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* * Auto Door Locks * *

38K views 50 replies 18 participants last post by  MKJS 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

As we drive off, the car automatically locks the doors when you reach/exceed 5mph (I think). Then it would unlock when you put the care in P and opened the door latch. Well, for some reason it was working fine until recently. I don't know what I did to turn that feature Off. It's not working anymore. Can I turn it back ON ?

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
The manual says this feature can only be enabled and disabled by a key reprogram through a dealer. There might be "secret" sequence of key positions, pedal taps, and switch presses to enable this without a reprogram and you might've accidentally triggered this. Some of the other "dealer only" features can be enabled this way.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I'm confuzzled? What you describe is not how the BMW auto-lock @ 5MPH works. There is no UNLOCK when you put the car in P (pehaps you're confusing it with an American made car you once owned). :)

So, if the car still auto-locks @ 5 MPH... then the system is working as designed. The only way to UNLOCK your BMW is to press the central unlock button on the center dash or pull twice on the door handle. :D
 

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#7 ·
I'm confuzzled? So, if the car still auto-locks @ 5 MPH... then the system is working as designed. The only way to UNLOCK your BMW is to press the central unlock button on the center dash or pull twice on the door handle. :D
You're HALF right. (1) I have experienced this what you just mentioned. It locks at around 5mph, then pull the handle Twice to un-lock it. (2) But I have also experienced in the past, it locks at around 5mph, and unlocks with the "Single" pull of the handle (not twice). That way, I know when it locks, but I don't feel the need to do anything "extra" to un-lock it. Just pull once and it unlocks.

However, right now I'm not experiencing ANY of these. Right now the car just Will NOT lock at 5mph, or any speed.

Sometimes I use the duplicate key for the car. Well, they are both original BMW Keys, but I use one mostly, sometimes the other one. I wonder if changing of keys has anything to do with it, or it's program? :confused:
 
#6 ·
When did this auto-lock feature came into play with BMW?

Does this feature exist on 97 BMW 528i, because I wanna enable it!
It's been available since the beginning of the e39 production. To see the entire list of programmable "car/key" memory features...click and download this file: http://www.e38.org/E38-Options.pdf

There is no driveway "trick" to turn these features on. You either need to take it to the dealer or find someone who has the Carsoft software and the ability to connect to the 20 pin dataport connector under the hood.
 
#8 ·
You still have no car model & year info in a signature or in your car info that appears in the upper right of your posts...so I can't tell what type key you have or if your car was built after 9/99.

If you click on the link in post #6...download the PDF file that has all of the car/key memory features listed. It also gives the model year in which the "KEY" can also be programmed with "select" features as well. It could be the difference in the two keys (if you have the new style keys used from 9/99-up).

Another thing it could be is...an issue with the GM (general module). The car/key memory features are coded into the GM...if something has failed on the GM's circuit board, perhaps that is what's causing the issue. Since you know you had the auto-lock @ 5 MPH feeature enabled...and its not functioning now...the first place I'd look would be the GM.

Sorry I can't be more helpful...but good luck.
 
#9 ·
I dont like the auto locks. just because they dont auto unlock. Its not worth the hassle.

So what I want to do is go to the dealer and have them program it to turn off my DRLs and auto lock.
Wouldnt they do that for free?
 
#11 ·
FREE?!!

Dude, you have been sniffing too much of that Plasti-Dip!!!!:eek:
Im going to get a summer job with them this year. You think they would do it then?
Get some buddies to do it for me? I HOPE SO!

How much do you think it would be otherwise?
 
#12 ·
If you get that job with them, you can do it yourself. I don't know what the charge would be but there are threads on here that folks have posted what they were charged. I thinkone was charged $100.00.

I would like to have the alarm chirp disabled but no way will I pay for it to be done. I can think of better things to do with the cash. Our locks used to lock when going 5MPH and now they don't. We push the button and it works just fine.
 
#13 ·
If you get that job with them, you can do it yourself. I don't know what the charge would be but there are threads on here that folks have posted what they were charged. I thinkone was charged $100.00.

