Defrosting car door locks - a few hacks to gain access to your car on frosty mornings.
So we are in wintertime now and although the weather has not been too bad so far, we have had a few really cold and frosty mornings.
When the temperature drops and you find it hard to get your key into the lock, it can be quite frustrating, especially when we are in a hurry.
If you find you have to defrost a car door lock this winter, here are some hacks that can help you if they freeze up.
It is very easy for car door locks to freeze up overnight which means that sometimes we cannot even get into our own cars.
Here are a couple of quick hacks which you can use to try to defrost the lock and gain access to your car.
Probably the simplest thing to do is to spray some de-icer into the lock, which should remove any ice on the locking mechanism.
If it is still difficult to get the key into the lock or turn it while in there then you could also try and heat up the key slightly.
Try warming the key up slightly be moving the metal part over a flame from a lighter or match. This can generate enough heat on the key which could allow the key to turn the lock.
Obviously, you need to be careful while doing this as you don’t want to melt the plastic casing or damage the key itself. Just slightly warming the key for a few seconds is enough help it melt the ice.
Another simple hack is to apply a little hand sanitiser to both the lock and the key which could also have the effect of melting the ice, as it contains alcohol.
Another way, to gain access to your car during winter is to prevent the locks freezing in the first place. Many drivers carry a can of WD40 and this could also be used to good effect to open the door in frosty conditions. The WD40 solution displaces water and can help avoid water getting into the lock and freezing over. This is best done the night before you use the car as a preventative method of the locks freezing up.
Author
Justin Kavanagh
Justin Kavanagh is a recognised leader
in automotive intelligence and vehicle
data supply to the entire motor industry.
He has almost 20 years experience in
building systems from the ground up.
As the Managing Director of Vehicle
Management System, he understands the
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