For decisive and very hurrying people, the problem is solved in one motion: you just need to pull the door as hard as possible. So if you yourself and your rhythm of life are in the above category, then all of the following you can, in general, not read - all the same, "according to the instructions" will not. The only thing here you can give one ...
…advice: if you tear off the door, then it is best not the driver's, but the passenger's, and even better the one that is least used - for example, the rear left (if it is not frozen and the central locking is working). Through it already move to the driver's seat and warm the rest of the doors with a "stove".
The point here is that with such violence over a frozen door, rubber seals are often ripped off and torn, which, even on the warranty car, will have to be changed only at their own expense. And since the driver's door is used most often, the torn seal will soon lose its presentation, water will leak through the torn fragments, and snow will accumulate. And you will immediately have to go for repairs, otherwise it will be very uncomfortable to drive.
The other door, especially the rear left one, can be carefully closed by tucking in the torn off rubber bands, sealing the damage with household products, and some more traveling, in accordance with the date and budget for repairs.
In general, when opening frozen doors, the main task is to maintain the integrity of the rubber seals.
How can it be solved?
How do you open the locks?
If the locks open and are not frozen, then to save personal time, you can go directly to the second approach. If the castles are still frozen, read on.
By the way: Frozen locks will have to be opened in any case - whether you are going to open the door with a jerk or tearing off or separate it from the frame neatly.
Advice: before the onset of cold weather, you should definitely stock up on a remedy from the "Locks defroster" group. The price of the issue is from 50 rubles, but it helps out great.
If there is no defroster, then you can try something from the available means - antifreeze liquid from the washer reservoir, as well as any "household" alcohol-containing composition, even cologne. It can be poured into, say, a plastic bottle "with a spout" from under some pharmacy drops, and then injected into the keyhole. After about two minutes you can try to twist the key.
Attention: if the key does not turn, in no case should great efforts be applied! Otherwise, both the key and the lock can be broken. Therefore, if you cannot twist, we continue to defrost.
How do I open the doors?
So, the lock is open (or the locks were opened initially), now we proceed to open the door.
Advice: even if you open it carefully, it is still better not the driver's door, but another door. (Therefore, by the way, you need to defrost the passenger door lock).
Step 1: we clean the perimeter of the door at the place where the frame fits to the opening. To do this, it is convenient to use a thin flat scraper or, if there is none, some handy "plastic", for example, a plastic stationery ruler. Be careful: when clearing the glaciation, you do not need to scrub with all your might! Proceed carefully, being careful not to damage, in the first place, the paint and the seals themselves.
Step 2: You can try to pull the door slightly. Opened up? Hooray! If it didn't open, then there are two options. The first is to tear off, the second is to go to "Step 3" - to freeze.
Step 3: After cleaning, the perimeter of the door at the place where the frame adheres to the opening can be treated with the same non-freezing windshield washer fluid, pouring it with a small stream, for example, from some plastic shampoo bottle.
The final: We open the door! Still not working? Then we continue to defrost, but completely freeze ourselves. If we don't want a cold, then we pull a little harder and get into the car, turn on the “stove”.
Do not be afraid: after correctly doing the above manipulations, the risk of breaking the door seals will be minimal.
Prevention will help
And so that we don’t have to “dance with a tambourine around the car or tear whatever strength is at the door, before the frost, we stock up on inexpensive, but great, tools that make life easier:
1. Means to protect locks and hinges from freezing - from 50 rubles.
2. Means against freezing of door and trunk seals - from 100 rubles.
3. Universal silicone grease (frost-resistant) - from 100 rubles.
Often in the winter season, many car owners in the morning face the question of how to warm up the engine of their car. However, one often has to resolve one more problematic situation before that: how to open the car? Many of us have come across a frozen lock or a frozen rubber band at the doors of your car at least once. Let's try to understand how you can open the lock and car door in winter without any problems.
Sometimes, when opening frozen doors near the car, car owners do not always use well-chosen, or even the first, means that come to hand. Most often, an anti-freeze liquid is poured into a frozen lock. This method works, but it must be remembered that the composition of the liquid - "anti-freeze" contains isopropyl alcohol, which has a destructive effect on the device of the lock. In addition to this, the non-freezing liquid contains ordinary water, which will then freeze again together with the lock.
