Expert: John Kingery - 1/1/2008

Question
hello. i bought a 1995 bmw 318i and it's absolutely great. there's just one problem. the previous owner recently replaced the battery on it and upon hooking it back up, i guess the central locking system permanently locked all of the doors except for the passenger side and the trunk. now i have to get in and out of the car through the passenger door. any idea on what's going on or what it might be?

Answer
I've seen locking problems on the e36's, but always the other way....NOT locking.

First thing is since it supposedly happened when the battery was replaced, disconnect the battery and see what happens. This will tell us if it's electrical or mechanical.

Two quick comments:  First, the 318's a fun car!  Take care of it and it will last you both emotionally and as a car a long time.  Second, never buy a car with a "simple" problem like this.  There's a reason the previous owner didn't get it fixed before he sold it.

Let me know what happens when you disconnect the battery.