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[addy]

The wife went out to her car this morning, and tried to open the drivers door. The door button inside lifted but the door wouldn't open. I kept moving the key past its normal unlock position in the lock a few times, finally getting the door open. It worked fine opening and closing the rest of the day. She went out to it earlier tonight and the drivers door wouldn't open on key or fob again, other doors opened. When it is warm it locks/unlocks on fob or key. The temperature has not been above 0 celcius today, could that be some of the problem? I was thinking of trying a hair dryer and running it across the outside of the door, near to the lock and around incase it had froze?

I have found postings about this happening to other people. I am wondering if the lock is on its way out, therefore if I can get the door open, would the lock mechanism apart from the central locking motor, (which I would use from her old lock) fit from a drivers side off a later model?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Fraggles Rock]

Is it not simply frozen to the door seal?

[addy]

I pushed the door from inside, while pulling on the inside door handle nothing was happening. I told her while she was driving, to put the side vents to blow on the door and put it on warm, hopefully if frozen might defrost it enough?

[Bigron]

WD40 PTFE dry lubricant around the door seal (or silicone grease, sparingly) and squirt it into the lock, too. Then operate the lock several times to get the lubricant to penetrate; fingers crossed.

Ron.

[zirk]

My first call would be WD40 through the keyhole.

[addy]

Thanks for all the replies.

[Bigron]

I can hear an echo, Zirk!
However, from choice I would use the dry lubricant version of WD40, as I suggested earlier, since it doesn't leave a sticky residie to cause problems with the tumblers. Wickes stock it.

Ron.

[zirk]

I can hear an echo, Zirk!
However, from choice I would use the dry lubricant version of WD40, as I suggested earlier, since it doesn't leave a sticky residie to cause problems with the tumblers. Wickes stock it.

Ron.

I can hear an echo, Ron!
However, from choice I would use the normal version of WD40, as Im a tight bugger and thats all Ive got in the Tool Box. 

[Bigron]

YOU are the echo, Zirk; scroll back up to reply No, 3 - earlier than yours! No need to apologise, we are both helping.
I'm a tight bastard too, but I don't want to build up problems for the future, so I blew a whole month's pension on the dry lubricant.
Ask a few other members what happens to locks if you use grease, oil or anything sticky in them.....

Ron.

[Nick W]

I use a tiny smear of Vaseline on door seals.


And I won't use any sort of oil, even one as deal as WD40, on locks.

[Bigron]

Vaseline is fine, Nick. I ony suggested silicone grease because I had some (legacy from working in electronics) and it doesn't migrate or melt in the heat of our intense summers!

Ron.

[robson]

I thought that graphite powder was the favourite.With very heavy frost my door often will not open but a squirt with deicer around the opening solves the problem.

[Andy B]

addy hasn't really got back to us as to whether the door had frozen shut on the seal or whether it was a (freezing) fault within the lock/handle 

[addy]

Sorry everyone for not replying earlier. BT in their wisdom, changed us over to Fibre Internet but in the process managed to disconnect us. Only back on today.  The car door lock was frozen from frost, it got a bit warmer outside so with running the car and putting the heating on the door, I managed to use the key to unlock the door, once it was open I cleaned the lock and the rubber seals. Once open it didn't want to shut, as if the door lock itself was locked. After a quick spray with some silicone spray and some working of the locks, it started working, so now done the seals and locks with silicone spray. So hopefully it has sorted it the next frost will tell.

Thanks once again for everyones advise.