I would like to have the alarm chirp disabled but no way will I pay for it to be done. I can think of better things to do with the cash. Our locks used to lock when going 5MPH and now they don't. We push the button and it works just fine.
$100 is too much. You're right. As if it is any trouble to them to stick it into their machine and click 2 buttons. Too hard? :dunno:

Yeah I'm gonna see if I can get a summer job there.
 
#14 ·
This whole thing is rediculous about paying a dealer to turn ON/OFF the alarm chirp, or having the car lock at 5mph. These type of features should be controlled by the car's OWNER. I mean one would spend $50,000 to buy this luxury car, and then have NO control on how/when they can use these features that the come comes with ??????? They epxect you to go to a dealer for something like that? My Chevy has similar features, and I GET TO Control them. I simply go to one of the Menus and toggle through different choices, and PICK what I LIKE !!

P.S: That's my 2001 530i vs 1999 Chevy.
 
#20 ·
The "do not unlock when you put the car into park" is one of the most annoying features of this damn car. Period.
 
#28 ·

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#29 ·
Ok I'm digging up an old thread here, but it seems some (or most) E39's rely on the key memory to determine central locking parameters. I recently managed to get Easy-DIS diagnostic/coding software installed on my computer that was used to interface to my E39 using an INPA/EDIABAS cable (for more info on this, see http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1391667)

Anyhow, like many here, trying to code the auto door locks via Carsoft wasn't working for me. Checking the "Car Memory" section of Easy-DIS, I could see the the auto door locking was indeed enabled (via Carsoft). However, re-programming this feature via Easy-DIS still didn't enable the feature for me.

Moving onto the "Key Memory" section, I could see Easy-DIS has a section for Central Locking where the Auto door locks were disabled. Simply enabling this option got the auto door locking going.

Those who have enabled the feature via Carsoft, but have been unsuccessful, may wish to try their luck with their spare key before heading off to the dealer. If not, they'll have to install a dealer level program such as Easy-DIS to enable/disable this themselves.
 
#30 ·
Carsoft wasn't working for me ... Easy-DIS has a section for Central Locking where the Auto door locks were disabled. Simply enabling this option got the auto door locking going.
I think it's crazy that we have to go to the dealer to modify car settings which should be doable by the owner of the vehicle so I'm interested in what can, and what cannot reset the automatic doorlock feature:

So far, I know:
Carsoft version 6.x: Does not work
Carsoft latest version: Apparently does work (7.x? 8.x?)

Are you adding?
Easy-DIIS (version unknown): Does work to SET automatic doorlocking???

If so, that's nice to know. Can you confirm the opposite? That EASY-DIS can UNSET the automatic door-locking feature? (that's what I want)

PS: Do we all live in the inner-city ghetto (I don't)? Why would anyone 'want' automatic door locks anyway? Who's robbing us daily? It's such a pain. And, it can't be good for the locking mechanism. Especially as I'm the only occupant but I often put stuff in the seats or want to open the trunk when the keys are still in the car.
 
#32 ·
I have the autolock feature, and to be honest, I kinda hated the fact that I had to unlock the doors manually every time I arrived at destination. In time, it just became second nature.
One day, driving home from work, I stopped at a red light and took advantage and started to scan the radio stations. While busy doing that, the car started to shake - when I looked up, a guy tried to open the rear door of the car. No luck for him, light turned green and I was gone.
Before that incident I wanted to disable the feature. After that, I was thinking: what if my wife and kids were in the car at that spot in time, and the anti-lock feature had not been enabled?
I think it's a good feature. The only way the doors will unlock, is if you are in an accident (if airbags deploy), so it's a safe feature.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Josh P. said:
save your anti-urban screed
Oh my! I didn't realize my ingrained city-phobic mistrust (based on my childhood near NYC), was so thinly veiled as to be that obvious to people who didn't even know me! :)

Josh P. said:
If you have kids, then the auto-locking is a nice feature
Sure. But still, shouldn't it be an option that the user can set themselves?

doru said:
a guy tried to open the rear door of the car.
Wow. Never happened to me. I can count thousands of times that I had to go back into the car, lean over to the middle of the console, and press the unlock button ... just to open the trunk or to open a rear door though.

I prefer to leave the locking and unlocking decisions wholly to me, not to a dumb vehicle which does the same thing every time, not realizing I'm in my own driveway just getting the mail, thinking someone's gonna carjack me at any moment between my garage and my mailbox.

