Doorlatch freezing...

[Greco]

First of all I would like to say hello to everyone on this board. I never get tired of reading the stories, and especially looking at the pics. I am the proud owner of a 1998 540i/6 SPP Montreal Blue/Tan. I love this car and can only imagine how much more the M5 is.

I have a question about the E39 in general and as there is much more activity in this section than in the E39 5 series board I was wondering if any M5 owners have experienced the same issues.

Apart from the obvious engine/transimission and other visual differences between the 540 and the M5 they are both E39's and share alot of the same components.

During extreme cold temperatures I have experienced temporary doorlatch/lock mechanism failures only to have them restored when the vehicle warms up either in the sun or in a garage. My dealer replied to me by stating that this is a huge problem with the X5's and he has only started hearing about it on the E39's. He recommended I go in and have a technician take about an hour to apply a non waterbased grease to the latches/locks and related mechanisms to avoid probable humidity/ice formation.

Has anyone else suffered similar lock mechanism failures due to extreme cold temperatures?

Thank you guys...

[rennen]

Happens on my X5 all the time. Let it run for a little and it's fine. A big hassel though.

[BostonRocket]

Seems pretty normal to me. I have had 3 E39s now, and all of them have slooooooow and/or malfunctioning electricals in the cold. On extremely cold days, the door locks barely function, the door handles freeze, and the windows move up and down at a fraction of the speed. It all gets cleared up once hte temperature rises.

'Rocket

[schnelleM5]

I guess I've been fortunate so far with the 540. No problems electrical or otherwise in sub-zero conditions. You should definitely pursue a fix to this problem with your dealership. I hope I didn't just jinx myself by this post