Ever go out to your car in the morning and you can’t get in because your door is frozen shut? MAPFRE Insurance shows you what you need to do when this happens to you!
Dealing with a frozen lock
If just your lock is frozen you can try a deicer solution or even hand sanitizer in a pinch will work. A deicer works best if you spray the key or you can place a straw against the lock and spray it with the deicer. If you have a key fob, you can always unlock the door using your remote as well. But what if the door is unlocked and you STILL can’t get the door open?
Douse your door
If the door itself is frozen to the frame of the car, you can pour lukewarm water over the rubber seals. Even cold water can do the trick, since it is still warmer than the ice. You may need to do it multiple times. Once the door is open, make sure to dry off the inside of the seal with a towel to prevent re-freezing. Never use hot water as the temperature difference could shatter your very, very cold window glass!
Hot air helps
Another option you can try is to heat the frozen door with a blow dryer. Just keep moving the blow dryer constantly back and forth across the door seal. You’ll want to be careful though, just like the hot water too much heat in one spot could break the glass and can also damage your paint!
Let the car do the work
If you have a remote starter you can also let your car do the work. Start and warm up your car eight or so minutes before you need to get in. Just the heat of the car running can sometimes be enough to get that door open, especially if you had your defroster and the heat running on the last time you ran your car.
Planning ahead
One of the best ways to prevent your door from freezing to the frame is to wipe a protective product over the rubber seals. This will lubricate the rubber seals and keep them from freezing to the frame in cold weather. Silicone spray is usually fine, but check your owner’s manual or with your car manufacturer first.
We hope these tips will help you get back into your car if your door is ever frozen shut. Make sure you don’t get frozen into the wrong insurance policy when you could get the correct coverage on your auto insurance in Massachusetts with MAPFRE. Get a fast, free quote today to see how much you could save!
