Electric Locks - Frozen?

[vxaddict]

Sorry for reviving an old thread, but has anyone figured out what was causing this (besides the cold weather) and what the fix would be (besides waiting for warmer Spring weather)?

I'm in Chicago and it's been ridiculously cold this early in the Winter season. My driver's lock is acting up just as everyone described, typically when it hits about 10-15 degrees outside.

Thanks!

[Riff Raff]

Frozen car door locks. Over my life, I've experienced this many, many times.

For an emergency opening (when you're in a damn hurry, and got to go somewhere), I've found pouring "luke warm" water down the side of the door where the key hole is will temporarily help open the door lock (never use hot or boiling water, as this could easily shatter the door glass).

NOTE: After you get the door open using the luke warm water trick, keep the door ajar by only latching the side door on the 1st click (door ajar mode). Never shut the door completely flush, as this will totally re-freeze and trap you inside the car from the damp door-jam rubber moulding that has now totally re-frozen. Run the car's interior heater at full blast to help deplete moisture in the door jam during your road trip. When you park at your destination, shut your door on only the 1st click (door ajar mode) and then lock your door manually with the key until your door jam area has completely thawed-out.

Preventative Maintenance is to frequently keep your door locks lubrcated with WD-40, and spray your rubbing door jam moulding gasket with a Silicone Spray (not WD-40). The WD-40 will help keep your locks from freezing and working smoothly. The Silicone Spray will help keep your door jam rubber moulding from sticking to the door jam metal. An alternative to the Silicone Spray is to use "Vaseline Petroleum Jelly" on the rubber door jam moulding as an anti-freezing treatment (cheap and it works great; kinda' like ChapStick for rubber moulding).

[VX KAT]

Frozen car door locks. Over my life, I've experienced this many, many times.

Run the car's interior heater at full blast

Reminds me of my days growing up in Pittsburgh. Last winter I lived there had a stretch of -teens every morning. Door latch froze OPEN in the short period I was getting in the car and putting stuff in the hatch. Had to do what Riff just described....ran the heater full blast and drove around in circles, hanging onto the door until it warmed up enough to latch. Between that and having to use ether to start the car, and then one metal hood hinge breaking off in the -18 weather, (because I had to open hood to spray the ether in of course!), I was fo' sho' moving to California upon graduation in May!
I feel for you gang!

[Ldub]

ran the heater full blast and drove around in circles, hanging onto the door until it warmed up enough to latch.

LOL...ya shoulda drove around in the OTHER direction, the door woulda stayed closed better...

Love ya Suzy....

[VX KAT]

LOL...ya shoulda drove around in the OTHER direction, the door woulda stayed closed better...

Love ya Suzy....

Of course! Why didn't I think of that??

[Y33TREKker]

Anyone ever tried one of those little aerosol cans of lock de-icer in those situations? It's simply pressurized isopropyl alcohol that melts and evaporates any ice in the tumblers that may be keeping the lock cylinder from operating, and prevents the lock cylinder from refreezing because the alcohol evaporates with no residual moisture.