BMW Door Locks: What Causes Them to Fail?

It’s easy to forget about what cars were like only a few decades ago; now, automobiles are highly efficient, convenient, and adapted to driver comfort. One of the simple, yet effective ways that the automotive industry has adapted their designs is in automatic door locks. Door locking mechanisms in vehicles these days make it easy for the driver to simply lock all of the doors remotely, where a mechanism does all the hard work for us. BMW is one manufacturer that has been at the forefront of engineering such helpful mechanisms that make the driving experience that much more convenient and luxurious. However, what happens when your automatic door lock feature fails?

Most of us can remember those rough days of having all of our passengers lock their own individual doors when exiting the car, and reverting back to such “primitive” methods of securing your car is something we all wish to avoid. If your BMW suddenly runs into door locking issues, it’s important to have the problem assessed and fixed by a BMW professional so that you can restore your car to its optimal level of functioning and convenience, as well as promote its safety. In this article we’ll go over some possible causes of door lock failure and what you can do to address it effectively.

What causes your BMW’s door locks to fail?

Door locking mechanisms are relatively simple in the grand scheme of how your car works overall; however, that doesn’t mean that your BMW door lock failure can only be traced back to one source. It’s possible that your door locks are failing due to one source, although it’s also possible that there are multiple areas to address. Here are a few questions to ask when door locks fail, as there are several main problem areas that are often the culprit of such malfunction:

Q: Are there any fuses blown?

A blown fuse isn’t the end of the world, but it can certainly affect how your BMW’s door locks function. If a fuse blows in your BMW, it’s important to replace it with the proper part; however, it is essential to identify possible causes of the blown fuse so that the problem does not occur again.

Q: Does the wiring check out?

Many people are surprised to find just how much wiring is necessary for a car to function properly. Your BMW’s door locks are one of the electrical systems in your vehicle that requires wiring in order to help electrical impulses communicate directives to lock or unlock the doors. Bad or faulty wiring can certainly cause your door locks to fail, so it’s important that you have your BMW specialist inspect the car’s wiring adequately if the door locks aren’t working.

Q: Is your key fob functioning properly?

Your key fob is the primary avenue for remotely communicating door lock commands as well as opening the trunk or activating the alarm system. it’s possible that the reason for your door locks to be failing rests solely with a malfunctioning key fob. This is one of the easier solutions to door lock failure if it is indeed the source of the problem.

Q: Is the problem with the door lock actuator?

A door lock actuator’s primary function is to perform the directed function when the driver or passenger presses the door lock/unlock button. If you hear any grinding noises coming from inside the door as you press the button, or if the door locks function on their own without prompting, the issue could be related to a failing actuator. It’s best to have this checked out by a BMW professional, as not all door lock actuator work in the same manner.

How to get the best care for your BMW

Here at European Motor Cars, we attend to a wide range of common BMW issues for clients from all over Summerlin, Spring Valley, and Las Vegas, NV; therefore, we have a diverse background of experience when it comes to severity of automotive issues. Car door lock failure is a rather mild automotive issue, but for the modern driver it can be quite a hassle. If you’ve recently encountered door lock failure in your BMW, please contact one of our BMW specialists right away to help you address the issue.

* BMW 750 Start Key image credit goes to: Newnow.