Thanks for posting this video, Brian. It was priceless as a guide. I just finished replacing the actuator on my 2004 Cooper, thought I should share some lessons learned. 1) It is IMPOSSIBLE to simply remove the actuator once everything is disconnected. There is interference between the actuator and the black window guide (not enough room between the window guide and the outer door skin). You need to remove two bolts holding the guide in place, one underneath the door and the other at the top of the guide (accessible by removing a circular rubber plug). Make sure to mark the location of the bottom bolt in the slot so you can return it to the same location afterwards. Once the window guide is unbolted, shove it inboard at the bottom (no need to remove the plastic footing at the bottom). 2) There is an electrical connection at the bottom of the actuator, it is difficult to remove in place. So, you can remove the electrical cable guides first and get some slack in the wiring so that the actuator can be removed with the electrical cable still attached. 3) My new actuator needed to have some small parts transferred over from the old actuator. Make sure all the parts are there before reinstalling the new actuator. 4) The weird little rod hanging from the handle lock has to be installed in its receptacle on the actuator as you work the new actuator into place. It's a little tricky, it took me several tries to get the rod to pop into place as I pushed the actuator up into place. Test it before you button things up to make sure its where it should be - work the key lock from the outside. 5) The three bolts holding the actuator into place are made of soft steel, I rounded out one of the T25 holes when removing it. (I used a Dremel to cut a slot into the bolt head and used a flat screwdriver to remove it). 6) Don't forget the fourth bold holding the door panel on as mentioned by others. It's behind the door panel reflector. 7) If you want to test everything before reinstalling the door panel make sure you put the actuator in the "door closed" position before trying the electric locks. The door will not lock if it thinks its open. Use a Phillips screwdriver to push the door latch into the closed position. (This may seem obvious, but after all the fuss it was disheartening to try the lock and...nothing. But then I realized the door actuator comes in the door open position). All in all, about 2 hours of work with the learning curve. Could do it again in about 45 minutes I think. Thanks again! Mark
Incorrect. He is right that you only need to undo the bottom track screw and remove it just as he shows. It takes a bit of pressure but it will pop out. For some reason, it slides back in the same way but it takes less pressure to get it back past the track.
Hey bud! Just wanted to say a huge thank you as I couldn't have done this without watching this video! I changed mine out today for a second hand actuator for £25 and was quoted by a local mechanic £75 to fit it. You have saved me £75 today mate! Great video!!!
Thanks for the video! I was feeling a little daunted but it took me less than an hour in the end. Nothing difficult, just fiddly - an ideal job for a gynaecologist! Cheers! On our 2004 Cooper the passenger door was not unlocking with the remote but had to be opened/unlocked with the interior handle. Once open it was fine and locked again properly as expected. Now it is A1 - cost almost £100 for the latch/actuator though!
Thanks, helped a lot as you mostly work blind inside the door. Hardest part was getting the mechanism out of the door - its a tight squeeze and maybe only one way it fits past the window guide. I didn't need to pull the interior handle cable all the way through, just enough to swap the mechanisms over.
Great vid, just changed the actuator on my wife's Cooper S this afternoon and watching this beforehand helped me get the door apart and everything back together without any breakages ! Took only 45 mins too. 40 quid for a second hand actuator and that was the total cost I dread to think how muc
Thank you for the breakdown on the door latch assembly. I work in a body shop and sometimes it's hard to find good instructions on how to remove certain items. Mine came in with no cables or lock rod. Door wouldn't open. Cute little note. Please fix it. Lol. Again thank you for your knowledge on this particular pain.
Brian, Thank you for posting this video, you saved the day. The photos of the mechanisms holding the cables and rods in place is exactly what I needed. I did not have to take the door lock out because your video showed what came loose on the inside door release at the door lock area. If I hadn't of found your video, I would have to have taken off the other door panel to see what was going on. You saved me a lot of time. Kudos to you for posting. Thumbs up!!! Safe travels.
my cooper s has always had a problem with passenger door since i bought it second hand 3 yrs ago, got stuck whilst doing it , came on here and saw your video, went back with new knowledge (thanks) and its working like a new lock should do , thanks for your video , cheers from australia
I just have to tell you the way you explain things, even sleep deprived, is so easy to understand that even a girl can follow your video and fix the lock on her Mini Cooper. So thank you, thank you, thank you and just know you are my go to guy for any videos I need to watch in the future. Ur a stud!!!!