Also beware of using kerosene-based fluids. For example, liquid for loosening nuts. The lock, of course, will open, but this liquid will begin to absorb moisture from the environment, after which the lock on your car will stably freeze.
Video with tips on what to do if the car door lock is frozen:
The best option for defrosting a castle is to pour it with pure alcohol. The ice in the castle will quickly melt, and only heat will be released, which will not lead to problems in the future.
If, after various manipulations, you finally turned the key in the car door lock, then you may have another problem - it turns out that the car doors themselves are still frozen, and they do not open.
In this case, there is no need to "tear" the doors on yourself, you can simply tear off the sealing rubber from the doors or break the door handle. You can achieve the opening effect if you start, on the contrary, to press down on the door. As a result, the ice on the rubber band will break, and the doors will eventually open.
All of the above measures to open doors - these are emergency measures... However, if you competently take care of your car, then you should not face such problems.
It is better to prevent the problem (that is, to carry out regular preventive maintenance) than to harm your car later. Let's find out what you can do to prevent the doors and locks of your car from freezing.
A video telling how to open a car door if it is frozen:
If it was noticed that the lock in the door of your car began to freeze, then this means that moisture gets there. Urgently put your car in a warm room for a period of time, this should be done so that the moisture in the castle evaporates.
And to stop the freezing of the doors themselves is even more primitive. You just have to watch carefully so that moisture or snow does not end up on the sealing gum at the doors of your car. This can happen, for example, when sweeping snow from a car. When the snow did end up inside the car and the sealant began to get wet, you just need to open the doors and let the sealant freeze before leaving the car in the parking lot.
Video - how to operate a car in winter:
The same should be done after washing the car during a severe frost, that is, it is necessary to leave the trunk and all doors open after the washing procedure for 15-20 minutes. You can leave the motor running. You can turn on the stove at full power. All this is done so that the moisture remaining and frozen on the seals and in the locks will simply fly off when the trunk and doors are closed. But there is one thing: you should open and close the doors after such a procedure several times in order to open your car exactly in the morning.
Video - what to do if the castles are frozen in winter:
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Comments on the article:
Vitaly
After washing, be sure to dry the car, especially the trunk. I somehow froze, the funny thing is, the wheel broke, and the spare wheel is in the trunk.
Pashka Shaibin
By the way, not only locks and trunks freeze, and not only after washing, but also doors after a thaw. I stood in my car under the windows for two weeks, the snow had passed several times, I threw a hat on it about 30 centimeters. Then for a couple of days the temperature was positive - everything started flowing and snow on the roof, I think, tomorrow I’ll go on business if it got warmer. And at night it was frosty, in the morning I go out, somehow I warmed the driver's door lock and opened it, I pull the handle, and the door is dead! The same story is with the passenger one. In general, I grabbed not only the seals, but also to the metal in the openings. I waited for the end of February, when plus a few days will stand. And you say locks !!!
Kirill
I regularly drive a car and so that the locks and rubber bands do not freeze, I regularly lubricate and wipe them with silicone grease.
Oleg
I ran into the problem of a frozen door, and even frozen locks after washing a car in winter. The next day, when I came to the garage, I could not open the car and had to stomp to work on foot. Then, of course, he fired the stove and warmed it up. Now, always after washing, I demand that the locks be blown out with compressed air and wipe dry the sealing gum. And in general, with the arrival of winter, I lubricate the rubber bands with silicone and always the locks. When I put the car in the garage in the evening, I must lower the windows in order to equalize the temperature of the interior and the street. And I definitely bring a defroster with me, silicone silicone, but a defroster is needed for locks. There is also a popular way of this is a lighter - warm up the key with the fire of a lighter and it will easily open the lock, but if the rubber bands are not frozen, otherwise lubricate them with silicone more often - this will also extend the life of the seal.
Nikolay
There are a lot of tips in the comments, but rarely did anyone not encounter such a problem. I used to use WD, but once the lock mechanism itself froze. The back door (Chevrolet Niva) opened, drove to the house and warmed it up with a hairdryer. The next day I bought a silicone lubricant (aerosol) and lubricated everything that came to hand: the faces of the locks, the seals, all the rubber until the cylinder ran out. After that, nothing freezes. Another tip - do not grease the wipers, you will be tortured to wash the glass.