Anyway, the point is that we should be able to set whether we want autounlock or not, by ourselves ... sans the stealer.

I should note that ever since I joined Bimmerfest, I have NOT had to go to the dealer (except for minor emergency parts such as the $10 oil-drain plug and $5 radiator nipple). And I don't plan on going just to change the annoying automatic door unlock feature.

Hence the question, which relates, I think, to the following:
- The Peake (all versions, afaik) does not unset the auto-unlock feature
- We all know Carsoft version 6.x does not unset auto-unlock
- Carsoft BMW Home Edition v7.x and 8.x does unset auto-unlock
- From this thread, Easy-DIS (version unknown) can "set" auto-unlock (but I'm not sure about unsetting auto-unlock)
- GT1, I'm not sure if it can unset auto-unlock
- INPA, I'm not sure if it can unset auto-unlock
- EDIABAS, I'm not sure if it can unset auto-unlock

So, it would be nice to have a table which confirms whether these 7 programs can unset the autounlock.

I could (and probably should) do an hour long search to see if it has been mentioned already; but this is an auto-unlock thread, so it's appropriate to mention the sum total of the programs which "might' unset the auto-lock feature.

PS: It would also be appropriate to add pricing information to that table.
 
#34 · (Edited)
BB - GT1, Progman, NCS, INPA and Easy-DIS programs will all be able to code the door locks. NCS/INPA aren't very user friendly hence GT1/Easy-DIS/Progman should be used. EDIABAS is the communication protocol used by Easy-DIS/GT1/INPA for diagnostics/programming but is not actually a program. But using that protocol allows for any type of coding/programming to occur.

Carsoft does actually program the car memory - it just doesn't code the key hence where problems arise for many. The only memory settings available for the key pertains to the Central locking.

The version of Easy-DIS that I use is v44. Later versions apparently don't allow for any coding - Progman seems to have superseded DIS.
 
#35 · (Edited)
GT1, Progman, NCS, INPA and Easy-DIS programs will all be able to code the door locks.
Wow. This is great information!

I summarized everything in this table (reproduced below for convenience).

KEY:
NO = Does not set or unset BMW automatic door lock features
YES = Does set and unset BMW automatic door lock features

SUMMARY:
YES: GT1, Progman, Easy-DIS v44 only, NCS Expert, INPA, Carsoft (v7.x & v8.x only)
NO: Peake, Carsoft v6.x, Easy-DIS versions after v44

Recommended:
~$250: Carsoft, version 7.x & 8.x, CarsoftInternational (not earlier versions)
~$500: GT1, version DIS SSS?, BMW group tester 1
~$???: Progman, v?, seems to have superceded Easy-DIS

Not Recommended:
~$???: NCSExpert, version?, by from ?, not user friendly
~$450: INPA, version 2006?, buy from ?, not user friendly
~$???: Easy-DIS v44 only (later versions do not unset autolock), seems to have been superceded by Progman

Many questions remain, the most important of which are:
- How does this list look now, from your standpoint?
- Which of these programs are sold to the general public?
- Carsoft is confusing, as the earlier versions work differently than the newer versions, apparently - so did your caveat apply to version 6.x or the later versions?
 
#36 ·
Thanks bluebee for compiling this. A related question I have is: Are the interfaces compatible with each other. Meaning many on this forum have purchased the Carsoft 6.5 Rs-232 interface. Without having to go out and buy another interface, can you just install the GT1, Progman, NCS, INPA or Easy-DIS and access the features?

I'll research the question myself but thought I would throw that out there in case someone already has the answer while I search for it.
 
#37 ·
many on this forum have purchased the Carsoft 6.5 Rs-232 interface. Without having to go out and buy another interface, can you just install the GT1, Progman, NCS, INPA or Easy-DIS and access the features?
I belatedly saw this just now while researching answers for this thread today:
- Autounlock feature lookup table (Peake,Carsoft,Easy-DIS,GTI,INPA,EDIABAS)

I too have the Carsoft 6.5 serial-port interface cables (somewhere in my garage) and I would be interested in knowing the answer to your question also.

Does anyone know if the Carsoft compatible cables would also work with the EasyDIS, GTI, INPA, EDIABAS, NCS Expert, Progman, X431, etc.?
 
