I was froze out of my truck this morning

[gwalchmai]

Funny thing, I drove the kittens to the vet in the truck yesterday for shots, and when I came home I backed the truck into the driveway with the drivers side facing west. I usually park it with the drivers side facing east. This is worth mentioning because my very basic Tacoma only has the keylock on the driver's side, and no fancy-schmancy remote keylock. Temps were in the low 30s overnight and this morning at 9 I went to get in the truck and the key would insert but not turn, so I had no way of getting in the truck. I had to take the Miata to the Home Depot and Costco. I kinda forgot I was in the little car while I was in the Costco and only remembered as I was approaching it in the parking lot. However, by careful packing I was able to make everything fit. 

I got back home and the lock worked fine. The sun had been shining on it for two hours and I guess it warmed it up. That's the first time I've had that problem. Next time I'll try warming the key.

[railfancwb]

35 minutes ago, gwalchmai said:

Funny thing, I drove the kittens to the vet in the truck yesterday for shots, and when I came home I backed the truck into the driveway with the drivers side facing west. I usually park it with the drivers side facing east. This is worth mentioning because my very basic Tacoma only has the keylock on the driver's side, and no fancy-schmancy remote keylock. Temps were in the low 30s overnight and this morning at 9 I went to get in the truck and the key would insert but not turn, so I had no way of getting in the truck. I had to take the Miata to the Home Depot and Costco. I kinda forgot I was in the little car while I was in the Costco and only remembered as I was approaching it in the parking lot. However, by careful packing I was able to make everything fit. 

I got back home and the lock worked fine. The sun had been shining on it for two hours and I guess it warmed it up. That's the first time I've had that problem. Next time I'll try warming the key.

If an electrical outlet is handy a hair dryer might do the trick. 

[Silentpoet]

59 minutes ago, railfancwb said:

If an electrical outlet is handy a hair dryer might do the trick. 

Or heat gun.

As long as you avoid the glass you can use hot water.  You can get lock deicer spray at most auto parts stores this time of year depending on location.  Windshield deicer spray might work too.

[Walt Longmire]

1 hour ago, Silentpoet said:

Or heat gun.

As long as you avoid the glass you can use hot water.  You can get lock deicer spray at most auto parts stores this time of year depending on location.  Windshield deicer spray might work too.

Don't use water. It will freeze again. WD-40 those locks and forget about them.

[Silentpoet]

38 minutes ago, Walt Longmire said:

Don't use water. It will freeze again. WD-40 those locks and forget about them.

I use it more for the door than the lock.  But around here it isn't so cold for it to freeze back again as easily as it does up north.

[janice6]

3 hours ago, gwalchmai said:

Funny thing, I drove the kittens to the vet in the truck yesterday for shots, and when I came home I backed the truck into the driveway with the drivers side facing west. I usually park it with the drivers side facing east. This is worth mentioning because my very basic Tacoma only has the keylock on the driver's side, and no fancy-schmancy remote keylock. Temps were in the low 30s overnight and this morning at 9 I went to get in the truck and the key would insert but not turn, so I had no way of getting in the truck. I had to take the Miata to the Home Depot and Costco. I kinda forgot I was in the little car while I was in the Costco and only remembered as I was approaching it in the parking lot. However, by careful packing I was able to make everything fit. 

I got back home and the lock worked fine. The sun had been shining on it for two hours and I guess it warmed it up. That's the first time I've had that problem. Next time I'll try warming the key.

That happened to me and I heated the key with a torch.  I thought that was overkill, so I coated the key with Silicon Grease, the kind I used for Ignition waterproofing. 

I squirted it into the lock slot, coated the key and worked it into the lock to make sure it was really filling the mechanism. It worked like a dream.

The Grease doesn't seem to change viscosity with temperature, so it doesn't make the lock harder to turn in the cold.  My experience goes down to about 30 below.

Never had the problem again.  It's an easy fix and the grease will creep all over the lock mechanism with slight heat and time ensuring no more frozen locks. 

Might be a bitch to clean around the lock if you ever want to repaint the door panel.  There are some solvents that claim to remove it for painting.

[MO Fugga]

1 hour ago, janice6 said:

That happened to me and I heated the key with a torch.  I thought that was overkill, so I coated the key with Silicon Grease, the kind I used for Ignition waterproofing. 

I squirted it into the lock slot, coated the key and worked it into the lock to make sure it was really filling the mechanism. It worked like a dream.