Great very helpful video thanks for sharing , just did mine in just over an hour bit fiddly getting the cable for the door handle back on but done ! used the door panel lever kit £5 ,paid £60 for a new unboxed actuator 12 months warranty , saved a small fortune .
Drivers door problems opening from inside ,ordered new door lock and fitted following video step by step no problems, excellent video (remember to fit cable to lock before fitting i forgot!!) Many thanks
Bri you are an amazing teacher. Very thorough, easily understood and you help us wanna bees to "believe we can". Take good care of your better half and the world will be a better place. Might I suggest that with each video you give a brief history as to why the work you are about to show is being done. Cheers. Gerry
Great video, thank's a bunch. You saved me hundreds by doing it myself rather than taking it to the local mini repair shop. It took quite a few hours but well worth the effort.
@slkraly Did you put in a new latch module or a used one? If it's not working only on that door either the wiring is bad at the door hinge or the latch module is bad.
Thank you so much for this video. I was able to replace my lock actuator with relative ease. It is people like you who make do-it-yourself jobs on modern cars seem much less daunting. Happy motoring!
Thanks man. Priceless. I was able to do it by brail thanks to your video. I was afraid to unbolt the top bolt on the window regulator because i thought it was holding the glass in place.
Thank you for posting this video,you're very generous to share this information.You know what makes me mad,really mad?First because i have to fix one of these this afternoon under a 35 c heat .Second:Mini is a very expensive car and not only for the parts and the problems with the door lock are frequent and you know why?Part of the body of the lock are made of plastic,can you believe?They know that sooner or later you gonna pay and pay and pay...Is better you take a nap you seem tired.Thanks again...
Thank you for taking the time...and I know it was a lot of time to put this video together. I have been trying to fix the door on my wife's Mini...the video was a huge help! I did subscribe and will let others know of your great videos. Thanks!
super clear guide on what do do, exactly as he describe : took me 30 minutes follow the video..im glad to have my keyfob working the way it should be..thanks again bro!
IMPORTANT TIP: When reassembling, the cable for the interior latch, which comes back through the door's rubber grommet, and runs along the interior of the door to the interior handle... look through the hole for the grommet of the manual door lock. You will see the cable and the window rolling mechanism. If you notice, the cable will be in the way of the window if it rolls down. in between that hole, and the hole the cable comes out of the door into the interior, there is a plastic clip on the inside of the door. If you fail to clip the cable into that clip, the window will catch on that cable and mess up the unit OR pull it loose from the door latch mechanism, requiring you to pull the unit again to reattach that sucker.... NOT fun. My clip was broken and that was the cause of my cable coming loose in the first place. After reinstalling this sucker a few times, i finally noticed that broken broken clip inside the door. I didn't want to wait for a new clip so I simply used a little baling wire to secure it in place and that worked beautifully. I WISH I had known about that little clip from the beginning as it would have saved me much grief.
I really appreciated your video! I'm a new Mini owner (I'm new to Mini, but my Mini is an 05 JCW) and I've been wrestling with this latch for awhile. With your tips, I was able to get the window guide moved, and get everything disconnected. Thanks! Silly question, but any tips on getting it reassembled? I removed the outside handle cable while the mechanism was in the door, and I've not yet figured out how to reconnect it given that it's short and feels like it needs to happen inside the door.
There's actually another fastener under the little reflector in the upper right of the part where you're pointing out the torx screws. fyi. This is a great video and I posted it on the northamericanmotoring forum.
Hi Brian. My neighbor has this vehicle. Last week he had trouble getting the boots off his spark plugs, and on #1 and #4 plug there was a washer like obstruction sitting on the plug at the bottom of the plug tube. I presume a bit of the boot was left behind when it was removed. I tried for a few minutes to lift it off with no success, using a magnet, long needle nose pliers, and a coat hanger. Have you ever had that happen?
