)
- 3M Part No. 8878
- Loctite Part No. 20029

* Door Locks - Lock cylinder lubricant prevents locks from jamming in sub-freezing temperatures. Insert tip of spray can directly into keyslot.
- (former BMW Part No. 81 22 9 407 421)
- 3M Part No. 8878
- Würth Part No. 0893 051 ("Maintenance Spray")
- Loctite Part No. 20029

So, BMW expects everyone to get in through the driver's door? :stickpoke

Sure why not. I don't think it's such a big deal to do a little bit of preventative maintenance on your car if you live in an area of extreme weather. There is exactly 1 key hole on the X5 and spraying in some lubricant once a year will take all of 10 seconds.

The one key hole was exactly my point about the recommendations posted on the prior page. It appears that BMW
1) doesn't realize we only have 1 key hole
2) doesn't care about maintenance on the other doors
3) all of the above.

I know you are just relaying the information, but it seems to be a strange recommendation from BMW.

Well, strange or not, it sure beats $500 on a new mechanism!

Could someone post a pic of sprayer they have/use? I know someone mentioned a "plant sprayer" but I just can't quite picture it? WD40 didn't work for me, trying the antifreeze next. What a PITA this is.

Thanks,

Joe. 2006 4.4

I just used a sprayer that I bought from Lowe's. It's just a basic spray bottle.

Something like this
Amazon.com: Whitney Design Plastic Spray Bottle: Home & Garden

Thanks a lot, I gotta get this sorted out! 30K+ miles of ownership and never had this until a week ago! Happened about 8 times since. $500 at dealer will be a bummer but my garage isn't heated....

I'm still CPO, did anyone ever try to push it through under that? The one dealer by my house in somewhat "unfriendly" so I wont bother unless someone has had a good result.

Thanks,

Joe

I had an X5 with this issue (I posted a couple years ago in this thread). I've since sold it and bought a new Tahoe but that's another story, lol.

to JAH1: The place where you spray the lubricant is in the two little holes that are visible when you lift up on the door handle. I always held the door handle open with one hand, and sprayed the lubricant with my other.

The lubricant you use isn't real critical. I used Jig-A-Loo, Dupont Teflon dry spray lubricant (available at Lowes), plain old Silicone Spray lubricant, whatever was handy. The cans I'm talking about all have the little red straw attachment, so it's easy to stick the end into the door latch holes and spray it in there.

I was always a clean car fanatic, and I would wash it and clean the stupid brake dust off my wheels at least once a week. In the winter months, I'd pick up whatever can of lube was handy and spray inside of each door handle after I was done washing and waxing the X5.

I only had the frozen door happen to me one time, but it was a real PITA. I was leaving the gym at 6:00am. Opened up my door, and then couldn't get it latched. It was something like 15 degrees outside. Luckily I was only 3 miles away from my house. It was a real treat to drive home with one hand and hold the door shut with my other hand.

After I started spraying lube in the door latch holes every week or two in the winter months, it never happened again.

This is sort of the info I wanted about how lube door handles post i posted, but whilst by no means am I suffering from frozen door handles due to the cold, I am noticing pulling drivers side door handle is more difficult than other sides....does anyone think spraying silicon lube in the holes JAH1 mentions will help lifting of the handle?thanks

Yes, by all means lubricate your door handles...especially if you feel resistance. BMW door (carriers) handles not only freeze, but tend to break/fail on a regular basis.

By recognizing that something doesn't feel normal...you're ahead of the curve and have an opportunity to possibly prevent ending up having to replace a broken door handle.

Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate...especially if you're feeling resistance in the handle(s). :)

The two lubricants I use are pictured below. The Tri-Flow has teflon in it which not only lubricates, but helps repel moisture & dust...as well as friction when two surfaces rub against each other. I spray it in the lock cylinders and latches...as well as bowden cables around the car (like for the hood) as well as door hinges and other moving parts (doors/trunk/tailgate/hood).

I spray the silicone on a cloth rag and lubricate all of the gaskets around the doors, engine bay, trunk, tail gate,and event the flocked gaskets between the windows. The later helps keep the flocked gaskets from shrinking away from the glass...which helps prevent excess moisture (more than what is normally expected) that runs down the glass into the interior of the door, then out the drains in the bottom.

I was always under the impression that antifreeze if it didn't come pre-diluted needs to be diluted in order to receive the maximum cold weather benefits. Using straight anti-freeze does not have a lower freezing point then using diluted anti-freeze.

This happened for the first time yesterday morning- both front doors...Not fun. Will be spraying some liquidwrench lithium grease into the latches today. I did this on my '99 M3 when the door handles became hard to open and the release turned butter-smooth, so I'm hopeful it'll do the trick.

merry christmas to all, thanks for reply, so for my issue where lifting the drivers door handle seems a tad more difficult than the other doors, I spray in the keyhole and also in the holes that appear once you pull up the door handle?

