550 Door Locks Not Locking

Mine does the same thing all the time. Its the passenger rod locking mechanism. I have tried adjusting it countless times. Gave up. Gets better when its hot out, tends to work then. I just use they key when it won't unlock by fob, can't get locked out

 

Mine was slightly different, doors would lock, but then immediately unlock.
Mechanic fixed it without any parts, i think it was lubrication and adjustment.

 

Ferrari used a white grease at the factory that gets hard with age. Take the inner door trim panel off (there is a article here on Ferrarichat somewhere that explains and shows pictures of how to get it off) and take the pivot mechanism apart at the door latch and wash it with lacquer thinner and relube it with common wheel bearing grease. The factory lube gets so hard that looking at it you wouldn't think it comes apart. Did this to mine when the locks would click like they were working but would immediately unlock and now no more problems.

Chuck

 

Good to know this. Experiencing the same issue but I just figured it was a weak battery.

Add it to the list of things to do haha

 

I have rescently repaired this same issue on a 575 by disconnecting the lock adjustment rod from the handle, manually cycling the door lock actuator, and the using the adjustment in the rod to go back into the handle with out any tension. Has any one run into the issue of the actuators not functioning at all? I am currently beginning diag on a 550 with this symptom. Car already has 2 new lock actuators.

 

I have this problem. Drivers door is the problem but it means both will not unlock. It only happens when sitting in the cold (less than 5C) for an hour or more. Push the button, the tab in the passenger door pops up but then pops back down, drivers tab does not move. Same happens if I use the key. I took the pivot in the door apart, cleaned out the old sticky grease and assembled with new grease. The problem persists. I think the problem may be old sticky grease in the lock mechanism that the actuator is mounted to. A project for one day over the winter.

It’s an annoying problem because it means I’m locked out of the car in the cold. After cycling a number of times, it always seems to give up and open, but I worry that one day it won’t!

 

I also have the same problem. Is it neccesary to remove the complete door cover? A do-it-yourself story with pictures would probably help a lot of people.

 

Yes you need to remove the door panel, and it’s very easy to do. You can get to the swivel assuming through the armrest, but you can’t peel back the vapour barrier plastic with the door panel in place. I will try to take pictures when I try again to solve this problem.

 

Super! This will make life easier for a lot of people...

 

Ok, it's been a while, but over the winter I fixed my door lock problems and as requested, here are some photos showing how I remove the door panel and what I did to fix my issue.

1. Remove 2 screws under armrest, then slide armrest back and remove.
2. Undo plastic clips that retain the door rods to the door lock/latch mechanism, remove rods from mechanism.
3. Remove 3 screws under bottom of door panel and one screw at back of door panel hidden under rear of armrest (now removed).
4. Pry out the window switches and disconnect. Remove 4 small screws inside window switch holes.
5. Remove window switch section of door pull by pushing forward and up.
6. Remove 2 lower bolts behind window switch section (now removed).
7. Remove 3 plastic pug toe fasteners from end of inside window trim.
8. Now with everything undone, grab the bottom of the door panel and the door pull and force the door panel up. It should release and come away from the door.
9. Disconnect electrical connection to door handle, and door panel is fully released!
10. Install is reverse of removal, but note the 5 mounting points that must be engaged, this requires pressure against the door panel as you lower it back in place. Sometimes you catch some but not all of these resulting in a loose door panel. Also note at the top of the door panel are 3 metal clips. These must slide inside the door opening where the glass is to keep the top of the door panel tight against the glass.

Now some photos to help. At the end I'll explain how I fixed to door locks.

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more photos.
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As far as my door lock problem, mine would not unlock when the temperature dropped. So I tool apart the mechanism and removed all the old grease which had become very sticky and reassembled with fresh grease. Additionally, I replaced the helper spring which was no longer helping. The helper spring helps to unlock. This spring was the same in both doors, drooping. I didn't take many photos, sorry, only before and after, and one partially disassembled. You can see some previous mechanic tried to fix this problem by spraying lubricant at the mechanism, as evident all over the vapour barrier, it did not help. Now all cleaned up and new spring installed, the door lock works perfectly, even in the cold!
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Nice tutorial...thanks

 

Step 7 should read plastic plug type fasteners, not plastic pug toe fasteners!

