Extremely cold weather can make locks freeze, which can force you to spend so much time outside your houses or cars trying to thaw frozen locks.
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The alcohol content on your hand sanitizer lowers the freezing point of water. It can dissolve the ice inside your frozen locks in an instant.
Squeeze some hand sanitizer on your key before inserting it into the lock. Make sure not to apply too much force as the key might break. Wait for a few seconds and allow the ice to melt before turning the key.
Petroleum jelly and other similar lubricants can also thaw frozen locks.
Just stick your key into the petroleum jelly before putting it inside the lock. Leave it for a few minutes, then turn the key slowly, making sure not to break any of the lock mechanisms inside.
You can also simply apply heat to unfreeze your locks. Use a match or a lighter to warm your key before sticking it into the frozen lock.
Remember to be careful when using this method. Wear gloves and don’t flame up your key if you applied sanitizer or petroleum jelly onto it.
Your mug of hot tea or coffee can help melt the ice in a frozen lock. Submerge your key into a cup of hot liquid so the metal would become warm.
Dry your key before inserting it into the lock or the liquid might freeze again in a few minutes.
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Another thing that you always have with you that can unfreeze your locks is the warm air coming out of your mouth – your breath.
Simply cover the lock with your hands and blow your warm breath onto the frozen lock for a few seconds. If your key won’t still work, just continue blowing and the ice should melt in no time.
Using a hairdryer can allow the warm air to reach inside the lock mechanism.
Apply it directly into the frozen lock for a few minutes. Afterward, heat up your key before putting it inside. You may also use a toilet paper tube and put it between the frozen lock and hairdryer to funnel the heat to the lock for faster-melting action.
Putting WD-40 on your locks can keep the ice from building up inside.
Squirt a small amount of this item and apply it in your locks on a weekly basis to prevent them from freezing.
OR, if you’re putting together your own Winter car safety kit, consider adding THIS PRODUCT to it for easy de-icing.
Is simply thawing your frozen locks not enough? Watch this video from The Modern Rogue in case you need to break your frozen locks:
Now you don’t need to freeze outside while waiting for a locksmith to save your day.
Be prepared for winter and try any of these items to thaw your frozen keylocks. Again, make sure not to force anything during the process. You don’t want to break the key or the lock and be left stuck freezing outside.
Do you have other ideas on how to defrost locks? Share them with us in the comments section below!
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I have to get in my truck bed for stuff for work tomorrow since it's snowing and ill be working
I can hear the locks release and lock as I pull/push on the gate.
But the tail gate is frozen shut, ideas on how to get open and then how to prevent freezing. Maybe rub Vaseline on the edges.
I have a tonneau cover on so that's why I need it open. Hoping after school today it's warmed up enough and it's thawed enough I can get it to open and then get the stuff I need out, an hopefully help prevent it from happening again.
Thanks
Cody
Get some of that spray windshield deicer in a can at the auto parts store and spray the s**t out of both sides.
Also get in the handle area and the latches at the bed.
Thanks man
I was thinking about that while I've been in school
Wolford Racing 248
Cody's Mowing Service, Joe's Tire, Lashley Tractor sales, FCR Supension (of Wheeling West Virginia), Fly Racing, Oury Grips USA, Rocky Mountain ATV MC, Meyers Coatings
Pee on it.
Warms it right up.
boil some water....probably not the best idea though.
Luckily it thawed out while I was at school.
Thanks!!
hot water is your friend
doesnt have to be boiling, dont hurt yourself
I've had good luck spraying silicone type lube on locks , latches , door trim rubber , etc.
to keep them from re-freezing . Instead of staying wet it kind of dries to a film that moisture doesn't seem to freeze to as easily .
That's what I was reading online
I used Vaseline of the edges of my tailgate on top.
So it doesn't freeze to the tonneau cover bar or the chrome edge I have in the doesn't freeze to the side of the truck on the tailgate
Vaseline eh?
GeorgiePorgie said:
Vaseline eh?
Click to expand.
..
Honestly it worked
We had a couple cold icy nights and it popped right open the next morning
October 9, 2017
If the lock is frozen or the doors are frozen, the main thing is not to panic, but to use proven methods of defrosting!
Is the door frozen? No panic! The car has several of them, so try to open others. Do not give in? Again, set aside panic: we press on the door along the contour and tap it with the palm of our hand.
The ice may crumble and the door will give way.
Before starting the procedure, it is recommended to clean the edges of the doors from ice and snow with a brush or other improvised means.
