Car's door is locked due to freezing

naj004402 · Post by **naj004402** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:33 am

Ohh... this is the second time it happend. In the morning, I was not able to open my car's door. I am able to insert my keys in the hole and also able to turn, but still it is not opening due to freezing. Do you have any idea how to open the doors in this kind of situation. Also please advise me how to avoid this kind of situations.

Thanks...

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jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:25 am

Go to Biltema or Motonet or probably most other hardware stores and larger stores like Citymarket and Prisma for that matter and they sell this lock de-ice spray that you can spray into the lock. It'll unfreeze it and also prevents it from freezing again. One word of advice though, don't store it in your car. While that may sound like a logical place, what are you gonna do when the doors freeze again and it's locked inside

riku2 · Post by **riku2** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:27 am

naj004402 wrote:In the morning, I was not able to open my car's door. I am able to insert my keys in the hole and also able to turn, but still it is not opening due to freezing.

could it be that the lock is opening but the door is frozen to the rubber seal? there is a non stick teflon liquid you can buy in a stick that you spread over the rubber seals of the door and they won't freeze together.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:12 pm

naj004402 wrote:Ohh... this is the second time it happend.

*yawn* so thats like some news?

Do you have any idea how to open the doors in this kind of situation.

plenty... hot water in a plastic bag usually works miracles, though depending on how cold it is it might freeze shut double as hard

what you do now is:
1. dry car (overnight in a warm garage)
2. gun oil to locks and the latches and inside the door into the mechanism
3. silicone to the door seals

Also please advise me how to avoid this kind of situations.

Living in the desert?

naj004402 · Post by **naj004402** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:50 pm

riku2 wrote:
naj004402 wrote:In the morning, I was not able to open my car's door. I am able to insert my keys in the hole and also able to turn, but still it is not opening due to freezing.
could it be that the lock is opening but the door is frozen to the rubber seal? there is a non stick teflon liquid you can buy in a stick that you spread over the rubber seals of the door and they won't freeze together.

Yo are right, it is because of the rubber seal as I am able to turn the keys. You gave me way to avoid the problem again in the future. Thanks for that. But how to open it now?

Ya, hot water bag might be a solution which I will try after going home.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:55 pm

If it is the seals... tried all the doors? Tried to push the door in before applying a bit of force when opening it? If you wonder how much force to use: use more until you have door handle separated from the door, that is too much.

naj004402 · Post by **naj004402** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:59 pm

Upphew wrote:If it is the seals... tried all the doors? Tried to push the door in before applying a bit of force when opening it? If you wonder how much force to use: use more until you have door handle separated from the door, that is too much.

I already tried all the doors in the morning. I used some power also but didnt work.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:58 pm

naj004402 wrote: Yo are right, it is because of the rubber seal as I am able to turn the keys.

Not necessarily, its the latch mechanism (that you use opening from the inside as well) that can be frozen... if the kay works and the tab goes up and down then its the inside mechanism frozen. Or then the rubber seals too but the latch & innards are hard to lube.

mrjimsfc · Post by **mrjimsfc** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:18 pm

The use of a long extension cord and a hair dryer/blow dryer could be the solution. You can warm the whole door in just a few minutes with one of those. That solves lock problems and seal problems!

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:53 am

In some cases it might also be good idea not to leave handbrake on in the car.

It can freeze the brakes on and then you have to push your hairdryer behind the wheel, or just blow the air through the wheel but it is slower in my opinion, to defrost it.

Else you have interesting experience of driving car where one tire does not rotate. (and funny looking tire after some distance)

Cloudberry · Post by **Cloudberry** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:15 am

jas_rho wrote:Go to Biltema or Motonet or probably most other hardware stores and larger stores like Citymarket and Prisma for that matter and they sell this lock de-ice spray that you can spray into the lock. It'll unfreeze it and also prevents it from freezing again. One word of advice though, don't store it in your car. While that may sound like a logical place, what are you gonna do when the doors freeze again and it's locked inside

That's some good advice - I wonder how many people have done just that?

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:51 am

Cloudberry wrote:I wonder how many people have done just that?

I wonder how many wonder after few years why they use de-ice spray all the time... de-icers use alcohol to unfreeze the lock. Alcohol eats oils from the lock, lock gets stuck. De-icers have also oils to prevent drying out, but I wouldn't count on that too much. Wiser people have said that car lock only needs gun oil to keep it from freezing.

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