E46 Coupe passenger side door won't unlock

[simke 0]

Ok so I've got a weird one. Pushed button on the key to unlock the doors, alarm got disabled, lights turned on inside but the doors stayed locked. So I unlocked the driver's door with a key, no problem. Got in the car, pushed central lock button (next to hazard lights button), driver side door locked (passenger door still locked). Pushed the button again, both doors won't unlock. Pulled the handle on the drivers door, door unlocks. Pulled the handle on passenger door, nothing, stays locked. The door doesn't look jammed, tried pushing it in a bit from outside as well, nothing. So the end result is that I can't open the passenger side door at all, which is gona cause me some pain. Any ideas? Hopefully not another thing thats gonna set me back around $500 to fix.

P.S. No warning lights of any sort are coming up on the dash.

Edited September 4, 2008 by Simke

[simke 0]

And now 3 hours later its working fine again...

[elmarco 56]

Mine does this too occasionally - normally if I don't press the remote button for long enough. Never the drivers door, only the passenger side. I put it down to a sticky lock but that isn't an official diagnosis...

Be really interested to know what the answer is!

[my_e36 43]

Is it the dead-locking mechanism got a bit stuck/jammed?

[simke 0]

Is it the dead-locking mechanism got a bit stuck/jammed?

Didn't look jammed, its been working fine for two days now, so we'll see if it happens again.

[simke 0]

Right, so it happened again. What also happens is that gas tank won't open, stays locked as well. Which was a real pain because tank was on empty, luckily it sorted itself after trying to lock / unlock a few times. So I guess I'm going to have it checked out.

Aside from being a real pain, I do find this to be poor design from safety point of view - passengers could find themselves trapped in the car because stupid door can't be opened in any way.

[*Glenn* 854]

I would say from your explanation that it is the L/H door central lock motor playing up....needs to be checked properly