Tired of knocking and brushing? Then purchase car chemicals for processing rubber car door seals to avoid freezing. If the door is already frozen, treat the surfaces and joints with a defroster from the winter car care line.
Note! A frozen door cannot be jerked sharply - the seal will come off
If the ignition lock is frozen, it can be warmed up in the same ways as the locks on the doors.
Wiper blades have a tendency to freeze and become covered with frost. By turning on such "wipers" there is a risk of burning the wiper motor and / or scratching the windshield.
Ice on the glass is removed by cleaners with defrost components.
After starting the engine, wait to turn on the stove so that the engine warms up faster.
On a manual transmission, the clutch must be depressed when starting in cold weather.
Gear oil thickens at low temperatures.
After starting the engine, the box must be allowed to warm up. This is especially important for automatic transmissions.
Automotive expert tip : To warm up the electrolyte in the battery, turn on the low beam for 10-15 seconds. Helps, however, with mild frost.
When starting the car, do not turn the starter for more than 10 seconds. If during this time it does not start, then stop torturing the unit.
At the end, a working technique for warming the washer reservoir:
If the ice has not completely filled the tank, then pour warm defrosting liquid, vodka or alcohol into it in proportions of 1:3 or 1:5
Pour a mixture of cold water and cheap vodka into an empty tank
If the ice has completely occupied the entire volume of the container, then you need to drill a hole in the ice and pour the defrosting liquid into it. Alternatively, put the car in a warm parking lot and start it.
For those who like to melt ice with a boiler, it is worth remembering that it is necessary to warm up with short inclusions.
Be sure to remove moisture from the gas tank before the onset of cold weather. This can be done with the help of moisture removers. Otherwise, the fuel filter mesh will turn into ice, and gasoline will not be able to enter the fuel system in the right amount.
More articles about car winterization:
05.12.2012 #Chemical lock defroster # Lock defroster # Castle
Chemical defrosters of locks We all remember the advertisement that at one time often flashed on TV, where, in order to defrost the lock, the owner of the SUV poured boiling water from a mug on his car and, as if nothing had happened, left.
In real conditions, by performing such a procedure, we provide our car with extremely unpleasant consequences, and ourselves - a headache and extra costs.
The car's paintwork will take the first hit, causing cracks on the door surface, or worse, small areas of paint peeling off.
In addition, water that gets into the lock cylinder will soon harden and freeze the entire mechanism.
One more thing is temporary: it's hard to imagine such a thing in urban conditions. To complete all the actions, you will have to return home at least twice and only then go on necessary business. Thus, boiling water will not open frozen car locks without loss.
The following methods remain the most popular folk methods for defrosting car locks:
- you can melt a frozen lock by heating the key with a lighter, and while it is hot, try to insert it there;
- pour a few drops of antifreeze or antifreeze or some other non-freezing liquid into the lock cylinder. The alcohol contained in it will help to cope with frozen ice;
- Use brake fluid or your own breath.
True, the effectiveness of these methods is extremely low. They are used when other methods are not available. We offer a simple and convenient method of defrosting your car's locks - using a chemical agent specially designed for such situations.
The main function of the product is clear from the name - a chemical defroster. It works on the principle of the interaction of alcohol with water. When these components are mixed, a reaction occurs in which heat is released, which melts the ice.
Mixing water and alcohol produces a solution that freezes below ambient temperature. Washing and moisture-displacing substances are also added to the composition of this chemical solution. By the way, sometimes this is a problem for manufacturers of solutions, since the basis for such solutions is the same alcohol and water.
To solve the problem of defrosting, the automotive aftermarket offers its customers two main types of such products:
Lock defrosters contain lubricants, but glass cleaners do not.
Therefore, feel free to use glass preparations in defrosting locks, BUT remember that lock defrosters are applicable only to door larvae.
We do not advertise any particular product, as you will find many brands of lock and glass defrosters in our retail stores and wholesale centers. Take care of your comfort in advance - choose the product of your choice!
Experienced motorists claim, and tests carried out by reputable automotive publications prove that all glass or lock defrosters do their job perfectly. Their difference lies in the nuances associated with marketing and personal preferences of each motorist. Most defrosters differ in the shape of the container containing the solution, the presence or absence of a pungent odor, and the presence of Russian instructions. Basically, all defrosters show a good defrost speed, whether it is a lock or glass. Solvents are available in the form of sprays or liquid bottles.
Visit us or order defrosters online. Our managers will advise you and help you choose the right solution that is right for you, because the defroster should always be with you in the winter cold, and if this is the case, you definitely will not return home for a cup of hot water.
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