At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
Cant get in my car when its cold outside....De-Icer Spray helped everyday up until yesterday....Tried heating the key up under a flame....Tried a Slim-Jim....Im locked out!!! Any suggestions...Please?
When you finally do get in car spray lock cylinder with a good penetrating oil and put window down and try to get some of the penetrating oil down inside door towards the lock cyl. and spray the latch where the closes(between front and rear doors
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
It's possible that the locking mechanism in your Vivaro van's driver's door has become jammed or broken, causing your key to turn without unlocking the door. Here are a few things you can try to get your door unlocked:
Try another key: If you have a spare key, try using it to unlock the door. If the spare key also doesn't work, then it's likely a problem with the locking mechanism.
Spray lubricant into the lock: Sometimes, the locking mechanism can become jammed due to dirt or debris. Try spraying a lubricant such as WD-40 or graphite powder into the lock and then gently turning the key to see if this helps.
Use a lock de-icer: If the weather is cold, the lock may be frozen. Try using a lock de-icer to thaw the lock before attempting to turn the key.
Call a locksmith: If none of the above methods work, it's best to call a locksmith or a professional mechanic to help you gain access to your van.
In any case, it's important to get the issue fixed as soon as possible to avoid being locked out of your van again in the future.
Most likely just frozen shut. They make a de-icer that you can spray into the key hole. The name escapes me but im sure any autozone or napa carries it.
If it's simply the car door lock
that's frozen, try heating your car key with a lighter and inserting it
into the lock. The heat from the metal may be enough to thaw the ice
and allow you to unlock it. To ensure that the lock will not freeze
again, spray it with WD-40.
If the entire door is frozen, carefully chip the ice away from
the edges with a scraper. Be careful not to scratch the paint of the
car. If you cannot chip the ice away, try pouring some windshield washer
fluid on the icy areas; windshield washer fluid contains alcohol and
this may help melt the ice.
Use a blow dryer set on high to melt the surrounding ice.
The best way to open a frozen car door and prevent future
frustration is to purchase de-icer. Many good brands are available at
hardware and auto shops - just be sure the solvent displaces moisture
and leaves behind a lubricant. If the lock itself is frozen, spray the
product directly into the key hole, wait five seconds and then put in
your key and try to turn it. Most of these products have straws that
help direct the product out of the can and into small areas, making the
de-icing process easy.
Once the door is open, consider spraying
the de-icer along the hinges of the door to keep other parts from
freezing. Keep the de-icer in your home or garage where you can easily
find it. Do not keep it in your vehicle. Having de-icer in your frozen
vehicle won't do you much good.
Your door latch needs some lubrication. In a pinch you can use a propane torch and heat the latch to get it warmed up and working freely. It only takes 30 seconds or so directing the flame all over the latch. don't get too close or you will burn the paint. Once you have the latch working, spray it liberally with a can of lock de-icer. Put the spray nozzle into the latch where the door hooks into it and rotate the spray can to get into different parts of the latch. The alcohol in the de-icer will evaporate the water or condensation in the latch. After a few minutes re-spray the latch with
WD-40 or RustCheck in the same manner.This will help to keep it from freezing again. You may have to occasionally repeat this process especially after a period of warm followed by a cold spell.
You can also accomplish this by removing the door panel and getting directly at the latch. If you do it will likely only have to be done once, otherwise you may have to do it from the outside a couple of times.
Doing this every fall should prevent it from occuring in the future. Hope this helps.
Get some lock deicer to fix it temporarily.... if you can get it in a heated garage or wait until a semi mild day and spray it with some spray grease to displace the moisture.......the spray grease should be something you do about 4 times a year to keep them free and working hope this helps....good luck!
×