User ReviewedHow to Open Frozen Car Doors Three Methods:Unfreezing Door Seals or HandlesUnfreezing Car LocksPreventing Frozen DoorsCommunity Q&A Car doors freeze shut when water seeps between the seal and the car frame, or into the lock itself. To get inside your car, you'll need to dissolve the ice with heat, or with a solvent such as alcohol. Push on your car door. Apply pressure by leaning on your frozen door. Push as hard as you can against the door. The pressure could break the ice around the door's seal, enabling you to open the door. This section assumes you can unlock your car, but not open it. If the lock itself is frozen, skip to the section below. Chip away the ice. Pour lukewarm water over the rubber seals. Fill a cup, bucket or another container with lukewarm water. Pour the water around the seal of the door to thaw the ice. You may need to repeat this several times if the ice is thick. Once the door is open, dry off the inside of the seal with a towel to prevent re-freezing.

Never use hot water, or the temperature difference could shatter your window glass.[1] Even cold water from the hose can do the trick, since it is warmer than the ice. Car doors most often freeze where the rubber seal is worn or damaged, allowing water to seep in and freeze. If you notice any damage, focus on that area while pouring. Spray on commercial de-icer. You can find de-icer products at auto shops and hardware stores. These both dissolve the ice, and leave lubricant behind to help prevent further moisture from collecting.[3] In a pinch, you can substitute a homemade mixture: Rubbing alcohol can dissolve ice, but repeated use may damage your rubber gasket. Some varieties of windshield wiper fluid are mostly alcohol, and can serve the same purpose. Diluted white vinegar is a last resort, as it leaves a lingering smell and — according to some — may leave pock marks on the window glass. Start the car remotely. Heat the frozen seal with a blow dryer.

If you have a battery-operated model or an extension cord long enough to reach your car, this is another DIY way to melt the ice — but potentially a hazardous one. Move the blow dryer constantly back and forth across the door seal. Too much heat in one spot could break the glass, especially if there are existing cracks or chips. Spray lubricant on the key or lock. This works best if you spray the key, or place a straw against the lock and spray through the straw. timber garage doors nswYou may use any of the following:[6]cheap windshield repair phoenix az PTFE powder lubricant (best for prevention)buy ring doorbell in canada Warning: avoid WD40, grease lubricant, and silicone lubricant, which can gum up the lock. garage door threshold canada

Graphite is safe in small quantities. Do not combine multiple lubricants. Blow warm air into the lock. Place a cardboard toilet paper roll or another cylindrical object over the lock to direct the air. Heat the lock by blowing into the roll with your breath or a blow dryer.[8] This may take some time.After parking outside, cover the car with a tarp to keep ice off the doors, locks, and windshield.[9] Cover the hood as well in extreme weather conditions to prevent more serious malfunction.frameless shower doors vaughan Shut a plastic trash bag in the door. garage door service greenville scBefore closing your door in icy weather, place a trash bag between the door and the frame so they cannot freeze together.french patio door rough opening

Wipe a protective product over the rubber seals. It's best to use a special rubber conditioner from an auto shop.[12] Silicone spray is usually fine, but may damage silicone rubber, so consider checking with the car manufacturer first. Petroleum products and cooking spray are common DIY options, but they can wear down the rubber over time. Check your locking rods. If you are able to remove your door panel, do so and investigate the rod that operates the lock. If it looks icy or corroded, spray it with de-icer.[13] An auto shop can do this for you if you prefer. Show more unanswered questions Test the lock gently. The key may break if you try to turn it by force. Check all doors in the vehicle, plus the trunk if you can reach the driver's seat by crawling through it. The frozen doors should thaw as you drive. Avoid washing your car in cold weather to reduce the chance of water entering the door. December 12, 2010, 3:02:05 AM EST Winter's bitter winds can freeze car door locks, windows and doors.

Use these quick and easy tips to combat the ice.Nothing can be more frustrating than finding your car door locks frozen when you are ready to leave. Another way to prevent frozen locks is to dip your key into Vaseline, put it into the lock, and turn the lock back and forth a few times. Repeat this to make sure the Vaseline is well-distributed onto the parts of the lock. WD-40 can also prevent locks from freezing.If you find the lock already frozen, you can spay de-icer into the lock. It is good to keep a few cans handy in the winter months. If you do not have de-icer, heating up the key could offer a quick fix. Hold the key with an oven mitt or tongs and heat the key with a lighter or matches. The heated key inserted into the lock should melt the ice. If the key is made of only metal, you can heat the key while it is in the lock. Do not try this with keys that have plastic at the top.Petroleum jelly or Vaseline can melt the ice. Dip the key into the Vaseline, then insert it into the lock.

Once in the lock try to wiggle the key. Do not force the key to turn; this could result in breaking the key off in the lock. If this does not work right away, repeat the steps three or four more times, then wait for five minutes.As a last resort when all else fails, you can use a hair dryer. Plug the dryer into an extension cord, and direct the air at the lock. Make sure to block any wind with your body. When using this method, you can put the key into the lock to help direct the heat.When you push the button to roll down your power window and it does not go down, do not keep pushing the button. The window is likely frozen to the weather strip on the outside of the car. .The best thing to do is to insert a credit card or plastic comb between the window and the strip. This should help to break up the ice. Remove the ice as you go.If you can, wait until the car interior warms up. The ice should then melt shortly. You can prevent your door from freezing shut by spraying the door frame with spray cooking lubricant like Pam.If you have not treated the doors and find them frozen shut, try these steps to unfreeze them.