I just did all this and got almost all the way finished. How do you put the piece from the lock cylinder back? I totally forgot about it and have everything put back together :(
My exterior door handles (the part you squeeze) is stuck in the in position. Does your video cover that problem, I watched it, I am not sure if it was for my problem.
Could use your help - we have a 2005 and the door will not open after we unlock it - we have to use the key and sometimes we cannot get out - we have to pull the latch 2-3 times. But your video is great! Thank you.
Can't unlock from the outside? Might need a new rotary latch lock. Or one of the mounting brackets. Can't unlock from the inside? Probably the bowden cable or the inner door handle. I could not open my door from the inside. A friend of mine, who works at BMW said, it is a very common problem. He advised me to replace the bowden cable first. If it is not fixed after replacing it, I need a new inner door handle. Cable is around 6€, inner door handle depends on trim like matt or chrome and/or if your mini has the light package, between 30-60€. The most expensive one is the latch lock, which costs about 84€.
Excellent Video. Do you know how to fix the central locking problem with the Cooper S 03? The doors all lock with the key but won't unlock.... you can hear the door attempt to unlock when you press the key fob button, but it doesn't actually unlock!
My mini locks using the central locking but will not unlock. It make the sound of the car unlocking, hazards don't flash when opening. would replacing this you are doing fix my problem?
good exmplanations thanks for sharing, are the door latches the same in all versions? I have Mini One I 2004 90km, not sure whether I can buy the one for r56 or cooper, thank you for help
excellent video briansmobile... I'm going to get a quote from the dealer to see how much they gonna screw me for...If its more the $100 I will proceed to do it myself.... thanks again for the excellent demo....
hello Brian, wonder if you could advise, we have an issue where the door will not unlock and we cannot open the door. have managed to grab the lock button on top of the door with a longnose pliers and pull it up but the door will still not unlock
Did you ever resolve this? I'm having the same issue. Replaced actuator, everything went fine, door opened and closed great until I locked it with the auto lock. Now the indicator will move up and down as if it is unlocking but I can't open the door.
Hiya I know this is an old video but I have a mini r50 and the drivers door doesn't open or close using the fob I've changed the LOCK CATCH ACTUATOR SOLENOID and it's still not working the passager side locks and unlocks fine do you know what the problem could be ???
I used your video to connect a new cable from interior door handle to actuator (inside door) and when I put it all back together, I locked the door and it stayed locked even though the manual lock ("rod that is at the top of the window seal") goes up and down. Before I locked the door, the newly installed cable was opening the door from the interior so I had success there! I was so concerned with hooking up the rod and the cables (interface from exterior and cable for interior handle) that I did not bother to see if the interface for the key lock mechanism was operational and was wondering if you think that is it. Anyway, my brain is fried and I have to see a locksmith with a slim jim before I can tear it open again right? Thanks if you can comment here and if you were wondering, I am a savvy mom and this is my kid's 2005 Cooper S I am trying to get operational. Kudos and thanks for such a great vid.
Great video but I have had my door panels off several times and you should somehow add to your video that there is ONE more screw on the door panel. Its behind the little reflector in the upper corner.
You forget to point out the torx screw locate behind the door reflector, just below the lock. As i watched this video and then proceeded to break the mounting oint for that screw behind the reflector.
I have the a similar issue. Locks will not work with the key fob or toggle switch. The lights will flash when I hit the key fob and the locks will work manually. Brought it to a shop and they changed both actuators but it still doesn't work. Any help will be greatly appreciated
@briansmobile1 hi brian im a new viewer so far i watched your alignment on your truck and tune up for a 99 f150 i have a question.with my truck 1999 5.4l 4x4 when i put my truck in 4L i feel it kick into gear but my no power goes torwards my front tires,how do i fix this? thanks btw you're really smart with what you're doing
That helps a LOT. These freakin bowden cables for the inner door opener always break! Now I need to order a new pair from the dealer because ebay only sells used ones. Guess why? They're already broken...
I'm having the same problem with my 03 any chance you get it fix and what was the cause of it? I'm thinking there is something wrong with the electronic relay because i checked the fuses.
I currently own an ‘04 cooper, doors lock with key fob. But won’t unlock unless the key is turned in the door handle or the inside handles are pulled twice. Will this job fix this?