Rinat
Store the car in garages, the locks will not freeze at all, and of course dry them after each wash - this is the law!
Maksim
Hello everyone!
I will share my experience on defrosting doors and what to do to prevent this from happening. First, the car doors themselves do not freeze, but freeze either during freezing rains - which is rare, or after washing a car in winter - which is often. Immediately after washing the car, I recommend pulling it out into the street and, without leaving the car wash, open all four doors - and thus "ventilate" the car and let the rubber bands dry. Also ask that all the locks and hinges be blown through you at the sink - many grief washers are hammered into this business. As a result, moisture - the doors do not open. There are also special means for defrosting locks and doors. Well, or at worst, every car should have a b40. Excellent product - lubricates and removes excess moisture.
Bogdan Ardashirov
But I’m wondering, who uses locks now? Probably the second decade has gone, as the doors are unlocked with buttons. There are standard systems and central locks installed with alarms. Well, the only thing probably on the trunks is not everyone has an electric lock. When it grabs not only the larva of the castle, but also the mechanism, this is really a disaster. Here it is already necessary to wait for a thaw. This, of course, is rare, but nevertheless, it is worth accumulating condensation in the doors, and if the drainage holes are also clogged with debris, then that's it. High humidity and in severe frost, the mechanism becomes a stake. In this case, neither VD nor alcohol will help ...
SuperMakarij
If in severe frost you started to open the driver's door of the car with a key and could not, the door lock froze, then do not despair right away. Try to open the opposite door, it may work, since the cold wind cooled the driver's door more than the other door, which was protected from the wind by the car body. If the second lock is completely frozen, look for alcohol and pour it over the lock, it will help. If you cannot do this, then look for other ways to heat the lock. In general, try not to allow moisture to enter the castle in winter and any frosts will not matter to you. Yes, and with an open fire, guys, be careful.
Sasha
The lock did not freeze, but the door froze once after washing. Since then I have been drying the car in the same way as it is written. And it also seems that there are special means so that the rubber bands do not freeze. Has anyone used it?
Sergei
After washing in winter, be sure to coat the locks and elastic bands with silicone, spill the lock with an anti-freeze. Take 5-10 minutes after washing, so that later you do not wrestle with matches at the castle
Vadim
I only warm up the door lock with a key. I heat up the key with a lighter. Several times he heated the key in boiling water, at the dacha of friends, wipe it dry and gently push the lock. It was such that it was necessary to heat the key three or four times to achieve the desired result. It is undesirable to pour boiling water on the door, you can damage the paintwork.
Maria
My lock did not freeze, but there were doors. The first time this happened, I panicked! I washed the car the day before, and all the doors were frozen. At that time, a neighbor in the parking lot helped me and gave me advice on what to do in the future.
Vladimir
It also happened a couple of times. To be honest, I didn't know that there were so many ways. I heated the key with a lighter, and how many people here ran home to get hot water, because I didn't want to be late for work. But in 15 years of experience, I only came across this 2 times, so I don't really think of it as a problem.
Victor
Especially the castle freezes when it is plus during the day and minus at night. Once hit in the middle of a field where there were no tools to defrost it. I couldn't even insert the key, not that I could turn it. I tried to warm it up with a lighter. The wind also added complexity. But still, after 10 minutes, they managed to open the door.
Nikolay
This kind of thing happens a lot, especially after a wash or thaw. The very first way is to heat the key with a lighter, although it doesn't always help.
The second way is liquid for defrosting. We put a few drops on the key and into the keyhole. But the problem is that this liquid is not always at hand. Then a direct road to the pharmacy for an alcohol-containing liquid. In general, until I had a garage, I carried a bottle of defroster with me in my pocket.
If you can throw the carrier and take a hairdryer from your wife, this is also an option. By the way, it will come in handy when you opened the lock and the door froze on the seal. Here you will have to warm the door around the perimeter without a hairdryer. Well, for the future, lubricate the seal with silicone grease and do not forget to the lock cells.
Alexander
The locks never froze, but the doors were seized several times by the seal. It was lucky that not all, "crawled" through the back, came to a friend in the garage, where they warmed up. By the way, in the fall I changed the seals and this winter this has never happened.
