Frozen door lock

[dududuckling]

So I woke up this morning to find all the lock cylinders are frozen. I bent my key trying to force-open the driver-side (I straighten it again by bending it the other way). I managed to open it from the passenger side.

I left the truck unlock for now. I tried to lock it, but the lock cylinders are all frozen now. Anyone has a solution to this problem? Thank you.

[PiDGE]

Dealin with the same poop. Sucks hoping over the passanger seat. I'm hoping its just ice. There's deicer stuff to free them or a hair dryer. I'm using a key fob which I've never used to pop the passanger door. Hopping over the stick and ebrake is a delicate thing. Lol. Watch some of the deicers as they may ruin the oil in the tumbler and then it's gonna dry out and cause other issues. Remember to oil it when you get a chance. Merry Christmas

[Scotto]

Warming up the key with a lighter can work. Mine are always frozen in the winter. So much road crap flies up and gets into them that I gave up and don't bother locking it anymore.

[Snafu]

Scott's suggestion is what I do when pressed for time. Once you get it open spray it with wd40.

If you have time you can bring a can of wd40 or similar stuff into the house to let it warm up to room temp. Once it is warm insert the tube in the lock and spray. It should be warm enough to melt and remove the ice in the cylinders.

[buttsy]

As above. You can try warming winter washer fluid and spray it in with something (I use a syringe). When you break Em free spray them with silicone spray (I get it from Crappy Tire) to keep the water out. This year I used fluid film, and so far is worked great.

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This post has been written entirely in recycled electrons by a bonehead on a Galaxy S4. Also from inside an igloo. Why not, I'm from the "North" right?

[Adam]

I usually use a hair dryer if I can. Sometimes I can get them to break free by gently turning the key back and forth a bunch of times. For some reason, blasting the heat past the point where I am sweating for a while seems to thaw them out too.

[dududuckling]

I ended up using hairdryer and got it open in under a minute. So is silicon spray better than fluid film, WD40, or the deicer?

I have the key fob, but haven't used it in the longest time. I've this thinking that real man should use physical keys to open the door... until today when the lock froze haha...

Thanks again guys, and Merry Christmas to all!!!

[dududuckling]

Adam, I turned the key back and forth and until its bent. I ended up turning it the other way round to straighten it back haha...

[Adam]

Lol, this is why I said gently

[buttsy]

Wd40 will force the water out, silicone spray will keep it out. I usually put some on the rubber door gaskets too, just to keep my doors from freezing shut

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This post has been written entirely in recycled electrons by a bonehead on a Galaxy S4. Also from inside an igloo. Why not, I'm from the "North" right?

[dududuckling]

Got it. Thanks Buttsy!

[Lukexskywalker]

haha

[dududuckling]

Nine months later...

It is now the end of September and the weather is in 25-35C. I inserted the physical key into the driver-side and passenger side doors, and its stuck. I couldn't get the key to turn back and forth. I have used a fair amount of deicers this past winter. I figured some components must have dried out and got stuck. I squirted some deicers again through the keyhole, and then the problem went away. I could turn the key back and forth to lock/unlock both doors.

I inserted a tube into the door keyhole and sprayed WD40 silicone lubricant. Is this good enough as a permanent fix? Should I be spraying silicone lubricant every other week?

Thanks

[dududuckling]

By the way, does anyone know which is better: WD40 silicone spray vs WD40 white lithium grease? I used the WD40 silicone spray for lubricating the keyhole

[Bow_Tied]

I'd have used fluid film myself. The lithium grease of any brand is good on door hinges etc but it might leave a residue on your key even weeks later...

[dududuckling]

I see. Thanks Ron.

[BeerGarage]

I had sticking locks and I got so sick of dealing with it every winter, I broke down and took the locks out and sumberged them in kerosene to really clean them. This shows pics of all the clips and whatnot needed to get to all the locks.
http://beergarage.com/PathRekey.aspx
Then I lubed them with graphite and have not had a problem with them in 7 years...

Until this last week. what a pain. WD-40 to rinse and then silocone you say?

[Scotto]

My driver door lock is F'd. Doesn't work at all.


Sent from my iThingy.

[kdj]

WD-40 will drive out the moisture temperarerly. Graphite will lube lock and key. For the pivot points like the rods that leaves the handle and locks , I'd use lithium grease.

[Adam]

I had a guy on NPORA match a new lock cylinder to my truck. I just mailed him the spare key, and a week later in the mail I had a perfectly working lock cylinder to replace my busted one. He lubed it with the wd40 silicone spray, that was last year and it's been smooth as glass ever since.