When I pull on my door handle the car unlocks the pin pops up. I want to pull it the second time to open the door. It doesn’t want to open the door is that the mechanism because there’s only one cable I believe and when you pull on it it does pop-up the unlock.
I have a 2004 R50. My key will no longer lock/unlock manually from the outside of my mini. The remote has never worked and the dealer wants $500+ to reprogram because I do not have the key code. We've been using the manual lock/unlock for four years. About a year ago, I replaced the actuators because the toggle switches inside were not locking/unlocking the doors. They are still working fine. The door handle works and I can get in and out of the car. I just have no way to lock it. Right before it quit working, I did notice that the key turned slightly more than normal to unlock the car. The door used to lock at about the 10 o'clock position and unlock at approximately the 2 o'clock position ( I may have the unlock/lock reversed but the positions are correct) Now, the key moves freely from about the 2 o'clock position to the 9 o'clock position and will not lock or unlock. In addition, I did pull the panel and check the rod that goes from the pop-up lock at the top the panel and connects into the green spinning mechanism on the actuator. It is in place where it should be. Thankfully, it broke in the unlocked position but I don't like leaving my car unlocked everywhere. Any suggestions?
I got lucky in a way. My window regulator went at the same time so I took it out first and it was much easier. It wasn't lucky I had to pay for it. It did make the job better. Window alignment was a pain.
Hi Brian, I have a problem with opening the door from inside of my Mini Cooper 2004. From the outside opens normally. Everything worked regularly until yesterday. The lock is activated 95% electronically. What is the problem and how it can be solved? Thank you in advance, Best Regards!
Thanks for posting this video, Brian. It was priceless as a guide. I just finished replacing the actuator on my 2004 Cooper, thought I should share some lessons learned.
1) It is IMPOSSIBLE to simply remove the actuator once everything is disconnected. There is interference between the actuator and the black window guide (not enough room between the window guide and the outer door skin). You need to remove two bolts holding the guide in place, one underneath the door and the other at the top of the guide (accessible by removing a circular rubber plug). Make sure to mark the location of the bottom bolt in the slot so you can return it to the same location afterwards. Once the window guide is unbolted, shove it inboard at the bottom (no need to remove the plastic footing at the bottom).
2) There is an electrical connection at the bottom of the actuator, it is difficult to remove in place. So, you can remove the electrical cable guides first and get some slack in the wiring so that the actuator can be removed with the electrical cable still attached.
3) My new actuator needed to have some small parts transferred over from the old actuator. Make sure all the parts are there before reinstalling the new actuator.
4) The weird little rod hanging from the handle lock has to be installed in its receptacle on the actuator as you work the new actuator into place. It's a little tricky, it took me several tries to get the rod to pop into place as I pushed the actuator up into place. Test it before you button things up to make sure its where it should be - work the key lock from the outside.
5) The three bolts holding the actuator into place are made of soft steel, I rounded out one of the T25 holes when removing it. (I used a Dremel to cut a slot into the bolt head and used a flat screwdriver to remove it).
6) Don't forget the fourth bold holding the door panel on as mentioned by others. It's behind the door panel reflector.
7) If you want to test everything before reinstalling the door panel make sure you put the actuator in the "door closed" position before trying the electric locks. The door will not lock if it thinks its open. Use a Phillips screwdriver to push the door latch into the closed position. (This may seem obvious, but after all the fuss it was disheartening to try the lock and...nothing. But then I realized the door actuator comes in the door open position).
All in all, about 2 hours of work with the learning curve. Could do it again in about 45 minutes I think.
Thanks again! Mark
How do you tell that the actuator is in the closed position?
Incorrect. He is right that you only need to undo the bottom track screw and remove it just as he shows. It takes a bit of pressure but it will pop out. For some reason, it slides back in the same way but it takes less pressure to get it back past the track.
@@nicholasdepatto4920 look at 4;53 he uses a screwdriver to put it in the closed position. make sure it's in the open position before closing the door
Hey bud! Just wanted to say a huge thank you as I couldn't have done this without watching this video! I changed mine out today for a second hand actuator for £25 and was quoted by a local mechanic £75 to fit it. You have saved me £75 today mate! Great video!!!