Sergei
You can use a canister gas burner. Just heat the key and insert it into the lock, then gently heat the key head until the heat enters the lock, and then it's a matter of technology.
Ivan
I strongly advise you not to heat the doors and locks with a gas burner, as I did last winter, the khan may come to the paintwork.
Tanya
I washed the car in winter and the castle froze. I always have VD in the car. I usually use it to lubricate parts of a car, but in my case, this tool helped me.
Denis
There are several reasons for the freezing of castles in winter. This is rain in a thaw, this is condensation if the car gets into the cold after the heat, and the most common is after washing. In winter, after washing in the cold, despite the fact that I have the car in the garage, first of all, I always ask the washer to blow the ignition locks with compressed air. Then I always have a VD-40 with me in my car, when leaving the sink I always spray the locks, the vdshka displaces the remaining moisture. Upon arrival at the garage, I must open the car doors and blow hot air through all the locks. For this he confiscated an old hair dryer from his wife, he very often helps me out. Even if you forgot to blow through and lubricate the locks, in the morning a couple of minutes and everything will open. And do not forget to sprinkle the door seals with silicone after washing, they often freeze.
Nikolay
In my youth, after washing, I repeatedly got on frozen locks and frozen rubber bands in the mornings. But as they say, experience is a gain. Now, after washing the car, I definitely wipe the sealing gum dry, dry the lock in the garage with a hairdryer and then grease it all with silicone grease. by the way, I have never used an aerosol defroster. For defrosting locks, I always have a 10 cc syringe with alcohol with me. Firstly, it is very convenient to insert it into the keyhole, secondly it defrosts almost instantly, thirdly, there are no marks and smudges on the door, as after a defrosting device. And it takes up less space in a purse than a bottle of a defroster.
Igor Chernov
I regularly process all door mechanisms under the trim with VDshkoy, all rubber bands with silicone grease. Especially after washing. Do not be lazy in winter, when you park your car, open windows, doors, trunk and wait until the interior has cooled down.
Winter brings with it the question of what to do if the central lock is frozen? Every driver faced this problem, even if not himself, he heard similar stories from friends. This is how you come to the car in the morning and cannot get into it. The situation is unpleasant and incomprehensible, how to open the car? The reason that causes this problem is severe frost (it can even be so). Also, the castle can freeze and with high humidity and a slight temperature difference. A common case is when the car leaves the car wash in an insufficiently dry state, and as a result, the remaining water in the car's elements freezes. And in the morning you come to the car and try to insert the key, but he does not want to climb into the lock. Every driver needs to know several methods how to get out of this situation ...
For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that now many no longer use the keys, there is either an alarm or a factory key fob that unlocks the doors. But budget cars, such as, say, Renault Logan (in the previous body) or the same Daewoo Nexia, do not have such keys, they need to set an alarm. However, some especially economical drivers do not set the electronic "opening" and open it with a key in the old fashioned way. The central locking system means - insert the key into the driver's door, turn it, and it unlocks all 4 doors of the car. Oftentimes, the passenger sides don't even have a keyhole, so if the driver's door is frozen it's a big problem!
The first options that come to mind
What to do if the central lock is frozen? The very first thing that comes to mind is heating the key with a lighter. Heat the key thoroughly and stick it into the lock and try to open it. If it doesn't work the first time, repeat the procedure several times.
Do not overheat the key so that the plastic on it does not melt. However, this procedure will not help you in severe frost. Then you can use the following option with fire. Take a piece of wire or something similar and insert it into the lock. In order not to spoil the paint of the car, apply something like foil around the wire. After that, we begin to heat the emerging edge of the wire with a lighter. The edge of the twig in the castle will heat up and melt the ice. Do not try to unfreeze the lock with your breath, you will increase the amount of moisture, and it will freeze even more.
We use hot water
Using hot water can damage the paintwork. Heatstroke can crack it. So if you use boiling water, you need to hit them almost sightingly on the castle or protect the entire space around with something.
Another disadvantage of this method is that even if you manage to open the lock, then the water that gets on the surface and into the mechanism must dry, and for this you need to dry it in a warm place, in a box or garage, for example!
Defrost liquid?
