Soft close doors pop open whilst driving

[Baunton]

@tcpip What software version do you have?

[Armen383]

Originally Posted by MattBianco

I don't want to add fuel to the fire, and sorry in advance for diverting the topic, but I can see the orange peel in your photo, and that is usually very difficult to photograph. That does not look right.

Hm, didn't know it's difficult to photograph, so kudos to the iPhone Anyhow, orange peel on BMWs is a legendary topic these days IMO. Also sorry for diverting the topic for a moment, but I still wonder if individual paint is the same "quality". Their promotional videos look so nice... do the results?

[hyde]

Originally Posted by Armen383

Hm, didn't know it's difficult to photograph, so kudos to the iPhone Anyhow, orange peel on BMWs is a legendary topic these days IMO. Also sorry for diverting the topic for a moment, but I still wonder if individual paint is the same "quality". Their promotional videos look so nice... do the results?

I think it's same quality just the color or metallic blend that you choose to get making it individual. Despite the fact that BMW paint is advertised as one of the hardest paints, I think it's soft as mush, so it get scratched and chipped extremely easily. While the paint itself might be hard, the clear coat is probably either too thin or made in a way that it goes super white when scratched. I can't tell what it is, but BMW paint job is not my favorite.

Back on subject, it happened to me yesterday.
It happened right after I started driving, down the driveway about 300 feet I get a warning rear door is open, , I haven't seen it ever since, but this is very annoying that thing that worked for years in other models has been messed with and now it is malfunctioning. The soft close doors in F15 is not even needed that much, if I knew how easy it was to close the F15 doors, I wouldn't have gotten it, because I rarely need it if ever. The doors close a lot more easily compared to before because it seems they don't require as much force to shut the doors. Doors are a lot heavier than before, this might be a problem with mechanism.

[tnikolov]

Just had my front passenger door pop open while driving 70mph on the highway with my son on the back. My car is built on Nov 8th 2014 and I've just had it for 14 days now. Also it only has like 400 miles on it.

Should I wait for it to happen again or should I immediately take it to dealer? This is ridiculous, part of the reason I pay the bmw premium is for safety of my child!

[opasha]

Originally Posted by tnikolov

Just had my front passenger door pop open while driving 70mph on the highway with my son on the back. My car is built on Nov 8th 2014 and I've just had it for 14 days now. Also it only has like 400 miles on it.

Should I wait for it to happen again or should I immediately take it to dealer? This is ridiculous, part of the reason I pay the bmw premium is for safety of my child!

Take it to your dealer and refer to sand99 's comment:

"Got to the bottom of this with my dealer.

So BMW has issued a service bulletin for the doors as gpitts mentioned. SIB 51-16-14. For this bulletin they replace the bowden cables (these are the cables used to close the doors and tailgate according to my service advisor) and clips.

The bulletin doesn't fix the problem however.

So my dealer had to open a PUMA case direct with BMW. BMW engineering took ~2 days to respond once the case was opened, and overnighted the parts to my dealer. In case anyone else on these forums runs into this issue, the PUMA case number is 60320058. They replace all 4 door actuators with the newer model.

Thanks to these forums, I clued my service advisor on to the actuators when I dropped the vehicle off, but they were obligated to try the SIB first. I actually got pretty good at repro'ing the issue so they were able to do the same to verify that the SIB fix didn't work.

In case anyone else runs into this, just reference the PUMA number above when speaking with your service advisor. Hopefully BMW will just issue a new service bulletin for this issue, as SIB 51-16-14 doesn't fix the problem.

While my X5 was in the shop, I also had the HUD fixed (SIB 62-03-14), the drive assembly for the bolsters in the driver's seat replaced (the bolster would buzz every time you used it), and the drive unit for the power tailgate replaced (it would also buzz in use). I was going to wait for the first service to get these items fixed as they're all pretty minor, but figured I'd get them addressed while it was in the shop. Our X5 is back home and running good again!"

It is an actuator problem.

[hyde]

Originally Posted by tnikolov

Just had my front passenger door pop open while driving 70mph on the highway with my son on the back. My car is built on Nov 8th 2014 and I've just had it for 14 days now. Also it only has like 400 miles on it.

Should I wait for it to happen again or should I immediately take it to dealer? This is ridiculous, part of the reason I pay the bmw premium is for safety of my child!

Was passenger door opened and closed prior to driving off? How long between taking off and door opening? Just trying to make a connection between doors popping and not being closed properly. Another theory is that the soft close did not have time to properly close the doors by the time alarm/lock was engaged (last time vehicle was parked), so next time we started driving it just lets loose at a random point where it no longer can hold the door shut.

[tnikolov]

Originally Posted by hyde

Was passenger door opened and closed prior to driving off? How long between taking off and door opening? Just trying to make a connection between doors popping and not being closed properly. Another theory is that the soft close did not have time to properly close the doors by the time alarm/lock was engaged (last time vehicle was parked), so next time we started driving it just lets loose at a random point where it no longer can hold the door shut.