 

Ryan, nicely done! After searching the archives in the past there are very few if any thorough instructions on this forum for removing the door card/panel. Your effort will be greatly appreciated. The WSM addresses this procedure but has a habit of leaving out information. Thanks for your effort.
Bill
FL

 

Bill said it all.

Thanks Ryan, really well done

 

thank you for the detailed photos - turns out the car I'm working on doesn't have the helper spring at all.

 

Hello Gents,
Newer Ferrari guy here, but not new to the world of automotive. 20yr Master Certified Chrysler Tech, Viper, Hellcat and Demon Specialist.
This has been a very interesting read, as I have come across many door latch issues that are usually a linkage issue. I happen to be helping a buddy of mine with his Maranello, but not really sure if it's linkage related or just an actuator condition. When the lock is actuated, it unlocks instantly, and also the passenger side glass drops, and then lifts back up. We had the glass lowering to clear the weather strips with Viper and Challenger because they're coupes, so the "SmartGlass" feature was quite similar.
Anyhow, I guess the main questions I have here are: A) If all other electrical connections are disconnected and the doors are closed and locked from the outside, would either of the actuators be at fault and cause the locks to unlock as fast as they were locked, and B) Would the helper springs be the cause of this AS WELL as linkage rod adjustments?
All fulcrum points have been degreased and lubricated with Lubriplate, so there is NO binding.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Leigh

 

Hi, Leigh. Welcome to the forum.

Is the passenger door attempting to lock? i.e. can you hear both (passenger and driver) door actuators?

Unfortunately, there are a number of causes for this issue, so it will be difficult to pinpoint:

One of the doors thinking it is still open (microswitch on door pillar hook).
One of the doors thinking it is not latched (microswitch in latch on door) Google the 456/550/575 forum for "BMW Part 61311392193".
One of the actuators hasn't moved to its full extension (as sensed by actuator internal microswitch)
Mechanical issues

Unfortunately, the only wiring diagram we have is a simplified one in the WSM (Workshop Manual). We have a relatively good diagram for the 456M, but I think there are differences between the 456M and 550, not all of which are shown on paper. I've added colours to the WSM basic diagram and tried to notate which switches are which, but I'm not 100% sure:

https://www.dropbox.com/t/CfifdnppcJ8VaGAY

Link expires in 6 days.

Sometimes these problems have to be solved by throwing the parts cannon at them.

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#2 is the actuator
#14 is the latch microswitch (BMW part)
#16 is the pillar hook (with hidden microswitch)
#18 is the door key barrel microswitches (3)
#19 is the exterior door handle microswitch (I believe)

There will also be a microswitch on the interior door handle.

Is the interior door light extinguishing?
Can you get the doors to lock with the key (rather than the fob)?
If you push hard against the door/s, will it lock with the fob or key?

Hope this helps.

 

Good Morning and thank you for the information. I tried a few things to attempt to narrow it down. With ALL electrical connectors, EXCEPT the main connector to the actuator, disconnected, I attempted to lock the door. Mind you, this is with the door panel removed so I could physically operate the mechanism. Drivers actuator unlocked on its own, unlocking the vehicle. I am presuming this is probably the defect (drivers actuator). I further attempted to prove the theory. I locked the vehicle with the remote, and as expected, the locks opened again. Just for S&G's, I tried locking the doors with the key. Drivers side, once locked, immediately opened the vehicle again (as expected). When I locked the vehicle with the key on the PASSENGER side with the key, the doors locked and stayed locked.

I could be wrong, but this has kind of led me to believe that the driver's side actuator is the prime suspect.

Thank you for your input on this. I'll definately post my findings as I get this resolved.

Cheers.

 

I'm kinda shocked at the price of the 550 doorlock actuators. The 355's actuators are half the price (unfortunately, not a match).

Interesting. I can't remember if this is normal or not. Was anything disconnected at this point?

 

Good Morning Ian,
As I remember, the only thing I had re-connected in the driver's door was just the actuator. I figured that if I eliminated all the other possibilities on that particular side, it would point to the only item connected. But, as I have had always been told regarding old Mopar's, for example "Can't say Never and Always", seem to hold true, especially seeing the low production numbers regarding many Ferrari vehicles.

This is definitely an interesting situation, but, I do enjoy the challenge

I haven't even been able to locate an actuator, or at least a NEW one; but yes, the are rather pricey!

Cheers Mate!