Soft Close Motor

[ryansbmw]

The soft close motor on my front drivers door has stopped working. I can actually hear something rattling around when I shake the door so Kay e it somehow came unplugged but I haven’t pulled the door to examine it yet. In the event it’s not repairable and I need to buy another motor, has anyone used the cheaper versions seen on Amazon or EBay for sub ~$@150? Genuine BMW part is $500. Vemo who is the OE supplier suddenly has a big bump in price to $360 lately. Seems a little much for what this part does. Anyone have any luck with the cheaper options?

[DialedIn]

Don't get the cheap NTY soft close door latch like I did. It was very loud compared to the stock motor.

[argento]

This one part is responsible for soft close doors and door locks.

All four of my door lock actuators eventually failed. I did the rears under warranty. In January I did the fronts which also solved my soft door close issue on the driver's side. The price is down to $445ea (genuinebwmminiparts), but last fall they were $456. It was about $900 labor at the local dealer to replace the fronts, FWIW.

[CarFan]

I paid $322 for mine from FCP Euro. And the independent shop installed it for a flat fee of $125.

[argento]

Originally Posted by CarFan

I paid $322 for mine from FCP Euro. And the independent shop installed it for a flat fee of $125.

As of today:

The Vemo brand on FCP Euro for p/n: 51-21-7-315-019 is $358.99.

The OEM on FCP Euro for same p/n: $555.99.

FWIW, FCP claims to have tested non-oem parts they sell to be equivalent to OE and with lifetime warranty.

OP: Sorry, niether of my posts have answered your original question.

[ryansbmw]

Originally Posted by argento

As of today:

The Vemo brand on FCP Euro for p/n: 51-21-7-315-019 is $358.99.

The OEM on FCP Euro for same p/n: $555.99.

FWIW, FCP claims to have tested non-oem parts they sell to be equivalent to OE and with lifetime warranty.

OP: Sorry, niether of my posts have answered your original question.

Appreciate the feedback! Vemo I believe is the OEM that makes the part for BMW so I would be good with them. It seems most people stick to that or OE so in a way, that does answer my question.

Thanks!

[heatmizr]

Most Under-rated feature ever!!
Ruined me for my wife's car, I never get the door to shut the first attempt on hers. :-/

[heatmizr]

Well I'M BACK...
My driver door stopped working today! Thanks for the links. Wonder why a soft-close motor is called a DOOR LOCK Actuator? Does it do both jobs?

...annnnd the FCP Euro units are back-ordered....
So I must close my door like a plebian for the time being. Sigh.


Just wondering - are the parts for all doors identical? I could swap one from a rear door to the drivers... All my kids and passengers SLAM those damn doors anyway.
Or would that door then not lock correctly?

[ryansbmw]

I believe they all have different part numbers so you can’t swap positions.

I just noticed today my passenger side is on the fritz. It will pull the door closed and then release it. I can hear it rattling if I shake the door. This is exactly how my driver side one started acting before it completely stopped working. Almost wondering if it just came loose or off its bracket. I really should look….

[HtownBlue]

I have replaced these on two different vehicles and used a cheaper option with no issues so far. Fwiw. Not a too difficult job and I believe there are a few YouTube videos on it.

[heatmizr]

SO I ordered a NEW driver door latch/soft-close motor from eBay for only $75, and installed it this past weekend.
I put the old and new parts side by side, and they look IDENTICAL except for a name stamped on the OE soft-close motor housing - "Keikert" or something similar. New one had no name but every feature of the housings really looks like it came off the same mold. Also the routing of the short wires from the motor to the latch was different but that could be something implemented on the assembly line at any time.

I watched a few videos first but none were Exactly my e70 model AND Driver's door AND the right year with Soft Close. But I pieced them together with one user's comment about doing it on the driver door and needing to remove the door key-lock cylinder, and it all worked out. I don't think I'd have figured out accessing the retaining bolt from the plugged access hole.

Not too bad a job but I wouldn't call it easy either. Hard to remove the old assembly and insert the new one as space is tight in the door. There is a lot going on in these doors; I had been in there before but the first time is a revelation.
Finished the job in 3-4 hrs and all features work - let's hope this CHEAP new assembly lasts a few years!

The funny thing is, I was so used to hearing the old motor during soft-close that I can tell the new one is slightly different sounding - even though its not loud. I'm sure NO ONE else in my family could tell.

[ryansbmw]

Have a link to the one you purchased?