Tip #6: A frozen door is usually ice in the seal, not a broken lock
When a car door will not open after freezing rain, the rubber seal is usually iced to the frame. Push firmly on the door to crack the ice, try the other doors, and never pour hot water on the car.
Tip #6 in one line
When a car door will not open after freezing rain, the rubber seal is usually iced to the frame. Push firmly on the door to crack the ice, try the other doors, and never pour hot water on the car.
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Call nowFigure out what is frozen
There are two different problems that look alike. If the remote unlocks the car but the door will not budge, ice has bonded the rubber weatherstrip to the frame. If the key will not turn in the cylinder, water has frozen inside the lock itself.
Most modern cars are unlocked by the remote, so the seal is the more common culprit. Pulling hard on the handle is the most common way drivers break a door handle in January.
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Call nowBreaking the seal
Lean into the door with the flat of your hand or your shoulder, pressing around the edges. That small push often cracks the ice along the seal without any pulling at all. Then try the handle gently.
Try every door, including the rear hatch. One is often less exposed to the wind and opens easily. Get in, start the engine with the tailpipe clear, and let the heater work on the rest.
For a frozen lock cylinder, a commercial lock de-icer is made for exactly this. Keep a can at home or at work, not in the glovebox of the car that is frozen shut.
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Call nowWhat not to do
Do not pour hot or boiling water on the door or glass. The sudden change in temperature can crack a window, and the water runs into the seals and lock and refreezes harder than before.
Do not chip at the seal with a knife or screwdriver. A torn weatherstrip lets water into the door and causes the same problem every cold night after.
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Call nowPreventing a repeat
Remember that a lock cylinder you rarely use is the one most likely to seize. If your car has a key slot on the driver's door, use it once in a while in mild weather so it keeps working, and keep a can of lock lubricant made for automotive locks for the fall. A little prevention costs far less than a new handle or lock.
After a wash or before an ice storm, wipe the door seals dry. A silicone spray made for rubber weatherstrip helps keep water from bonding to it. If you can, park facing the morning sun.
If the car opens but will not start after the freeze, a jump start is one flat price quoted when you call (908) 444-0129. For keys locked inside, see car lockout.
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Call nowMore on winter
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Tip #1: The first cold morning is when a weak battery quits
- Tip #3: In extreme cold, crank in short bursts and turn everything off first
- Tip #4: Stuck in snow, stop spinning the wheels and check the tailpipe
- Tip #5: Clear the roof, hood and lights before you drive; New Jersey law requires it
- Tip #7: An iced-over car needs ten extra minutes, not a hammer
- Tip #90: Replace wiper blades before they streak, and clear the whole car of snow
- What to do when your car breaks down in New Jersey
- Flatbed vs wheel-lift towing: which does your car need?
- All posts
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