AMAZING Tip.

If you're referring to my tip about lubricating the flocked gaskets around the windows...let me also add that...doing so requires lowering the windows so you can better access the flocked gaskets. And you will obviously need to clean the windows when you roll them back up...there will be lubricant residue on them as the glass moves past the flocking. If you do this in the fall when you won't be rolling the windows up/down...then one cleaning may be all you need. It usually doesn't take long for residue to stop smearing the glass if you leave the glass up for a day or two. If you do this in the summer or you live where its warm most of the time...try using the A/C for a few days.

I also recommend NOT using a paper towel or product to "dress" the gaskets...cloth or rag does a better job...paper towels are designed to be absorbent...and tend to want to hold on to the lubricant...which will require using more product...which will mostly end up in the paper towel .

QSilver7, your tip is great too, but I was referring to the engine coolant/anti-freeze in a spray bottle and spray in through that removable screw access hole to lube the door handle carrier and cabling :)

:thumbup:

I think this thread should be a sticky...it's A MUST.

I'm a pretty good mechanic but I would have never thought to use antifreeze in the door latches would work. I sprayed ACF-50 in all the handles when I got it just to lube them to no avail. When it happened to me 3 times I was getting pissed. I found this thread and did what it said. Removing the little plug was a huge help in getting the antifreeze in the latches and cables. I won't have thought it would last as long as it does.

I sprayed the doors last weekend and last night we have rain all day..today it's 10 degrees and the doors opened like a hot knife through warm butter.

Good job to the OPer.

BMW uses a product called Carbaflo for the flocked gaskets and recommends not using silicon. Silicon, or gummifledge is ok for standard rubber gaskets. Nice thing about the Carbaflo is it has its own dispenser tip. I hear its kinda spendy though, unless you can convince them to give you some for warranty squeeks/rattles...

any chance of some pics please of what plugs were removed and what amounts of neat antifreeze were used?

god I'm really hoping this is what happened to me this morning and not the actual carrier breaking.

only happened on my driver side door. I unlocked the car and went to open it and it opened but I heard a snapping noise. door wouldnt close either. after locking and unlocking the power lock a couple times (it would go up good but go down halfway) then it would close halfway but not all the way.

got in passenger side and sat for a minute playing with the lock switch again and then pulled hard on the door and it finally shut.

got to work and with the door unlocked not even the inside door handle will open the door so I got out the passenger side. I will play with it later when it (hopefully) warms back up.

so what say you? broken carrier or frozen carrier? if its broken I have no clue how I'm going to get the door open to replace it since even the inside handle doesnt work.

I had this happen on both my driver and passenger door. I found that once they open and then don't want to close you can hold it shut then hit the lock button. It won't open again but it is better than holding it closed. That said once it is open your really want to douse it in antifreeze to get it to thaw.

Once it is thawed or before this happens, dousing it in wd40 will do the trick. wd= water displacement. It is what it is made to do. Personally I would rather load it up with wd40 than antifreeze.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check into this Carbaflo. :thumbup:

hate to say it, but it sounds like you broke the cable from the carrier (cause it may have been frozen) and you need a new carrier is my bet.

See post #5 on the 1st page for a pic of the plug...and the first few pages of this thread covered the amount to use.

Personally, I'd stay with regular water dispersing lubricants...especially if very cold temps are rare for where you live.

Happy New Year. :)

Used WD-40 on the latches and mech last year. The poor X5 sat out the last nights as it snowed and sleeted over the weekend and the temp dropped to 6 degrees F.
Results: Good news after one year. No problems this morning (6 degrees with 20-30 mph wind) latches were stiff on the first pull but ok after one use.
Planning on doing all the latches again tonight to avoid the dreaded snap so many mention. In the past after hand washing, wiping down the door jambs, followed by a hard freeze overnight, the latches would lock up after opening. 30/40 Seconds with a heat gun they were fine with no issues occuring later.

I just wanted to say it's been a week or so since I lubed the inside handles and cables with antifreeze. It worked real well on the first 2 rain/snow than freezes. Today it's 6 degrees and yesterday it was 45 and rain so both doors are frozen solid and I had to take my other car because I had a meeting and was late.

So the antifreeze works...but does not last long. I live in the Northeast and we've had more rain freezes than normal but non the less it's not a good fix where I live.

I have a call into the dealer seeing what new/updated cables cost. Meantime I'm going to lube the crap out of the handles and latches once a week with WD or ACF-50. Yes I put so much antifreeze in the handles-cable-latches that a ton of antifreeze eventually came out the doors so I know I was effective when I di that.

