2001 BMW X5 3.0i Front Door Lock Freezing Up – E38, E39, E53

September 3, 2010

Q
I own a 2001 X5 3.0i and have been having problems for the last couple of winters with the front door lock freezing up, especially the drivers door! I do not have any problem with the door freezing to the rubber trim or door gasket but the lock will freeze and be hard to open when it gets cold outside overnight ( 25-20 degrees or below) and then when I open the door to get in it doesn’t want to latch back to close!! I have literally gone down the road to keep appointments trying to hold the drivers door closed with my left hand while driving! Needless to say this isn’t a very comfortable solution or a very safe way to drive! I sprayed some white lithium grease in the works last winter that seemed to help but it has done the same thing again this winter when it gets cold overnight and doesn’t want to function properly until the interior and vehicle warm up to temp.!! I have sprayed some WD40 into the locks this winter which seemed to help to some extent (since it is a water displacing solvent) but I still have the same problem at times when it gets really cold outside or we have precipitation overnight or the previous evening. I need to know how to solve this problem or what to buy to put in my locks so my vehicle will operate correctly again ?! I know I can trust you guys to give me some sound advice in solving this problem. Thank you for any help you can provide me with this !!

A
The problem that you seem to be having is somewhat common ….. for much older BMWs. 20 to 25 degrees is not all that cold (in perspective). You may have a build-up of grease and dirt in the lock/latch mechanism that is getting too stiff in the cold weather. Additionally, the lock motors get a bit weak with age. Try spraying a solvent into the lock/latch assembly (preferably when it is warmer). In this case, we would typically try the Wurth brake parts cleaner. This is a solvent that will be most likely to dissolve the grease that is currently in place. We have also used the MechanicAll (from the makers of DeoxIT), which is a very high quality penetrant and lubricant. If working from the exterior does not fully cure the issue, you may need to remove the inner door panel to access the full latch assembly.

If it ends up that you feel you need to replace the latch and/or lock motor units, just give us a call at 800.535.2002 or email us and we can quote you all of the parts you may need.

Wurth brake parts cleaner:

MechanicAll: