This morning I picked up my wife and the Passenger Door was unlocked but it wouldn't open. She pulled from the outside while I pushed from inside and still nothing. Its pretty cold up in North Dakota so I was wondering if some ?cables? might be frozen so it doesn't completely unlock. I tried using the remote lock and unlock and the **** goes up and down perfectly fine. Trust me its not the door jam thats iced up I would've heard cracking or something but I got nothin. Please help

 

Sorry to hear this. How far are u from your nearest dealer?

 

About 8 hours in Minneapolis

 

This may sound pretty weird but as I was starting to put the car in the garage with some heating elements I tried one last time to push from the inside to see if the door would budge, I happened to glance up at the top of the window. I noticed it was slightly rolled down, I knew the windows would shoot up after the door was closed so this seemed pretty odd. I started the car rolled the window up the last 1/2 inch or so killed the motor then pushed on the door. IT OPENED RIGHT UP. How does the window make the door just not open? Its been fine ever since.

 

The problem is that the outer door handle is frozen internally. The button will push in and spring back ok but the door will not open right? What you have to do is warm the handle. No amount of heating the inside of the car will help. Take your bare hand and wrap it around the door handle and in about 30 - 60 seconds the door will open. Believe me this WORKS. This happens especially if you wash the car in freezing temps. But if you can open the window and warm the outer handle you can get out of the car this way. Also letting the sun warm the handle will work but may take 15 minutes. Chances are that your handle just warmed up naturally. I have tested my theory at -22 F.

 

Orvillespooner. You make a good argument.
We had some freezing rain two nights ago and when I went to get into my car the next morning, I couldn't open the door. The doors unlocked fine and the button on the handle pushed in without a problem. But, the door wouldn't budge. It was as if the latch would not release. Same problem when I tried to open the door from the inside. (I had to get in from the passenger side.)
After driving to work, the temp outside gradually warmed and when I went to go out for lunch, everything was fine.

 

You describe the symptoms exactly. There is SOMETHING in that door handle, a pin or cog and it will stick when wet and frozen. If this happens and you try warming the handle you may heard an audible "click" when that thing releases. Then you can open the door. No amount of pushing the button will fix it. It acts just like the doors are locked with the lock button. In fact it must be part of the lock mechanism for it to behave in that fashon. Also Wal-Mart has a heater that plug into cigar lighter. It will unfreeze the window so you can lower it and then it will unfreeze the door handle. It is great in a pinch when you find yourself trapped. It's $14.99. I was stuck in MINI at a MacDonalds and I could get the window down, but not open doors. I did not want to crawl out window in public. That's when I discovered the answer. I carry that heater with me now.

 

I am glad to find this thread on frozen locks! After my weekly physical therapy session for my bad back, I found that I could not open either driver or passenger door of my beloved 04 MCS. Just as everyone says: the doors acted like they were locked and no amount of pulling would help. I ended up climbing in through the hatch and with great difficult finally getting into the driver's seat after pulling the hatch closed (but not latching it so I could get out). Drove home, climbed out the hatch after finding the emergency release since the hatch had in fact latched. I am going to try the tip of warming up the handles. All of this was the result of driving in a blizzard the day before. Climbing into the drivers seat via the hatch is not good physical therapy for a bad back https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...te=1&p=271872#

 

This is a bit unnerving as my '03 does not HAVE an emergency hatch release.

 

I was not completely sure that mine did until I actually found it. I did not slam the hatch assuming I could open it from the inside if it was not completely closed, but that would not have been easy without the emergency release. I was about to call my wife with the cell to come an rescue me, but found the release.

 

BMW really seems to be rolling the dice that no one is going to be trapped in their car who either doesn't have the emergency hatch release (i.e, most people with '03s) or doesn't physically have the ability to climb into the back seat and out the hatch. It doesn't take too huge a stretch of the imagination to come up with a scenario where someone could die (how about running out of gas away from civilization, after driving in freezing rain for a while?). Seems like a no-brainer recall to me, but maybe that's why I don't run a car company.

 

Yeah, I find it wierd that they would have the impetus to create something called an "emergency" hatch release, and then not put it in the early cars. I understand that it's part of the new latch, and if I were to somehow... er.. break my hatch latch, I would get an emergency release with my new latch. But yeah, you would think that either the door handles or the emergency release would be a recall. One or the other.

From what I understand, event he earliest manuals list the emergency relaese as being there, and there is a spot under my back seats where it would be mounted.

 

I guess this would be a good day to see if I actually have the release and find out exactly where it is, in case of an emergency.

 

I had a similiar problem with my fuel door. There is a pin that locks the fuel door when the car is locked and it releases when you open the doors. On a rainy day with a sudden temperature drop, I needed gas badly but couldn't open the fuel door (frozen pin). Went into panic mode and my mechanic got it open. I sprayed it down with lube to try to keep the moisture away for the future. Sounds like freezing parts are sort of common with the Mini's.

 

I've heard rumor of an emergency release for the fuel door inside the drivers side cubby in the boot, but I haven't looked for it yet.

 

Thanks to orvillespooner for the tip to thaw out the door locks by holding the handle with bare hands for a few minutes. I tried this, and worked as advertised! The folks at my nearest MINI dealer don't know this: they should!

 

I h I have the same problem, its not a broken handle or cable or anything, there isnt enough lube in the handle so it doesnt slide, if u take ur bottom of ur hand and if the handle gets stuck, hit it kinda hard itll pop back out and the door will open, they have upgraded door handles for the MCS see ur local dealer..

 

Gotta love NAM.... My door has been doing this -- all day long I had to crawl over the seats to get in and out of my car.

I followed orvillespooner's instructions and -- voila! -- I can get into my car!

 

Count another satisfied customer! Great advice orvillespooner

 

Thanks for the tip I will remember this..... since we usually get freezing rain and big tempature swings in MO at this time of year.

 

Hey guys,

I live in NJ & have had this problem with my '04 MCS both this winter & the winter of 2005. Service techs continue refusing to address the issue, dismissing it as a normal reaction to the "inclement weather we're having." (Funny, I don't see any other vehicles in the same weather having this problem)

I found out today that this is a known issue with Minis manufactured before April 2004. The solution is to replace the original door handles with improved ones that prevent this issue from occurring. Part numbers are 51 21 7 147 503 (Left Outer Door Handle) and 51 21 7 147 504 (Right Outer Door Handle).

I called my service center and requested my handles be replaced with the above part numbers. The document can be found here (pdf):

http://motoringfile.com/files/freeze_out_fix.pdf

Good Luck!

 

Thanks, had this happening to me about a year ago.

 

Mine locks up on a regular basis. A hair dryer on the handle for a few minutes tends to get the cable back to where it should be.

 

Our 2003 MC has a BOOT Release. It is Under the Rear Seat. Have not had to use it yet but it is nice to know it is there. It also has the Lever to open the Gas Filler in case it won,t open by unlocking the Doors. Have not had to use this either yet. Both nice Features available if needed.

 

Whats your 03's build date?