My inside door pull cable came off and thanks to you posting this, nearly 10 years ago, it is now fixed. Thank you very much.
Thanks for the video! I was feeling a little daunted but it took me less than an hour in the end. Nothing difficult, just fiddly - an ideal job for a gynaecologist! Cheers!
On our 2004 Cooper the passenger door was not unlocking with the remote but had to be opened/unlocked with the interior handle. Once open it was fine and locked again properly as expected. Now it is A1 - cost almost £100 for the latch/actuator though!
Thanks, helped a lot as you mostly work blind inside the door. Hardest part was getting the mechanism out of the door - its a tight squeeze and maybe only one way it fits past the window guide. I didn't need to pull the interior handle cable all the way through, just enough to swap the mechanisms over.
Great vid, just changed the actuator on my wife's Cooper S this afternoon and watching this beforehand helped me get the door apart and everything back together without any breakages ! Took only 45 mins too. 40 quid for a second hand actuator and that was the total cost I dread to think how muc
Thank you for the breakdown on the door latch assembly. I work in a body shop and sometimes it's hard to find good instructions on how to remove certain items. Mine came in with no cables or lock rod. Door wouldn't open. Cute little note. Please fix it. Lol. Again thank you for your knowledge on this particular pain.
Brian, Thank you for posting this video, you saved the day. The photos of the mechanisms holding the cables and rods in place is exactly what I needed. I did not have to take the door lock out because your video showed what came loose on the inside door release at the door lock area. If I hadn't of found your video, I would have to have taken off the other door panel to see what was going on. You saved me a lot of time. Kudos to you for posting. Thumbs up!!! Safe travels.
my cooper s has always had a problem with passenger door since i bought it second hand 3 yrs ago, got stuck whilst doing it , came on here and saw your video, went back with new knowledge (thanks) and its working like a new lock should do , thanks for your video , cheers from australia
I just have to tell you the way you explain things, even sleep deprived, is so easy to understand that even a girl can follow your video and fix the lock on her Mini Cooper. So thank you, thank you, thank you and just know you are my go to guy for any videos I need to watch in the future. Ur a stud!!!!
Thanks Julie- I have a secret. I'm also very sleep deprived when I film, so we share the same language. ; )
Great very helpful video thanks for sharing , just did mine in just over an hour bit fiddly getting the cable for the door handle back on but done ! used the door panel lever kit £5 ,paid £60 for a new unboxed actuator 12 months warranty , saved a small fortune .
Drivers door problems opening from inside ,ordered new door lock and fitted following video step by step no problems, excellent video (remember to fit cable to lock before fitting i forgot!!) Many thanks
Watch til the end, but thank you, thank you, and thank you again. Helped my husband and I fix the driver side door!
Bri you are an amazing teacher. Very thorough, easily understood and you help us wanna bees to "believe we can". Take good care of your better half and the world will be a better place. Might I suggest that with each video you give a brief history as to why the work you are about to show is being done. Cheers. Gerry
Thank you Brian. Just fixed my MINI door handle. Perfect!
Great video, thank's a bunch. You saved me hundreds by doing it myself rather than taking it to the local mini repair shop. It took quite a few hours but well worth the effort.
The best most informative video i have seen on TH-cam. What a fantastic way to explain. Great information. Thank you
cant thank you enough for this video, changed my lock over the weekend and done it without any hassel, perfect help , thanks again
Fabulous video and very helpful. I was dreading fixing my wife's car, but your clip made this very painless. Took me all of 30 minutes!
Thanks for putting this together - major help in removal and replacing my driver door actuator!
@slkraly Did you put in a new latch module or a used one? If it's not working only on that door either the wiring is bad at the door hinge or the latch module is bad.
Thank you so much for this video. I was able to replace my lock actuator with relative ease. It is people like you who make do-it-yourself jobs on modern cars seem much less daunting. Happy motoring!
Thanks man. Priceless. I was able to do it by brail thanks to your video. I was afraid to unbolt the top bolt on the window regulator because i thought it was holding the glass in place.
@slkraly The lock is actuated 95% electronically. Likely there was some kind of oversight plugging it back in.
thanks for the help brian could not done it without you ,Ron in UK
I just wanted to say THANK YOU. Thanks to your video I fixed my Mini.
