Cars often have the most failures in winter due to freezing problems. Leaving the car outside just for a while is enough for it to be covered with a layer of ice and snow.
How to keep car doors from freezing shut? Keep scrolling for more details.
How To Keep Car Doors From Freezing Shut?
Inspect Worn Rubber Gaskets/ Dry The Rubber Seal
Torn or worn-out rubber gaskets will create gaps for water to enter and freeze, making it difficult for you to open the car door. Therefore, you should check and replace these damaged gaskets.
You can visit auto parts stores to buy new gaskets and have the mechanics there replace them. If you want to save on labor costs, you can replace it yourself in your garage.
In addition, you can inspect the rubber seal and dry it after every car wash because trickles of water in the vehicle and on the seal can freeze quickly when the temperature drops.
Wash Off The Door Frame
How to prevent car door from freezing? Washing off the door frame will help remove dirt, road salt, and debris on the door, which is an ideal place to trap water, causing the car door to freeze.
First, you need to use a clean cloth or a microfiber cloth that absorbs warm water to wipe the entire door frame.
After completely removing dirt on the surface of the frame, use a dry cloth to wipe out any excess water; it will prevent the remaining water from freezing.
Cover Protective Liquid On The Gasket
Another car door freezing prevention method is to cover the door rubber gaskets with protective liquid.
You can use a dry paper towel or brush to coat the gaskets with oil or lubricant. It will prevent water from entering and freezing your car door.
Rubber care products are probably the safest and most effective, long-lasting lubricants.
You can turn to silicone spray or WD40 lubricant, but it can damage the gaskets if used several times, so you should only think of them when your car is unused or is left outside in the snow for a long time.
Park The Car In The Garage/ Cover The Whole Car
How to keep your car doors from freezing shut? Putting the car in an inside parking space, such as a garage, takes more time than leaving it out.
But in the winter season, it can eliminate the problem of frozen doors. If you do not have a garage, use a car cover or tarps to shield the car.
They can minimize the amount of water and snow clinging to your vehicle in cold weather.
Make sure the driver side door is always masked properly, and choose car covers made from heavy materials to avoid being blown away by the wind or damaged by rain or snow.
Protect The Key And Door Locks
One of the reasons for making the side door not unlock with a remote is the frozen lock.
You need to apply a layer of rubbing alcohol on the key every week so that no ice is forming in the car door lock.
This method also helps to melt the ice, but rubbing alcohol can damage car paint, so you need to rub it carefully.
Alternatively, if the lock is frozen, you can take a de-icer to spray it directly on the lock.
It is one of the fastest ways to melt the ice build-up in car door locks, so it will be best to take it with you every time you drive out in the winter.
Warm Up The Keyhole
To keep car doors from freezing shut, you can use a hair dryer to warm the lock, as most homes have this item. After a few minutes of drying, you will see the ice melt completely.
Or you can heat the car key if you don’t have a hair dryer. But don’t do this should you have a computerized chip key. The electronic components inside the key may be damaged.
Close The Door At The First Stage Of Click
You can keep the door ajar to prevent the car door from freezing shut. Closing the door until you hear the first small click will sidestep the problems of the car door freezing, and you will easily open the door.
It is an effective trick and takes little time and effort, but you need to park the car safely, and remember to turn off all electrical equipment in the vehicle to avoid draining the battery.
FAQs
How To Open Frozen Car Doors?
In addition to using a windshield de-icer or dryer to open frozen car doors, if the ice is quite thin, you can use force to push the door till the ice breaks.
You can use an ice scraper to break the ice layer if it’s too thick. It’s recommended to knock on the edge of the car door and not hit on the window glass as it may break.
Pouring a bucket of warm water on the surface of the ice can also trigger the ice to melt immediately.
What Should Be Noted When Opening Frozen Car Doors?
You should not tug on the car door handle because the rubber gaskets and the handle may be damaged.
When you find that the door lock is frozen, do not try to insert the key because it may break the key.
Moreover, never use hot water to melt the ice on the glass of your car like doors or windshield, as this can lead to thermal shock, causing damage to your vehicle.
How To Stop A Car Window From Freezing Shut?
To stop your car window from freezing shut, you need to remove moisture from the window.
First, spray a sufficient amount of silicone onto the wet towel, then wipe the windows, especially the weatherstrips, with a towel to keep them from freezing. You can buy silicon at any auto parts store.
Conclusion
How to keep car doors from freezing shut? You can replace the worn rubber gaskets and cover them with protective liquid, dry the rubber seal, and wipe out the door frame.
You need to park the car in the garage or use a car cover, and remember to warm up the key and the door properly to avoid unnecessary damage.
We hope you already know how to stop car doors from freezing shut. See you in the next post!