There is a special liquid for defrosting frozen parts. You can buy it at a car dealership. We put a couple of drops on the lock and open the car in a minute. But, as a rule, no one carries this liquid with them, and it lies in the car, but there is no access there. Therefore, we go to the pharmacy and buy alcohol or infusions with the maximum alcohol content.
However, for example, perfume or eau de toilette may not help in this case. The concentration of alcohol in some expensive specimens is scanty. However, if you take cheap options, such as lotions or just a cheap cologne, up to 40 rubles, it can still work, there is much more alcohol - sometimes it reaches 60%.
Do you have a hairdryer on hand?
If you suddenly have the opportunity to use a hairdryer, then everything is solved simply. Use it to defrost the lock. This is solved within a couple of minutes.
In general, for defrosting a lock, it is possible to use anything that provides a sufficient amount of heat without the accompanying supply of moisture. You can even use the exhaust gases of the car next to it. They can be brought in through a hose or pipe. Savvy always remains the main thing.
The lock turns, but the door does not open
It also happens that you have successfully defrosted the lock, but the door still does not allow you to enter the salon. It is worth noting that you should not pull the door with all your might, as you can leave the seal on the car body. This situation is due to the freezing of the door seal to the body. To solve this problem, press down on the handle and push down on the door, then pull gently towards you. If it fails, repeat this procedure a couple of times. If you have already done this with the door several times, but it does not open, open the tailgate and slam it with force a couple of times. After a while, the doors to the salon should open. To prevent repetition, coat the seal with silicone grease.
What to do to prevent this from happening again with the castle?
Once in such an uncomfortable situation, I want to prevent it. What do we have to do? Let's start with the simplest, if the owner of the car is a girl, then she probably has a lip gloss or something from cosmetics containing fat. We coat the key and insert it into the lock, and turn it a couple of times, take out the key. The applied layer on the inner parts of the lock will prevent its subsequent freezing. Now to more serious methods. You can fill the lock with a special spray, WD-40 or any engine oil, for example, the one you use, is also suitable (however, it is advisable to have synthetics).
It is also possible to apply it to the inner parts of the castle using the method with cosmetics. The most reliable method to prevent freezing is to disassemble the door and completely lubricate the parts of the lock with lithol, molybdenum disulfide or solid oil. Such maneuvers will exclude the repetition of the problem, and you will not have to warm up something even in very severe frost.
On my own I will add - effectively "dry" the car after washing (after all, this is one of the main reasons), it is advisable to immediately tell the washer in a warm box to blow all the locks with compressed air, thereby removing excess moisture from them. Then treat the locks with either alcohol or a special liquid on the edge of the WD-40. And with almost a 90% probability, the locks will not freeze.
Now a short video, we must watch.
Now you, knowing such simple moments, be always ready for such a problem. Thus, in the article I gave the most common solutions to the problem: "what to do if the central lock is frozen?" Surely there are some other interesting methods for opening doors with a frozen lock, but we have brought the most reliable and proven ones.
I will end on this, I think this article is very relevant in winter, sincerely your AUTOBLOGGER.
In winter, a nuisance often occurs with cars - freezing locks. In the presence of this problem, the door does not open, and if it was possible to open it and get into the passenger compartment, then after that the closing mechanism does not work and the door cannot be slammed. What to do and which method to choose - read on.
A lighter is not your only assistant in this situation.
How to defrost car locks?
There are several ways to open a frozen door without causing damage to your vehicle. If you have a central locking, first try to open it with a key: it may not open from the alarm button due to a dead battery. Check if other doors open - you might be able to open one of them and the rest from the inside. If the key also does not open the lock, then you need to proceed with the following steps:
- If there is a slight frost outside, up to -2 degrees Celsius, then, perhaps, the doors are slightly frozen, and a lighter or matches will help to open the lock. It is enough to slightly warm the key and insert it into the lock, but do not use excessive force if the key still does not turn.
- If the frost is more severe (-10 ... -15 degrees), then a kettle with boiling water will help. With a quick spray of the lock, take a water-repellent silicone grease or WD40, insert the spray tube into the lock, and spread the lubricant inside it. If this is not done, the liquid will freeze inside the lock and you will not be able to open it again. The moisture-repellent liquid will clean the lock from water, and after 5-6 seconds it will open.