THANKS
THANKS
THANKS!
💪🏽
@n2video13 You're welcome! I'm glad I could be of assistance.
Thank you for posting this video,you're very generous to share this information.You know what makes me mad,really mad?First because i have to fix one of these this afternoon under a 35 c heat .Second:Mini is a very expensive car and not only for the parts and the problems with the door lock are frequent and you know why?Part of the body of the lock are made of plastic,can you believe?They know that sooner or later you gonna pay and pay and pay...Is better you take a nap you seem tired.Thanks again...
Good video, thanks for the pointer about moving the window runner.
Thank you for taking the time...and I know it was a lot of time to put this video together. I have been trying to fix the door on my wife's Mini...the video was a huge help! I did subscribe and will let others know of your great videos. Thanks!
Thank you for this, I wouldn't have been able to do it so easily without it.
Thanks buddy, appreciate the info. Very straightforward and easy to follow.
super clear guide on what do do, exactly as he describe : took me 30 minutes follow the video..im glad to have my keyfob working the way it should be..thanks again bro!
very good video, I saved my closing block and 200 € of parts without counting the labor , thank you very much sir
Thank you ! Your video is really useful ! I did this quickly and gently !
Just want to say thanks for sharing your video, made changing my actuator a lot easier following your steps.
+Steve E You're welcome Steve! Thanks for subscribing and clicking like!
Brian, this video saved me hours! Thanks for posting.
IMPORTANT TIP:
When reassembling, the cable for the interior latch, which comes back through the door's rubber grommet, and runs along the interior of the door to the interior handle... look through the hole for the grommet of the manual door lock. You will see the cable and the window rolling mechanism. If you notice, the cable will be in the way of the window if it rolls down. in between that hole, and the hole the cable comes out of the door into the interior, there is a plastic clip on the inside of the door. If you fail to clip the cable into that clip, the window will catch on that cable and mess up the unit OR pull it loose from the door latch mechanism, requiring you to pull the unit again to reattach that sucker.... NOT fun.
My clip was broken and that was the cause of my cable coming loose in the first place. After reinstalling this sucker a few times, i finally noticed that broken broken clip inside the door. I didn't want to wait for a new clip so I simply used a little baling wire to secure it in place and that worked beautifully. I WISH I had known about that little clip from the beginning as it would have saved me much grief.
I really appreciated your video! I'm a new Mini owner (I'm new to Mini, but my Mini is an 05 JCW) and I've been wrestling with this latch for awhile. With your tips, I was able to get the window guide moved, and get everything disconnected. Thanks! Silly question, but any tips on getting it reassembled? I removed the outside handle cable while the mechanism was in the door, and I've not yet figured out how to reconnect it given that it's short and feels like it needs to happen inside the door.
Usually the cable for the handle breaks or comes undone.
There's actually another fastener under the little reflector in the upper right of the part where you're pointing out the torx screws. fyi.
This is a great video and I posted it on the northamericanmotoring forum.
Hi Brian. My neighbor has this vehicle. Last week he had trouble getting the boots off his spark plugs, and on #1 and #4 plug there was a washer like obstruction sitting on the plug at the bottom of the plug tube. I presume a bit of the boot was left behind when it was removed. I tried for a few minutes to lift it off with no success, using a magnet, long needle nose pliers, and a coat hanger. Have you ever had that happen?
I'd try lubing the latch mechanism first. it's the cable getting worn out because of the resistance of the latch needing to get lubed.
Great video and exactly what I needed as i have to change this module in my son's Cooper. Thanks very much.
Thank you very much- and you're most welcome!
Don't forget to transfer the hook for the outside handle cable if you change the latch assembly, screw is #15 torx.
Nice helps me loads. Just couldn’t figure out how to get the thing out was stuck on the outer door latch cable
Thanks Brian for the useful info it made it such a breeze and saved me money
@MisterMattyMo They're Western Safety brand. I get the Extreme Heavy Duty Nitrile ones.
I just did all this and got almost all the way finished. How do you put the piece from the lock cylinder back? I totally forgot about it and have everything put back together :(
Ok I got that piece back, but now the lock wont lock or unlock at all. Im sure I have everything back together the right way. What did I miss?
