Frozen locks

[benjj]

I am a bit soft in the head.

-8c this morning in the Dales so I casually walked past the Range Rover with its heated seats, heated steering wheel, heated front screen, dual zone climate, freshly siliconed locks and door seals, grippy tyres and 4 wheel drive and tried to jump into the 31 year old Porsche 944 for my commute.

I say tried as it was as frozen as a nun's knickers.

Step one was getting into the little brute. I poured some very hot water into a bottle, heated the key to the temperature of the sun's angry brother and, hey presto, I was in.

There followed 10 miles of pretending to be Stig Blomkvist as I piloted the fat little Porsche through the Dales; tremendous fun.

However, upon arriving at my bureau I find that the door locks are now as (re)frozen as Cliff Richards' Y-Fronts. Porsche have also added that ingenious feature where you can't lock the driver's door by pushing down the button so you can't accidentally lock yourself out. This means that I am now in a cafe drinking my third espresso mulling over what to do.

I could borrow a cup of hot water from the cafe to heat the lock and key again as I did this morning. However, temps will stay low here all day so I'll just be left with the same problem when I come to attempt the (rally) drive home at tea time.

Anyone have any ideas how to a) clear out the lock permanently of freezable materiel and b) keep it that way?

Would a squirt of WD40 / penetrating oil sort me out? There is a little hardware shop here in town who sells such mystery potions...

I had so much fun on my commute that I'm planning to use it right through the winter. If I could come up with a permanent solution to the freezing locks it would save me a lot of time and swearing each morn.

[CAPP0]

Hot water trick followed by WD40 into the lock = getting home on time tonight

[benjj]

CAPP0 said:

Hot water trick followed by WD40 into the lock = getting home on time tonight

HUZAR. Thanks.

I've just managed to get it to lock by procuring a £1 can of de-icer from a grubby looking market trader. It took a while and I was a little bit scared of snapping the key in two but it is now locked and my precious collection of cigarettes, cigarette lighters, Credence Clearwater Revival tapes and misc receipts are now safe from the local roaming glue sniffers.

Once the sun has taken the edge off the day (we expect to hit 1c today) I'll nip out and buy some WD40 and follow your plan, Baldrick. Much obliged.

[CAPP0]

YVW. When I read the title and before opening the OP, I must admit that my first thoughts were who doesn't have remote central locking these days! But all became clear.

I however SHALL be using the multitudinous heating elements (including the one wrapped around the steering wheel) which only an L322 can deliver

[benjj]

CAPP0 said:

YVW. When I read the title and before opening the OP, I must admit that my first thoughts were who doesn't have remote central locking these days! But all became clear.

I however SHALL be using the multitudinous heating elements (including the one wrapped around the steering wheel) which only an L322 can deliver

I actually feel great having used the car in these temperatures and conditions.

Here is a snap of me defrosting the interior. Yes, I do mean melting the ice from the inside of the screen. Fortunately my rally kit includes a small 12v ceramic fan heater so I could enjoy a Marlboro with one hand while the other directed hot air onto the offending forzen bits.

[LordBretSinclair]

If nothing else is to "hand" just pee on the locks

[benjj]

LordBretSinclair said:

If nothing else is to "hand" just pee on the locks

It won't fit in the lock

[XG332]

Little probe comes out and heats up the lock.

Edited by XG332 on Friday 30th November 11:28

[rallycross]

dont use the lock, leave it open, nothing inside, immobiliser on.
who'd want to steal an old 944 in cold weather anyway ,a good thief will take your landrover instead given a choice"

[Huntsman]

benjj said:

I actually feel great having used the car in these temperatures and conditions.

Likewise, I drove the 20 miles to work in my 29 year 520i BMW and my wife drove her 20 year old Merc SL. Really, anything built post 1980 should be fine for daily use.

With my newly improved heating in the Morris (I learnt how to turn it on...) I would have been fine in the little fella this morning.

[benjj]

rallycross said:

dont use the lock, leave it open, nothing inside, immobiliser on.
who'd want to steal an old 944 in cold weather anyway ,a good thief will take your landrover instead given a choice"

Immobiliser. Is this some new fangled kind of computerised calculating engine?

[lowdrag]

XG332 said:

Little probe comes out and heats up the lock.

Edited by XG332 on Friday 30th November 11:28

That might help me have a pee on cold days too

[benjj]

XG332 said:

Little probe comes out and heats up the lock.

Edited by XG332 on Friday 30th November 11:28

That is very groovy

[na]

benjj said:

rallycross said:

dont use the lock, leave it open, nothing inside, immobiliser on.
who'd want to steal an old 944 in cold weather anyway ,a good thief will take your landrover instead given a choice"

Immobiliser. Is this some new fangled kind of computerised calculating engine?

he must mean something like a Krooklok

I'd never advise on a public web site to leave your car unlocked in this weather and have never done this even with my Skodas in the mid-to-late 80s or any of my softtop cars where you only needed to lift a few poppers to be able to fully reach in and unlock the car from the inside door handle

somewhere we still have two small cans of lock de-icer from possibly the 90s

in an emergency a small can of WD40 in the glove box may help with some problems but where a releasing or penetrating fluid is really need forget WD40 and get something like PlusGas and apply and then leave as long as possible to soak, overnight if possible, then try to slightly tighten to crack the rust/crud seal before undoing, if it does work repeat whole process, I've never known it fail

but I think WD40 and PlusGas wouldn't by themselves help with a frozen door

[spoodler]

A couple of my old cars have been prone to frozen locks - I've left them unlocked with nowt worth nicking left inside. I use a padlock and chain through the steering wheel and seat frame/brake pedal etc. same as on my soft tops.

[na]

you must frequent rough areas !

as I put I'd never suggest on a web site ever leaving your car unlocked and I never do or have done in case any insurance people should see this - even though it would make sense to me to leave the car unlocked as always I'd forget what makes sense and fully follow any insurers instruction to fully comply with the insurance contract I've made with them

[kiethton]

I have exactly the same issue with my 924 (daily driver), although as it has remote locking & an immobiliser it is the ignition that has frozen.....

I will remember the wd40 trick, although I currently put a small amount of electrical tape over the key hole when I park (don't help that much though....

[na]

I'm not sure how WD40 contributes anything,unless I'm missing something even for lubricating the locks it wouldn't be the best stuff to use

[fourwheelsteer]

Isn't the WD part of the WD40 name meant to signify "Water Displacer"? So it will remove the water from the lock, therefore nothing in the lock to freeze. Or something like that.

[benjj]

I've been doing a fair bit of reading on the matter today!

WD40 will expel all water from the lock but will also eventually remove the grease in there. There are only really 2 solutions:

1) Frequently (as in 3/4 times a year) give the locks a(nother) blast of WD40 or other lubricant to keep things moving.

2) Don't use WD40 in the first place, use a few sprays of silicon followed by a spray of light white spray grease which will act in a similar way to the WD40 anyway.

I'm going to try option 2 tonight and see how we go.