How to defrost a car lock: 4 ways
How to defrost a car lock: 4 ways
Anonim

During the off-season, daytime thaws give way to nighttime frosts, and many drivers face the problem of freezing locks and doors. How to defrost a car lock?

how to unlock a car lock
how to unlock a car lock

Boiling water

The fact is that the water that gets into the castle during the day due to rain or melting snow turns into ice when the night temperature drops below zero. Of course, many modern cars are equipped with heating systems or remote opening of the lock, but still many drivers are still faced with the question “How to quickly defrost car locks and doors?”

The simplest, "popular" method of dealing with frost is boiling water. How to defrost a car lock with boiling water? Just pour hot water over the castle. You may need 2-3 liters. This method is simple and effective, but not the best way out, and should only be used as a last resort.

Firstly, it is almost impossible to pour boiling water over only the castle. Water will contact the paintwork, which may blister or discolor when exposed to high temperatures.

Secondly, the liquid will get into the castle, which means it will soon harden again onfrost. To prevent this from happening, you need to flush the keyhole with antifreeze, alcohol or anti-freeze. Draw liquid into a syringe with a needle, insert it all the way into the lock and rinse it with a jet of water.

In winter, the castle can freeze even after visiting the car wash, so make sure that the car washers “blow out” the car locks after water procedures.

how to unlock a car door lock
how to unlock a car door lock

Key heating

How to unfreeze a car lock if the problem caught you by surprise, but you need to act quickly? You will need a regular lighter. Heat the edge of the key with the flame from it and quickly insert the key into the lock. Slowly move it deeper. Repeat several times. Gradually, the hot key will melt the ice in the lock.

After it melts, water will remain in the castle. To prevent the door from blocking again, it must be flushed. Take the syringe from the first aid kit and some windshield washer fluid.

This method also has a significant drawback. If you overdo it with heat, you can melt the plastic handle of the key. But it has an immobilizer. In order not to disable the key, you need to be extremely careful, because the plastic is not heat resistant. It is better not to use this method if you have an expensive car.

how to defrost a car door lock
how to defrost a car door lock

Cigarette lighter

How to defrost a car door lock if there is no lighter or boiling water? You can warm up the lock using the heat from the cigarette lighter. You can ask the owner of another car for the cigarette lighter itself. This method is moreefficient than the previous ones. The heating is spot, which means that the paintwork will not suffer. And the key will also remain intact.

How to defrost a car lock with a cigarette lighter is intuitive. Ask the owner of the car parked nearby to heat the cigarette lighter. Then, with a red hot spot, press it exactly against the lock and wait for a while, about ten seconds. The heat from the cigarette lighter will melt the ice in the castle. Try to open the door, if the lock has not yet freed from the ice chains, repeat the procedure.

After the ice is melted, the castle will fill with water. As in the previous methods, it must be washed out of the lock with an anti-freeze jet.

how to defrost car door locks
how to defrost car door locks

Defrosting fluid

If you often wonder “How to defrost a car door lock?”, Then you should consider buying a special liquid. In stores, you can buy chemical compounds that melt ice, the so-called defrost sprays.

The prices for such products are quite high, but you need to understand that all these compounds are based on alcohol or simply represent antifreeze in a convenient package. To save money, it is not necessary to purchase expensive bottles. You can just keep a small container of alcohol in the trunk.

The trunk freezes much less often, since its lock is better protected from liquid ingress. Take a regular syringe and draw up a few cubes of alcohol. It can be replaced with antifreeze.

Maximum insert the needle into the keyhole and slowlyrelease alcohol, gradually moving inwards. Five cubes of alcohol should be enough to melt the ice in the castle. If alcohol is not at hand, you can take vodka. If there is no syringe in the first aid kit, any thin tube, for example, a ballpoint pen refill, will do.

how to quickly defrost locks and car doors
how to quickly defrost locks and car doors

What to do so that the castles do not freeze?

You have learned how to defrost a car door lock. But there are ways to prevent this trouble. First of all, try to prevent water from entering the castle. If it freezes frequently, then be sure to rinse it with alcohol or leave it in a warm garage for a couple of days to evaporate the liquid.

Still, it's better to take care of the car before the problems start. Use store-bought anti-freeze locks and hinges.

What to do so that the doors do not freeze?

You have learned how to defrost car door locks. But doors also often freeze, and if you pull too hard, you can simply tear off the sealing gum or even break the handle. The car door will open easier if you first press on it, and then knock on the edge with your fist. The ice on the rubber bands will break and the door will open without damage.

To prevent the doors from freezing, you need to lubricate the rubber bands with silicone grease. When cleaning the machine, make sure that snow does not get on the rubber bands. Do not leave them wet after washing. It is better to dry the car by leaving the doors open for 15-20 minutes. Opening and closing the door several times when getting out of the car also helps.

There are several ways to defrost locks, knowing about them, you will not find yourself in a hopeless situation if your car is covered with ice. But it is better to prevent such a problem and properly care for the car in the winter.

Recommended: