SupraWes
SupraWes Dork
9/15/10 6:32 p.m.

So I was at the Jacksonville overpriced junkyard today. Only because they have 4 E36's right now. At a junkyard without a key and obviously without power is there any reasonable way to unlock a BMW door. I had access to the internal levers and the plunger but nothing I could do would unlock the door. Also getting into the trunk would be nice too. I like power door locks but not being able to open them from the inside manually is rediculous. What am I missing?

njansenv
njansenv HalfDork
9/15/10 6:45 p.m.
SupraWes wrote: . What am I missing?

A key.

I'm not sure about E36's, but the double lock on the E30's prevents one from manually unlocking anything.

Tommy Suddard
Tommy Suddard GRM+ Memberand SonDork
9/15/10 7:00 p.m.

Sounds like it's double locked. You're screwed if that's the case.

Or if you can pick locks, pick the lock.

02Pilot
02Pilot Reader
9/15/10 7:44 p.m.

Used to be that a sharp whack with a lump hammer just below the trunk lock would pop it, but that may have ceased to be true after the E30/E32/E34 generation.

Tyler H
Tyler H GRM+ Memberand Dork
9/15/10 8:48 p.m.

A brick?

Brett_Murphy
Brett_Murphy GRM+ Memberand New Reader
9/15/10 9:03 p.m.

In reply to SupraWes:

Pity, if the trunk is locked like that there is a chance the toolkit is still there. I love finding complete toolkits in BMWs at the junkyard.

I've been to yards that keep the keys up in the office. You might try asking there if you've not already.

MrJoshua
MrJoshua SuperDork
9/15/10 9:09 p.m.

There's a ski hole panel behind the rear seat. If you are Osterkraut sized or less you can pop it off with a screwdriver and squeeze through. I heard you got skinny a while back so you might be in luck.

SupraWes
SupraWes Dork
9/16/10 5:56 p.m.

Thanks guys, I guess there's really nothing that I could have easily done. I did have the back seat off, nice black leather one that followed me home I thought about squirming through the ski hole but I had no light or much knowledge to figure out what to do from there.

I may go back soon better prepared, there's still a black dashboard, and a center console armrest that wants to follow me home.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
9/16/10 7:24 p.m.

yes.. double locking is nice when everything works.. and a serious PITA when things go wrong.

I was at a yard today looking for seatbelt buckles for my 91 saab 900. Found a nice pair.. but could not get out because they were attached to power seats... can't move them without power to get them out of the damn car

junpower
junpower New Reader
11/2/12 5:48 p.m.
mad_machine wrote: yes.. double locking is nice when everything works.. and a serious PITA when things go wrong. I was at a yard today looking for seatbelt buckles for my 91 saab 900. Found a nice pair.. but could not get out because they were attached to power seats... can't move them without power to get them out of the damn car

If you guys take battery powered tools, remember you can grab some speaker wires from any car and use the power from your tool battery to power windows and almost any wires in a car with 8-14v rechargeable batts. A little something I learned while installing car alarms and stereos.

clutchsmoke
clutchsmoke HalfDork
11/2/12 8:19 p.m.
junpower wrote:
mad_machine wrote: yes.. double locking is nice when everything works.. and a serious PITA when things go wrong. I was at a yard today looking for seatbelt buckles for my 91 saab 900. Found a nice pair.. but could not get out because they were attached to power seats... can't move them without power to get them out of the damn car
If you guys take battery powered tools, remember you can grab some speaker wires from any car and use the power from your tool battery to power windows and almost any wires in a car with 8-14v rechargeable batts. A little something I learned while installing car alarms and stereos.

Beat me to my suggestion.

novaderrik
novaderrik UltraDork
11/2/12 8:39 p.m.

Milwaukee blades work the best and last the longest..

Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy SuperDork
11/2/12 9:14 p.m.

Modern BMWs will sometimes lock techs inside when they doodle the computer wrong...and they are there for the duration, or until they find a brick.

pimpm3
pimpm3 Reader
11/3/12 1:06 a.m.

I hate that junkyard. It is a ripoff and the owner is a d-bag. I get angry everytime I go there...

Derick Freese
Derick Freese SuperDork
11/3/12 2:32 a.m.

Which one is the overpriced one?

Ian F
Ian F PowerDork
11/3/12 8:44 a.m.
mad_machine wrote: yes.. double locking is nice when everything works.. and a serious PITA when things go wrong. I was at a yard today looking for seatbelt buckles for my 91 saab 900. Found a nice pair.. but could not get out because they were attached to power seats... can't move them without power to get them out of the damn car

It's even nicer when the battery dies in the car and you can unlock the door, only to discover the only key you have for the effing car doesn't work the trunk lock... And the jumper cables are in the trunk...

I'm guessing there's no manual trunk release from the interior in an E30...

njansenv
njansenv Dork
11/3/12 9:06 a.m.

^BTDT.

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