#43 ·
kind'a late info, but adding these two cents anyway.

i just noticed the other day that when i used my key to lock my trunk and turned it to the horizontal position, so that the inside button can't open the trunk anymore (anti-valet feature i guess), i now notice that the auto lock feature works as i drive off. at 5mph all the doors lock.

btw, i did also previously do the carsoft deal with the 20pin connector. no luck with that unless i used the key to open the door. with the remote, no auto lock.

but now with the trunk lock in the horizontal (-) position, instead of the vertical position i always had in in before (l), auto lock everytime, key or remote.
 
#44 ·
Yet another person (inexplicably to me) asks how to enable doorlocking today:

I have a e39 as well as my cousin his doors automatic lock when the car is in motion mine does not.When talking to someone I was told it has to be programed in by a shop . Is this true or is there a DIY way thanks
 
#46 · (Edited)
#47 · (Edited)
While I never will understand what the panic is all about with the automatic door locks (do we all have drug kingpins living next door to us?), this topic came up again today:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Can an e39 be programed to lock the doors when the car goes into drive?

I'd really like to have it lock the doors for me when I put it in drive. Does anyone know if that is possible with some simple programing?

Thanks in advance,
doc
EDIT: Attaching this nice graphic from QSilver7...
 

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#48 · (Edited)
Bluebee, it's my responsibility to see everyone in my car stays safe and I take that responsibility seriously. This includes my driving sober, and with talent. There are very dangerous people in this world. So far you haven't had to cross paths with any, and I hope it always stays that way for you. As for me, I know danger exists and better safe than sorry.

doc
 
#50 ·
Bluebee, it's my responsibility to see everyone in my car stays safe
Here's my response in the other thread ...
if you can press a button to unlock the car, then it won't kill you to press the lock button on the center console.
While I deplore the autolocking feature of my car, it matters not to me what other people do. I've heard a bunch of reasons for the autolocking, but, if any of them were really necessary, ALL cars would be similarly equipped:

  • Kids falling out of cars
  • Doors flying open in accidents
  • Hoodlums yanking open doors
It's too late to say oops when someone slips up from behind you at a light somewhere your passing through, and yanks open the door.
I think you're more likely trip on the sidewalk and fall into the street to get hit by a moving car than to have someone yank open your door at a streetlight and throw you out of the car; so, on the scheme of things to worry about, I'd put that one below getting attacked by a mountain lion. Sure, it happens. Yet I'll bet folks trip on the sidewalk seams and break bones more often.

The auto lock isn't about personal security. Its about motor vehicle accidents.
When I was on an EMS squad, we had to use the "jaws of life" to rip open doors. Sure, they came open easily, but they taught us that the rather beefy "pin" was designed to keep them shut in an accident.

I doubt a puny door lock makes much, if any, additional difference.

i would expect that if i would look through my other programming tools it would be found somewhere in there also
INPA can do it easily. So can the real Carsoft. I just haven't done it because I don't have the right cable.

What "I" hate about the autolock is (a) it's unnecessary, and, for me it (b) serves no useful purpose, and (c) it's a pain to have to reach into the car to open the trunk as I leave my keys in the car when I park it overnight and at friend's houses.
 
#51 · (Edited)
Of course you are statistically correct. However, having known several people who lived through a car ordeals, (my best friend had to be cut out of his car) and having lived in Chicago and Miami, having worked in the hospital and getting to meet some of the people who were on the wrong side of "statistics," I find I'd rather be safe than sorry. There are neighborhoods in both of those cities, if you drive into them by accident your going to be just real luck to drive out again, and I think you will find most cars do have some provision for "auto" locking doors. The simplest and most common being positioning the door lock actuator under where the average person's arm will rest. They end up locking the door without ever realizing they have done it.

As far as accidents go... Race cars have for what 50 years or more... had doors pinned shut by strict rule because they do tend to fly open in an accident and having ridden motorcycles for quite a long time I can assure you, it is not a good day when any body part comes in contact with any piece of pavement or stationary object while your vehicle is moving.

So for me it comes down to this, it's an easy thing to lock the door, and hopefully it will never matter if I have or have not, but I wear my seat belts and change my underwear, just in case... :))

doc
 
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