Can someone tell me how to unfreeze my car lock?
By hoseasmate
@hoseasmate (720)
United States
December 25, 2012 4:09pm CST
Well we got the ice before the snow storm and now I have frozen car locks. I have both keyless entry and keyed entry, but the handle will not release. I hear the mechanism unlock the lock, but the handle looks as if it will break if I pull on it. I have a 2005 car. I need to leave for work tomorrow, but the temperature won't go about freezing. Any suggestions?
4 responses
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
25 Dec 12
I certainly have the hair dryer, but not the extension cord. That is the problem. I wondered about pouring warm water on it, but don't know if it will make it worse. The temperature will drop tonight so I think I'll wait until tomorrow and try some warm water. If that doesn't work, then I'm stuck until the temperature gets above freezing. You know, with all the technological advances, one would think a lock on a car and a handle could be designed to withstand freezing.
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
25 Dec 12
You can try pouring cold water on it to see if it will start to melt the ice away. If you have some de-icer from the auto store that will work too. You have to be careful or the plastic will break - especially if you put hot water on it. But cold water might work.
1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
26 Dec 12
Whatever happened to the good old cars? You know the tanks that didn't break? I remember the silver sturdy handle with the button you pushed in to open the door. I don't ever remember it freezing and being difficult to open. Oh well, guess that's because we didn't own a car and by the time someone got to our house to give us a ride, they probably thawed it out!
@FrugalMommy (1438)
• United States
25 Dec 12
My parents used to tell me that they would have to pour hot water on their door locks to unfreeze them. It won't refreeze once the car's warmed up. You could probably use a hair dryer, too. You'd just need a long extension cord to get it out to the car. 
1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
25 Dec 12
Gonna try the warm water trick tomorrow when I absolutely have to get on the road to work. I hope that once I go to all that trouble, that the roads are not too frozen to travel on. I wish I could do the hair dryer but there is no way to get it that way because I have no extension cord.
@sanjay91422 (2725)
• India
26 Dec 12
I think the hot water option is a good one, I think it can work if the water is applied for some time.
Use some thin water proof bag and then fill it with the hot water and then keep it with the handle for some time enough to make it warm. Try it if the hot water spraying does not work.