- If it is severe frost outside (-25… -30 degrees), then boiling water will not help. It makes sense to use a syringe filled with rubbing alcohol. Insert the mouth of the syringe into the lock and spray the alcohol inside. This substance will melt the ice and evaporate, clearing the ice build-up from the castle. You can use an anti-freeze to clean the windows of the car, but this method has disadvantages, since such liquids are diluted with water, and it is difficult to expel them from the lock.
- There are special “liquid key” aerosols that need to be sprayed into the lock.
What not to do
The following phenomena should be avoided when opening a frozen castle:
- Do not fill the lock with gasoline or other gasoline based flammable liquids.
- The key must not be turned by force. If you break it, the door cannot be opened at all.
What to do to keep the locks from freezing in the car
Preventive measures are required to prevent locks from freezing again.
First of all, make sure that there is no moisture in the lock. Before use, you need to wipe the key to keep it dry, and lubricate the keyhole itself with a water-repellent silicone grease. If the door seals are frozen, you can defrost them with a hair dryer. It is undesirable to water with boiling water, as the rubber parts may crack; it is recommended to lubricate them with a special anti-icing lubricant.
You can lubricate the keyholes with WD40, there will be no harm if you also lubricate the inside of the lock, which slams the door.
On a note
1.If there is no alcohol or special liquids on hand to defrost the machine, use WD40 or a glass cleaner from ice. However, it is better not to use such a tool for a central lock, as it will damage the lock.
2.If the locks are frozen, do not rush to disassemble them. A household hairdryer is suitable for heating and drying.
3. Locks are often treated not only with special agents, but also with glycerin.
4. A silicone-based spray helps a lot: it can both defrost locks and prevent them from freezing. To increase the effectiveness of such a spray, you will need to add graphite dust to it. To do this, use a simple pencil, only the dust should be fine, so as not to clog the lock with dirt inside.
5. Before manipulating the lock, carefully examine the larva: it may be covered with ice. Such ice is chipped off with a screwdriver or knife. In rare cases, the ignition lock freezes. In this case, use the same WD40 and a hair dryer, which will help defrost the lock.
6. You can also gently heat the structure of the lock, but this should be done slowly so as not to damage the plastic. The ignition switch contains contacts that can ignite, so the use of open fire in this case is unacceptable.
Possible difficulties
Some difficulties can arise with locks. If you defrost the lock, and the key still does not turn, or the lock seems to open, but the door still cannot be opened, then, most likely, the rubber band of the door has frozen to the body. With a little effort, such a door can be opened, but you should not pull the lock handle. It is required to carefully pry the door with the same screwdriver or a narrow piece of wood so as not to damage the varnish. The lock may not close: this is due to the ingress of moisture on the internal mechanism. If you manage to open the door, lubricate the hinge and the closing mechanism of the lock with silicone grease. It will not hurt to grease and rubber bands on the doors.
A kettle with hot water does not help in all cases, because the locks can freeze from the inside. Then it is better to use a syringe filled with alcohol or hot water. You cannot use boiling water, otherwise the syringe will melt.
Another surprise may be frozen buttons that open the lock from the inside. If you managed to open at least one door, you will need to turn on the stove in the car, and after 10 minutes the locks will open, but do not wait until they freeze again. Lubricate them with a moisture-proof lubricant.
Find out how the professionals beat the ice on the doors
Conclusion
With proper preventive maintenance, car locks will not let you down at an unexpected moment and you will not have problems with them in the winter. If the castle is still frozen, be patient and deal with it as described above, avoid using hot water, as it freezes again. Do not use brute force as there is a risk of tearing off the door handle.
Unfortunately, in most cases, the automobile manufacturer does not install special systems on the vehicle that would protect the locks from freezing. Nevertheless, there are many effective recommendations. You should not try to open the door by force, because, in addition to mechanical damage to the paintwork, breakage of the lock and bruises, it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve other, sane results.
Frozen castle in the car: causes and consequences
This is a problem that most car enthusiasts face during the cold season. If you're wondering why car locks freeze and how to fix the problem, read the rest of the article. Among the main reasons for this problem, it is worth highlighting the elementary ingress of moisture into the well. In frosty weather, the water freezes and does not allow you to insert the key or turn it. There is nothing terrible here, because a frozen castle in a car due to moisture is a common occurrence.
