What To Do When The Freezing Weather Gets To Your Car
Posted on: 29 February 2016
Cold weather can be difficult on your vehicle, especially if you leave it parked outside at night. Here are a few things you can do if your car door or lock are frozen.
Frozen Door
If you are able to put your key in the lock, but are not able to open your door, then the door is frozen, not the lock.
There are a few different things you can do when your door is frozen shut:
- Wait & See: If you are not in a hurry, you can wait for it to warm up outside and for your door to unfreeze naturally.
- Push & Shove: If you need to leave right away, you can give your door a little push and shove. When you try to open your door, give it a nice push inward, and then try to pull open your door. Pushing it inward should help break up the ice that is keeping it sealed shut.
- Hot Water & Towel: If the above method doesn't work, you can take a cup of hot water and pour it around your door jam. This should melt the ice that is holding your door in place. However, you'll want to make sure that you have a towel handy so you can wipe away the water. This prevents your door from freezing shut again and water from dripping on you as you get into your car.
- Try, Try Again: Finally, you can always try a different door. Especially if you park outside, one side of your vehicle may be more protected from the elements. You may be able to get into your car from the passenger side and climb into the driver's seat. By the time you drive to your destination, your car should have warmed up enough so you can open the driver's side door from the inside without a problem.
Frozen Lock
If you are not able to even insert your key into the lock, or you are not able to turn the key inside the lock, then the lock is frozen. Here are a few things you can do when that happens:
- Wait & See: Once again, if you are not in a hurry, you can wait until it gets a little warmer outside and your lock unfreezes naturally.
- Sanitize, sanitize: If you have some hand sanitizer nearby, squeeze some of it all over your key. Then, take your key and insert it in and out of your car's lock a couple of times. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer should help melt the ice and get your lock working again. You can also rub some hand sanitizer on the outside of the lock as well.
- Warm Water: Take a cup of warm water and soak your key in it for a little while, till your key is warm to the touch. Then, insert the key in and out of the lock. Next, pour the warm water over the lock. The combination of the warm key and the warm water should get your lock moving again.
- Try Something Different: Don't forget to try your other locks! Just because the driver's side lock is stuck doesn't mean all the locks are. You may be able to unlock a different door and get into your car that way.
The next time you find yourself frozen out of your car, use the methods above to get into your car and get going with your day. If you still can't get into your car, contact a company like Roland Park Lock And Key to help you get into your vehicle.
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