My exterior door handles (the part you squeeze) is stuck in the in position. Does your video cover that problem, I watched it, I am not sure if it was for my problem.
Thank you. Incredibly helpful and very well explained. new cable fitted on a Saturday morning!
Awe. We Love you too. Is it posible to refurbish these diy. Or do we have to buy new ones. They crazy exspinsive
@someofitsticks You're welcome and good luck!
Super video, as always!! Hope your wife feels much better, very soon!!!
excellent job was able to remove it without a problem well done that man!
Could use your help - we have a 2005 and the door will not open after we unlock it - we have to use the key and sometimes we cannot get out - we have to pull the latch 2-3 times. But your video is great! Thank you.
Can't unlock from the outside? Might need a new rotary latch lock. Or one of the mounting brackets.
Can't unlock from the inside? Probably the bowden cable or the inner door handle.
I could not open my door from the inside. A friend of mine, who works at BMW said, it is a very common problem. He advised me to replace the bowden cable first. If it is not fixed after replacing it, I need a new inner door handle.
Cable is around 6€, inner door handle depends on trim like matt or chrome and/or if your mini has the light package, between 30-60€. The most expensive one is the latch lock, which costs about 84€.
thx Brian, where is it located in the car? I changed out the lock as you showed and it was very helpful but it was a job.
Would you say this video would help to replace on a mini cooper 2002 as well?
FabzRustRider want to say thank you Brian 💯
You helped me fix my door. Thanks.
Thanks, very informative. Might be easier to replace the whole door with a second hand one from the wrecking yard.
Excellent Video. Do you know how to fix the central locking problem with the Cooper S 03? The doors all lock with the key but won't unlock.... you can hear the door attempt to unlock when you press the key fob button, but it doesn't actually unlock!
My mini locks using the central locking but will not unlock. It make the sound of the car unlocking, hazards don't flash when opening. would replacing this you are doing fix my problem?
+bongo dog If it was a VW I'd say yes. Not sure on this one. Did you try it?
I have the same problem. Does anyone knows how to fix it?
good exmplanations thanks for sharing, are the door latches the same in all versions? I have Mini One I 2004 90km, not sure whether I can buy the one for r56 or cooper, thank you for help
+nancy babich I don't know. When you find out, could you reply here and let ME know? thanks Nancy!
@TrueBlueEG8 I go where the money is. I don't mind German stuff. It's different, but if you do it right it's easy.
excellent video briansmobile... I'm going to get a quote from the dealer to see how much they gonna screw me for...If its more the $100 I will proceed to do it myself.... thanks again for the excellent demo....
Thanks for your video. It greatly helped me out..
Thanks to your video this was a 15minute job
You're welcome Nick!
Great video like always :) I thought GM was the only company with this less than desirable design. Good to know what to expect from other cars :)
hello Brian, wonder if you could advise, we have an issue where the door will not unlock and we cannot open the door. have managed to grab the lock button on top of the door with a longnose pliers and pull it up but the door will still not unlock
Did you ever resolve this? I'm having the same issue. Replaced actuator, everything went fine, door opened and closed great until I locked it with the auto lock. Now the indicator will move up and down as if it is unlocking but I can't open the door.
chicobrew1 I'm there - did you figure it out?
Hope the wife gets feeling better, That is rough. still another good vid..
Thanks for the vid Brian! Big help!!
Hiya I know this is an old video but I have a mini r50 and the drivers door doesn't open or close using the fob I've changed the LOCK CATCH ACTUATOR SOLENOID and it's still not working the passager side locks and unlocks fine do you know what the problem could be ???
whats your take on minis? they look pretty well made. i drove one and it is like a pocket rocket.
Thank you this video was very helpful
Gracias. De nada amigo.