Another reason is seizure due to exposure to water and other fluids. Here it is already more and more serious, since the lock can rust and fail and it can no longer be opened without a specialist.
And now a few words about the consequences. They can be very different: from elementary to complete or partial replacement of the lock. You can even break the key, but if there is a duplicate, that's half the trouble, but if there is only one, then replacing the locks is definitely inevitable. To prevent the consequences from becoming even sadder, you do not need to pour warm or hot water on or into the castle.
How to solve the problem without harm to the car
In 90% of cases, this problem is resolved, but without various kinds of damage ends up about 60% of the total mass. When you need to open the lock as quickly as possible, then this is another matter. So, let's consider the most relevant today ways of opening frozen car door locks:
- Use of silicone-based products (defrosters). From the can, it is enough to pshik once or twice into the lock, and the door opens with ease.
- Hair dryer. If there is such an opportunity, then in 5-7 minutes everything will thaw out, and the larva of the castle will turn.
- The use of a "liquid key" is a special tool that allows you to open the door in a couple of minutes.
This is not the whole list, but the tools really help and work. If there is no way to use at least something from the list, then all is not lost.
We open with improvised means
You can use a lighter, preferably not an ordinary one, but an autogenous one. Care should be taken not to damage the paint, and also not to keep the fire on for too long. Another rather dangerous, but perhaps the most effective way is to use. If the door lock in the car is frozen, it will definitely help. But you should beware of getting on the paint, as it will be damaged. Therefore, after using this method, it is advisable to rinse the whole thing with water, but already in a warm room.
Hot objects (cigarette lighter, etc.) can be applied directly to the lock. Warm air always helps, but if there is no hair dryer nearby, then you have to cope yourself. To do this, you can take a thin tube, like a straw, insert it into the keyhole and breathe this way for a couple of minutes. It almost always works. You can, of course, pour warm water over the castle, but this can cause a lot of problems, especially if the water begins to freeze.
Using eau de toilette is also an option. It contains elements that help melt ice. But it must be borne in mind that there may be aggressive components that can corrode the metal. However, in emergencies it is a great solution for everyone.
To prevent the door lock in the car from freezing, prevention will help
In order not to get into a difficult situation and not stay on the street after work or simply not get to it, you need to remember about prevention, which has not harmed anyone yet. The first and foremost thing to remember is the lack of moisture in the castle. To do this, you must constantly wipe the water key, if any, and also try to protect the keyhole in winter.
This can be done with the help of ice cream. The castle is processed before winter, which helps to completely eliminate the risk of freezing. We have already decided how to open the frozen lock in the car, but we need to say a few more words about solving this problem. The fact is that sometimes the seals freeze, and it would seem that the problem is solved, but no - the door does not open. The same hair dryer, warm water, etc. can help here. facilities.
Using a regular liquid lubricant will help prevent freezing. Just a few drops in each keyhole are enough, and the problem will not appear throughout the season. The penetrating liquid WD-40 is ideal, which has already established itself among Russian motorists as a reliable method of prevention.
What you must always remember
Not everyone knows, but liquid for cleaning glass of a car (windshield wiper) contains a certain percentage of alcohol, so it can be used as a defrosting agent. Of course, if it is frozen in the car, then it is advisable to deal with this with professional means, which will not only extend the life of the lock, but also quickly solve the problem.
The use of open fire is an option, but as a last resort. Better to get a battery-powered hair dryer and put it in the trunk. For prevention, door seals are treated with glycerin or a special silicone-based spray. You can add a little graphite dust, and also occasionally lubricate.
If the key does not fit into the frozen lock in the car, then you can use a screwdriver and try to break off a layer of ice, perhaps the larva is not frozen, and this will solve the problem. You can face the problem of freezing, which rarely happens, but at the most inopportune moment. WD-40 or 10 minutes of hair dryer work will help here. If the problem persists, then it can be solved by heating the entire lock. Do not use open fire, since the ignition lock has a lot of contacts (switches for turns, headlights, emergency signaling), if one of them is damaged, further ignition can occur. That, perhaps, is all that can be said about how to open a frozen car lock with minimal time costs and without damaging the car.