The door was opened and closed with softclose around 20 minutes before that happened. I opened it to adjust the front seat so that my son does not kick its back. I drove away like 15 minutes after that and the door popped open just after I hit the highway some 5 minutes after that.

I know I didn't slam it and sofclose close it as it was in my garage and there is no space to slam the door there.

[Ashot12]

I came across a lemon x5, the reason for the buyback was the door opening by itself.

[tnikolov]

Originally Posted by opasha

Take it to your dealer and refer to sand99 's comment:

"Got to the bottom of this with my dealer.

So BMW has issued a service bulletin for the doors as gpitts mentioned. SIB 51-16-14. For this bulletin they replace the bowden cables (these are the cables used to close the doors and tailgate according to my service advisor) and clips.

The bulletin doesn't fix the problem however.

So my dealer had to open a PUMA case direct with BMW. BMW engineering took ~2 days to respond once the case was opened, and overnighted the parts to my dealer. In case anyone else on these forums runs into this issue, the PUMA case number is 60320058. They replace all 4 door actuators with the newer model.

Thanks to these forums, I clued my service advisor on to the actuators when I dropped the vehicle off, but they were obligated to try the SIB first. I actually got pretty good at repro'ing the issue so they were able to do the same to verify that the SIB fix didn't work.

In case anyone else runs into this, just reference the PUMA number above when speaking with your service advisor. Hopefully BMW will just issue a new service bulletin for this issue, as SIB 51-16-14 doesn't fix the problem.

While my X5 was in the shop, I also had the HUD fixed (SIB 62-03-14), the drive assembly for the bolsters in the driver's seat replaced (the bolster would buzz every time you used it), and the drive unit for the power tailgate replaced (it would also buzz in use). I was going to wait for the first service to get these items fixed as they're all pretty minor, but figured I'd get them addressed while it was in the shop. Our X5 is back home and running good again!"

It is an actuator problem.

Okay, called my dealer and told him about the door and the SIB. They knew about it. Tomorrow I have an hour booked and will be going there so that the dealer can order the new actuator(s). They will be changing them hopefully next week.

Thanks again everybody! This forum has been irreplaceable.

[opasha]

Originally Posted by tnikolov

Okay, called my dealer and told him about the door and the SIB. They knew about it. Tomorrow I have an hour booked and will be going there so that the dealer can order the new actuator(s). They will be changing them hopefully next week.

Thanks again everybody! This forum has been irreplaceable.

Good stuff .

[hyde]

Originally Posted by tnikolov

The door was opened and closed with softclose around 20 minutes before that happened. I opened it to adjust the front seat so that my son does not kick its back. I drove away like 15 minutes after that and the door popped open just after I hit the highway some 5 minutes after that.

I know I didn't slam it and sofclose close it as it was in my garage and there is no space to slam the door there.

OK, then my theory is invalid.

Originally Posted by Ashot12

I came across a lemon x5, the reason for the buyback was the door opening by itself.

That's it? Just the door? Seems extreme, unless the door actually opened wide and someone fell out of the vehicle..

[sand99]

The issue is definitely caused by the old actuators used by the soft close doors. I was able to very easily repro it for my dealer every time when I dropped my X5 off back in Nov. On our X5 it only took about 5 minutes for the doors to pop open. It happened once with my son in the backseat also.

The workaround until you get the new actuators is simply to shut the door forcefully so the soft close doors don't have to activate.

I wouldn't be surprised if this eventually gets recalled. Hopefully BMW will at least update the bulletin so they don't waste time with the original bowden cable fix which doesn't work.

[hyde]

Originally Posted by sand99

The issue is definitely caused by the old actuators used by the soft close doors. I was able to very easily repro it for my dealer every time when I dropped my X5 off back in Nov. On our X5 it only took about 5 minutes for the doors to pop open. It happened once with my son in the backseat also.

The workaround until you get the new actuators is simply to shut the door forcefully so the soft close doors don't have to activate.

I wouldn't be surprised if this eventually gets recalled. Hopefully BMW will at least update the bulletin so they don't waste time with the original bowden cable fix which doesn't work.

I don't think it's that common, or at least not in the beginning. I use the soft close on a daily basis, the doors are heavier than they are and easier to close compared to E70 which had a completely different and faster pull mechanism, so I may not be actually taking advantage of the soft close as much as I think I do, but I will make the extra effort to very softly close the doors to ensure every time they are activated and see if I can replicate it.

[Bibendum]

I had to take mine back in because the original fix several months ago (simultaneous with the original recall) didn't fix the issue.

My dealer is taking it very seriously and I am pleased about that. They have reroute do the cables per the SIB and now we are just waiting for the new latches to arrive from BMW, which were supposed to be here today, but haven't arrived yet.

Will keep forum posted.

[gpitts]

Originally Posted by sand99

Got to the bottom of this with my dealer.

