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So now there is YET another problem with my car (I swear its just one thing after another)

It was very cold these last few days, and now my driver side, and passenger side doors are frozen shut. I got the passenger side door open finally - but the driver side is not giving any sign of progress. It's almost like the lock isn't working. When I hit the "Unlock" switch. . .the driver side door doesn't unlock. . .I tried to open it from the inside, and now the door handle is just sticking out all stuck.

What's a guy to do? I tried dipping my key in some WD-40 and inserting it - but it barely seemed to help. I don't want to try to force the door to unlock - in fear of breaking it more.

Angelbroken wrote:So now there is YET another problem with my car (I swear its just one thing after another)

It was very cold these last few days, and now my driver side, and passenger side doors are frozen shut. I got the passenger side door open finally - but the driver side is not giving any sign of progress. It's almost like the lock isn't working. When I hit the "Unlock" switch. . .the driver side door doesn't unlock. . .I tried to open it from the inside, and now the door handle is just sticking out all stuck.

What's a guy to do? I tried dipping my key in some WD-40 and inserting it - but it barely seemed to help. I don't want to try to force the door to unlock - in fear of breaking it more.

WD-40 will not help on a frozen lock.

what I would do personally is wait until it warms up and then maybe lube the mechanicals with some grease.

this is not an uncommon problem, and i wouldn't blame it on the car. most likely, the doors are unlocked but just frozen shut around the outer part of the door and maybe the rubber seals. it's happened to my cars, albeit not as badly, but it did happen really bad to my friend tom's POS sunfire. it took several minutes of us both ramming into the doors to get them to open. talk about nervewracking

It sounds like the actual locking mechanism inside the door is frozen, and not the key cylinder so WD-40 won't help. When you press the unlock button, the motor/servo tries to disengage the lock, but the levers don't move, and the motor is definitely not strong enough to overcome it. You will have to find some way to warm the door up enough to defrost the lock mechanisms. Try getting a bucket of warm water (not hot), then pour it over the entire door. Repeat until the door unlocks. Or push it into the garage and aim a space heater at the door. Some time in the future, you might need to (or have a mechanic) check the door innards to see if they are rusting.

You got the passenger side door open. Start the car and run the heat for a couple hours. That'll un-freeze the lock, if it's frozen.

What kind of car? Does it not have an interior manual lock control that's physically connected to the lock mechanism?

If it's just the door frozen shut, you have options. Here are a few:
1. Hip-check the door. It can close a little more by compressing the gasket. Doing this breaks the ice seal.
2. Spray windshield de-icer at the offending ice.
3. Break the offending ice with your plastic scraper, carefully.
4. Hair dryer and patience.

The cars a 1997 Honda Prelude.

The driver side lock seems completely stuck. I went in through the passnager side and tried to open it from the inside, but all that happened is the door handle is now sticking out and wont go back in (great). The manual lock wont release either. When I move it to unlock, It sluggishly moves back to lock. The electronic "Lock" switch makes noise, but doesn't unlock the door. (or gives any visable sign)

I tried being rough with it - but no success. I think I just damaged it further =/

Here's a tip for anyone who is experiencing doors frozen shut due to the rubber door seals:

Get a spray can of silicone spray and spray a clean rag until it is pretty well saturated. Then wipe the rag over all door seals (a lot of cars have one on the door and one in the door jamb) to prevent the seals from keeping the door frozen shut. I do this to my vehicles every year, just before winter and it works amazingly well to keep the doors easy to open, no matter what the weather.

Shadow wrote:Here's a tip for anyone who is experiencing doors frozen shut due to the rubber door seals:

Get a spray can of silicone spray and spray a clean rag until it is pretty well saturated. Then wipe the rag over all door seals (a lot of cars have one on the door and one in the door jamb) to prevent the seals from keeping the door frozen shut. I do this to my vehicles every year, just before winter and it works amazingly well to keep the doors easy to open, no matter what the weather.

That's a good tip that I forgot. I used to do that with my vehicles once they got older than a couple years and the rubber needed to be refreshed a bit.

Shadow wrote:Here's a tip for anyone who is experiencing doors frozen shut due to the rubber door seals:

Get a spray can of silicone spray and spray a clean rag until it is pretty well saturated. Then wipe the rag over all door seals (a lot of cars have one on the door and one in the door jamb) to prevent the seals from keeping the door frozen shut. I do this to my vehicles every year, just before winter and it works amazingly well to keep the doors easy to open, no matter what the weather.

Thats a very good tip. What about the trunk seal? Will it effect sealing performance? Should we even bother with that?

bk7794 wrote:

Shadow wrote:Here's a tip for anyone who is experiencing doors frozen shut due to the rubber door seals:

Get a spray can of silicone spray and spray a clean rag until it is pretty well saturated. Then wipe the rag over all door seals (a lot of cars have one on the door and one in the door jamb) to prevent the seals from keeping the door frozen shut. I do this to my vehicles every year, just before winter and it works amazingly well to keep the doors easy to open, no matter what the weather.

Thats a very good tip. What about the trunk seal? Will it effect sealing performance? Should we even bother with that?

Works just as well on the trunk. No sealing issues, just smooth opening....

Back when men were men and keys were metal, I'd sometimes thaw a frozen key cylinder by inserting the key into the lock and warming the "handle" end of the key with a Belle Isle Conservatory lighter apparatus.

Preventive lubrication of the door latches is a good idea, as is lubrication of the door seals with silicone oil.

When door latches or seals do freeze, one, or two, can sometimes crawl through a rear hatch or trunk pass-through to get inside and drive off. I've not had the doors stay frozen after a 20 minute drive home with the HVAC temperature control and blower speed both set on "high", but of course, your mileage may vary, contest void in Rhode Island, Amish drivers only and family members are not eligible.

Rope-Pusher wrote:Back when men were men and keys were metal, I'd sometimes thaw a frozen key cylinder by inserting the key into the lock and warming the "handle" end of the key with a Belle Isle Conservatory lighter apparatus.

Preventive lubrication of the door latches is a good idea, as is lubrication of the door seals with silicone oil.

When door latches or seals do freeze, one, or two, can sometimes crawl through a rear hatch or trunk pass-through to get inside and drive off. I've not had the doors stay frozen after a 20 minute drive home with the HVAC temperature control and blower speed both set on "high", but of course, your mileage may vary, contest void in Rhode Island, Amish drivers only and family members are not eligible.

So theholycow is out on that one XD...

I had a friend that bought a brand new 08 focus and ended up having lock issues. The dealer told him to warm the key by using a lighter.

bk7794 wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote:contest void in Rhode Island, Amish drivers only and family members are not eligible.

So theholycow is out on that one XD...

well, tonight he is at least

I had a friend that bought a brand new 08 focus and ended up having lock issues. The dealer told him to warm the key by using a lighter.

i'd be afraid of either burning my hands or melting/warping the key

potownrob wrote:

bk7794 wrote:

Rope-Pusher wrote:contest void in Rhode Island, Amish drivers only and family members are not eligible.

So theholycow is out on that one XD...

well, tonight he is at least

Contest is void but the procedure still works.

theholycow wrote:You got the passenger side door open. Start the car and run the heat for a couple hours. That'll un-freeze the lock, if it's frozen.