I used your video to connect a new cable from interior door handle to actuator (inside door) and when I put it all back together, I locked the door and it stayed locked even though the manual lock ("rod that is at the top of the window seal") goes up and down. Before I locked the door, the newly installed cable was opening the door from the interior so I had success there! I was so concerned with hooking up the rod and the cables (interface from exterior and cable for interior handle) that I did not bother to see if the interface for the key lock mechanism was operational and was wondering if you think that is it. Anyway, my brain is fried and I have to see a locksmith with a slim jim before I can tear it open again right? Thanks if you can comment here and if you were wondering, I am a savvy mom and this is my kid's 2005 Cooper S I am trying to get operational. Kudos and thanks for such a great vid.
thanks for the video just changed my door lock and was done in no time
thanks again 10/10
Hey man, just walked through this, 100% spot on! Thank you very much! Saved me some serious dough!
Great video but I have had my door panels off several times and you should somehow add to your video that there is ONE more screw on the door panel. Its behind the little reflector in the upper corner.
You forget to point out the torx screw locate behind the door reflector, just below the lock. As i watched this video and then proceeded to break the mounting oint for that screw behind the reflector.
I have the a similar issue. Locks will not work with the key fob or toggle switch. The lights will flash when I hit the key fob and the locks will work manually. Brought it to a shop and they changed both actuators but it still doesn't work. Any help will be greatly appreciated
Thank you so much for this informative vid!!
You should totally do one of these for the tailgate of a truck!!
You should totally do one of these for the tailgate handle of truck!
Thanks Ian!
Brilliant video Brian, all the info i needed to do this job and save £££££s
@briansmobile1 hi brian im a new viewer so far i watched your alignment on your truck and tune up for a 99 f150 i have a question.with my truck 1999 5.4l 4x4 when i put my truck in 4L i feel it kick into gear but my no power goes torwards my front tires,how do i fix this? thanks btw you're really smart with what you're doing
Thanks Bruno!
That helps a LOT. These freakin bowden cables for the inner door opener always break!
Now I need to order a new pair from the dealer because ebay only sells used ones. Guess why? They're already broken...
We cannot got the screws out with any tools that we have tried. Any recommendations on drilling them out and getting replacement screws? Please help!!
get a impact screw driver and a big hammer for screws that wont loosen
My friends driver door will close ,but I have to push for it to latch completely. Any ideas for a fix ?
I'm having the same problem with my 03 any chance you get it fix and what was the cause of it? I'm thinking there is something wrong with the electronic relay because i checked the fuses.
I currently own an ‘04 cooper, doors lock with key fob. But won’t unlock unless the key is turned in the door handle or the inside handles are pulled twice. Will this job fix this?
Did you get to the bottom of you issue? Have exactly the same on an 04 Cooper. Thanks
@@larsuk9578 fortunately, I no longer own the car now and have a car with working actuators 😂
When I pull on my door handle the car unlocks the pin pops up. I want to pull it the second time to open the door. It doesn’t want to open the door is that the mechanism because there’s only one cable I believe and when you pull on it it does pop-up the unlock.
I have a 2004 R50. My key will no longer lock/unlock manually from the outside of my mini. The remote has never worked and the dealer wants $500+ to reprogram because I do not have the key code. We've been using the manual lock/unlock for four years. About a year ago, I replaced the actuators because the toggle switches inside were not locking/unlocking the doors. They are still working fine. The door handle works and I can get in and out of the car. I just have no way to lock it. Right before it quit working, I did notice that the key turned slightly more than normal to unlock the car. The door used to lock at about the 10 o'clock position and unlock at approximately the 2 o'clock position ( I may have the unlock/lock reversed but the positions are correct) Now, the key moves freely from about the 2 o'clock position to the 9 o'clock position and will not lock or unlock. In addition, I did pull the panel and check the rod that goes from the pop-up lock at the top the panel and connects into the green spinning mechanism on the actuator. It is in place where it should be. Thankfully, it broke in the unlocked position but I don't like leaving my car unlocked everywhere. Any suggestions?
I got lucky in a way. My window regulator went at the same time so I took it out first and it was much easier. It wasn't lucky I had to pay for it. It did make the job better. Window alignment was a pain.
Hi Brian,
I have a problem with opening the door from inside of my Mini Cooper 2004. From the outside opens normally. Everything worked regularly until yesterday. The lock is activated 95% electronically.
What is the problem and how it can be solved?
Thank you in advance,
Best Regards!
Great video and very helpful :-) Thank you very much. Matt -England
Thanks Matt!