So BMW has issued a service bulletin for the doors as gpitts mentioned. SIB 51-16-14. For this bulletin they replace the bowden cables (these are the cables used to close the doors and tailgate according to my service advisor) and clips.

The bulletin doesn't fix the problem however.

So my dealer had to open a PUMA case direct with BMW. BMW engineering took ~2 days to respond once the case was opened, and overnighted the parts to my dealer. In case anyone else on these forums runs into this issue, the PUMA case number is 60320058. They replace all 4 door actuators with the newer model.

Thanks to these forums, I clued my service advisor on to the actuators when I dropped the vehicle off, but they were obligated to try the SIB first. I actually got pretty good at repro'ing the issue so they were able to do the same to verify that the SIB fix didn't work.

In case anyone else runs into this, just reference the PUMA number above when speaking with your service advisor. Hopefully BMW will just issue a new service bulletin for this issue, as SIB 51-16-14 doesn't fix the problem.

While my X5 was in the shop, I also had the HUD fixed (SIB 62-03-14), the drive assembly for the bolsters in the driver's seat replaced (the bolster would buzz every time you used it), and the drive unit for the power tailgate replaced (it would also buzz in use). I was going to wait for the first service to get these items fixed as they're all pretty minor, but figured I'd get them addressed while it was in the shop. Our X5 is back home and running good again!

Thanks for the update! You mentioned that you'd gotten good at reproducing the issue. What was the process or procedure you found that best helped reproduce it? That information could be helpful to others with the same issue.

[sand99]

Originally Posted by gpitts

Thanks for the update! You mentioned that you'd gotten good at reproducing the issue. What was the process or procedure you found that best helped reproduce it? That information could be helpful to others with the same issue.

In hindsight I should've made a youtube video the morning I took it into the dealer. Was able to get it to repro within 5 minutes of just sitting in the driveway, and also again for my service advisor when I dropped it off. Basically just close the affected door(s) extremely softly. When closing the door don't use any force, just let go and let the soft close do the rest. You don't even have to drive anywhere, just sit there with the engine running and the soft close will pop the door open where it gets stopped by the catch.

My service advisor said he'd never seen a door open on its own like that before. Normally they just won't close.

I don't even know what caused the issue to surface. We'd driven our X5 for 5 months without issue. This suddenly occurred over thanksgiving weekend. Could be it was there all along and we just hadn't used the soft close doors enough, or maybe something happened to the original actuators that caused them to fail. I just don't know.

[Bibendum]

Mine is fixed and released. Hopefully for good. Will keep the forum posted.

[Wobbles]

Damn it. Just happened to me!! And just when I thought the coast was clear... sigh.

[gpitts]

Originally Posted by Wobbles

Damn it. Just happened to me!! And just when I thought the coast was clear... sigh.

While it sucks to have a problem, the good news is the you are traveling ground that many have before you, so you benefit from those learnings and experience.

Many thanks to tcpip for initiating this thread and ultimately conveying the solution!

[Bibendum]

This time when I took it in, they did some real work and I am optimistic the problem is fixed.

There is a SIB they follow, usually involves replacing the Bowden cables on all 4 doors. They then have to contact BMW as part of the SIB and BMW will send them new latches.

The soft close operation is then totally different in my view. The old way had more of a one step operation. After the work, the soft close first "captures" the door and then a second step closes it.

Btw, be prepared to be without your car for a few days during the fix. It is not simple or quick, particularly as it takes a day or two to get the latches from BMW.

Good luck!

[Wobbles]

Thanks guys. I'm hoping that the stealership won't be passing the buck on this one. Remembering that consumer protection laws are in their infancy here in Singapore, I very much have to make sure I bang a few tables to ensure that my safety - and that of my family - will not be compromised. I'm referencing them this thread, indeed, I'm grateful that there are consumers that have taken this up with BMW & received the appropriate resolution - and that they've taken the time and energy to share with the rest of us, their experience and outcome.

I'll keep all of you posted! Thanks again!

[tnikolov]

Originally Posted by Wobbles

Thanks guys. I'm hoping that the stealership won't be passing the buck on this one. Remembering that consumer protection laws are in their infancy here in Singapore, I very much have to make sure I bang a few tables to ensure that my safety - and that of my family - will not be compromised. I'm referencing them this thread, indeed, I'm grateful that there are consumers that have taken this up with BMW & received the appropriate resolution - and that they've taken the time and energy to share with the rest of us, their experience and outcome.

I'll keep all of you posted! Thanks again!

It is so misfortunate that it happened to you as well mate. I feel you on the safety side, as when it happened to me my son was on the back seat! Different doors have opened a few times ever since, and I've had to re-learn to close them with force again, like I used to on my old cars.

Thankfully the dealer reacted immediately and ordered the parts immediately. Today dealer called me and said only 3 actuators arrived. They ordered once more the 4th one and am expecting a change early next week.

Wish you luck!