Electric Locks - Frozen?

[kpaske]

This morning in the Seattle area, temperatures dipped below 20 degrees farenhiet, and my electric locks failed to function. Using either the remote or the door switch, I could hear the switch clicking, but the locks wouldn't lock or unlock.

Once the temperature warmed up above freezing they started working again. Is it possible both my solenoids were frozen, or could it have been something else?

[johnnyapollo]

The solenoids need to draw quite a bit of power to activate. Sounds to me like the battery was weakened by the cold. It could be current to the door solenoids was attenuated due to the cold affecting your cranking amps. Have your battery checked. I don't think the cold would affect the relays or solenoids themselves. Water/moisture would actually need to get into the doors and freeze up the solenoids which shouldn't happen under normal conditions.

-- John

[kpaske]

Well, I don't think it was a power issue, as they didn't function even when the car was running (not to mention, if my battery were that low, the VX probably wouldn't have started). I don't think any large amount of moisture could have accumulated in the doors, but I have had lock cylinders in other cars freeze up with very little moisture. Any other ideas?

[Dallas4u]

Son of a BEEOTCH!!!! Mine was doing the same thing yesterday!

It was only my drivers side door that I was having problems with, so I had to crawl in through the passenger side. Good to know it is working for you again. I'm out of town (for two weeks) and was dreading finding the problem when I got back. I may just go ahead and get a new battery, just for the heck of it.

[WyrreJ]

It was only my drivers side door that I was having problems with, so I had to crawl in through the passenger side.

You couldn't just use the key?

[Dallas4u]

You know, I can't remember exactly why I had to crawl through, but I remember trying to use the key either when I found out, or when I was at the store, and I couldn't get it to work.

I need to get back home (traveling for work right now) and check it out. Portland has been getting BEATEN down with snow, sleet, and rain (then freezing on the ground) since Saturday. I have another week in Jersey, so hopefully the weather will be ok when I get back.

[migil]

Being in South Florida we don't even get close to those low temps; however I had a similar problem with my electric locks and it was simply a bad contact in the driver's master electric window/lock control module.

When the weather gets better you may want to take a look at it - Probably some moisture or dirt got to it. Make sure to disconnect all connectors from that module and clean them with a connector/electronic spray cleaner. Seat them back correctly and your problem will be gone.

Hope this helps.

[kpaske]

So far it only happened that one day; fortunately using the key still worked, so no crawling through the passenger door for me. It really wasn't a big deal, but if something is going bad I'd like to get it fixed before they stop working all together. Maybe when the weather gets nicer I'll dig into my driver's door and try your suggestion.

[ThirtyftFL]

I have the same problem. It is deffinately because of cold weather. The first time it happened was last year with the driver side, not too cold out. Then whe the tepm dipped down around 15 to 20 the passanger starts to freeze. The key works fine and it has never happened in the summer, so my guess would be that it is something with the cold. Perhaps I will make a trip to the dealer this week.

[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....

[vxaddict]

LOL - thanks for all of the recent responses. I'm not quite having problems with the lock cylinder actually getting frozen and/or not being able to open/close the door using the key.

It's really an issue w/ the electric motor for the power locks not working on the drivers side when really cold. Basically I can't rely on locking the door w/ the keyfob/alarm since its not consistently working.

Thankfully I haven't had to drive in circles w/ the heater going on full blast yet!

Actually, VXKat's story reminded me of my first car in HS. I had a 1985 Mercedes Benz Diesel (300D Turbo). It had 150k when I got it, with a broken turbo, accelerated 0-60 in 5 minutes, and refused to start in negative degree weather since the diesel fuel would gel up. I had to pour in additive to get it started, and my parents wrote me a note that gave me permission to go out in the parking lot and start my car during school hours just so that I wouldn't get stuck after school.

It wasn't all bad though - the car lasted another 50k miles, and had a huge backseat. It was built like a tank, despite the rear bumper rusting out... Great college roadtrip car.

[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??