FYI: I saw somewhere in this posted linked the Bowden cables were updated somewhere in about 2003 and fixed this problem. I have an 2002.

thankfully the gods shone down on me. went out at lunch and gave it a try.

first pull it was loose still. tried again and halfway through the pull I felt tension suddenly and then the door opened. shut it and tried it several more times and its back to working like normal and the power lock goes up/down properly.

definitely hitting this thing with some wd40 this afternoon lol. dont want to go through that crap again :rolleyes: next time I might not be as lucky.

Went out this morning to leave for work around 4:45am after the previous day of rain to wake up to 9 degrees F here on Long Island. My drivers door opened but didn't close. Held door, then I pushed the lock button. Went to work... and the door wouldnt open. Had to climb out the passenger side. Drivin the vert till it warms up on saturday. Hopefully it opens in 50 degree weather. Already have my antifreeeze in a spray bottle waiting....:rolleyes:

here is a link to the TSB
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/na...103813_x5d.pdf

Thanks for the link
I shows that the cable was updated in 2002 to stop water from getting into the cable sleeve then freezing.
When doubt use WD-40 ASAP before bad things happen.

If they updated the cable in 2002 I guess the updated cable will still fail. I have an '06 and will be lubricating all doors every fall....:cool:

I would recommend lubing the latch and open the plug to lube the mech inside the door. Lube = no freeze!

Or a WARM garage tonight......

I could not stand this anymore so I brought it to the dealer, $883 to replace drivers and pass door handles per TSB. While I can do this repair I just don't have time anymore to work on my cars.

I also called BMW North America and I asked them to good will the defective parts. I found out Mini Coppers have the same problem and BMW was replacing them out of warrantee. They may tell me to go to hell but its worth a try, I think this was a very hot topic for them a few years ago and they were addressing each case that complained. The dealer had something like 10 handles in stock..I called before I brought the car in so they all knew this was a big problem.

Mine "thawed" out yesterday.. I WD-40'd everything. Hopefully I wont have to go through this again....:rolleyes:

By pulling the handle open and lubing from the exterior, does it not cover about 85% of what is needed ?

I did all 4 handles and then proceeded with the plug removal / spraying from there. I gave it a good dosing and noticed quite a bit had seeped out and was running down my door panel. Needless to say, I was less generous on the other 3 doors..

I had a real problem with my door latches this winter, frozen numerous times, especially with all this cold weather we had. I started dousing the latch in anti-freeze, and then removing the plug and squirting it in there yet. We've had sub zero weather since then, and haven't had a frozen latch since!!!

I'd also recommend not washing the vehicle if temps are going down below freezing (32°F/0°C) if you're not going to be parked in an area (garage etc) that will be above freezing.

For those who have to park on the street or in a drive...again, don't wash if temps are going to drop down below freezing and you don't have enough daylight hours (w/sun) that will allow all moisture to evaporate. If its raining or freezing rain, where excess water running down into the door cavity is unavoidable...try running the REST feature once you park & shut down the vehicle. This will give the vehicle at least 15 minutes of warmed air inside the cabin...with the interior eventually cooling off to the ambient temperature...but this may buy some time for the cable not to freeze.

(if you don't know what the REST feature is or how to initiate it...look it up in your owners manual...on the e53, you press your MAX button) :D

http://bimmerboard.com/members/q/ori...%20Mode%29.jpg

So, this just happened to me. Went to open the drivers door and pop. Here's the thing....the driver door will open from the inside and still latches and locks properly, but the outside handle will not open the door. Do I need a new carrier assembly? If so, how hard is it to do myself? The stealership wants $500 to replace it!!!!!!!!!!! Should I just suck it up and pay them or do it myself.....I'm pretty handy with tools if that helps. Thanks in advance guys, always come here for any X issues. :thumbup:

It's my understanding though, all this spraying we are discussing....the root cause is water getting between the rubber and the wire. By spraying, is this not more a superficial ailment to the problem itself.

We'll see. In 11 years of ownership, I think I've broken 2-3 handles....it just depends on the luck of the draw between moisture and temps.

What prompted me to do the *spraying* was this morning it was frozen. I genetly tugged, got resistance, gently tugged again, got resistance, and gave it one more gentle tug to open the door. Luckily nothing broke..

I use this. Worked out for me in this crazy NY weather...
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ps1592b426.jpg

No . Yuck. SMUUV....

White Lithium loves dirt.

Use a Dry Lube...Can't type now. Will type more later...

Thank you Xoutpost :thumbup:

super thread revival, just discovered this thread after 6 year ownin this truck ... so whats the best bet ? replace upgrade part , antifreeze or spray lube ?

I tried antifreeze and lube and it did not work at all. I replaced the handles that came with new designed cables and never had the problem since. don't waste your time lubing.

Thanks whats the part number or the upgrade part