The Grease doesn't seem to change viscosity with temperature, so it doesn't make the lock harder to turn in the cold.  My experience goes down to about 30 below.

Never had the problem again.  It's an easy fix and the grease will creep all over the lock mechanism with slight heat and time ensuring no more frozen locks. 

Might be a bitch to clean around the lock if you ever want to repaint the door panel.  There are some solvents that claim to remove it for painting.

Ill just sit over here and be lucky my winter ain't like that. Hell, Cairo Egypt got more snow than us so far.

[Lazy R]

Growing up I learned that extended periods from 0 to -25 does weird **** to cars and other things.

[DAKA]

Be very careful opening a car door that has frozen, you can destroy the rubber gasket.....hmmm, how do I know...

[pipedreams]

20 minutes ago, DAKA said:

Be very careful opening a car door that has frozen, you can destroy the rubber gasket.....hmmm, how do I know...

Wipe all the rubber gaskets with Armor All usually solves the frozen door problems.

[Walt Longmire]

Don't run it through the car wash in sub zero temps, and then park outside.

[Hook]

Hair dryer lock de icer stuff white lithium grease wiped on gasket. Yeah it gets-30 to -50 here. 

[gwalchmai]

2 hours ago, Walt Longmire said:

Don't run it through the car wash in sub zero temps, and then park outside.

Car wash? 

[Walt Longmire]

1 hour ago, gwalchmai said:

Car wash? 

Yeah. We have them here. Oh, and we don't live in Igloos.

[gwalchmai]

I thought they were just for laundering money.

[gwalchmai]

21 degrees out there this morning. Lock may be froze but I'll never know because I ain't goin' out in the mutherfucker! 

Just for fun I tried it. Lock's gate was slightly stubborn but otherwise it worked OK. Truck started and ran like a champeen. I moved it into the garage so it'll be a little more comfortable if I drive anywhere later.

[Walt Longmire]

10 hours ago, gwalchmai said:

21 degrees out there this morning. Lock may be froze but I'll never know because I ain't goin' out in the mutherfucker! 

Just for fun I tried it. Lock's gate was slightly stubborn but otherwise it worked OK. Truck started and ran like a champeen. I moved it into the garage so it'll be a little more comfortable if I drive anywhere later.

I park in the garage. I'm always amazed to see peoples garage doors open here in Alaska where you'd think everyone would want to park in the garage, but NO, their garage is stacked to the ceiling with boxes.

[janice6]

1 hour ago, Walt Longmire said:

I park in the garage. I'm always amazed to see peoples garage doors open here in Alaska where you'd think everyone would want to park in the garage, but NO, their garage is stacked to the ceiling with boxes.

Fellow I worked with lived in Northern Minnesota and he parked in an unattached garage at night.  He said it could go to -30 and the garage would be damned near zero by simply holding some of the engine heat in and fighting "wind chill".

He also drove almost 70 miles South, one way to work.  He said hobby farming needed a primary income.  He was a brilliant natural machinist.

[Walt Longmire]

4 minutes ago, janice6 said:

Fellow I worked with lived in Northern Minnesota and he parked in an unattached garage at night.  He said it could go to -30 and the garage would be damned near zero by simply holding some of the engine heat in and fighting "wind chill".

He also drove almost 70 miles South, one way to work.  He said hobby farming needed a primary income.  He was a brilliant natural machinist.

I have a 3 car garage. 1000 plus sq ft. I first built 2 stalls, well insulated. Added a 3rd stall on later, also very well insulated but not heated. It stays above freezing all winter even in sub zero weather simply due to heat loss through the adjoining insulated wall. It is back filled to 40" above ground on the back and end wall.

[janice6]

2 minutes ago, Walt Longmire said:

I have a 3 car garage. 1000 plus sq ft. I first built 2 stalls, well insulated. Added a 3rd stall on later, also very well insulated but not heated. It stays above freezing all winter even in sub zero weather simply due to heat loss through the adjoining insulated wall. It is back filled to 40" above ground on the back and end wall.

I used to park outside but hated the cold and stress on the vehicles.  1500-Watt tank heaters etc.  I put up a triple attached (city inspector and I argue about being a double, he claims a triple, I say it's twice as big as a double!)

Anyway, my FIL picked up a huge number of fiberglass mats from a large refrigerator manufacturer, so I put 4" mats in the walls and ceiling when I replaced the house furnace, I put the old gas one in the garage.  Now it's set at 50 degrees year around.   

I like to go into the garage in the middle of Winter and play with my power tools Air and electric.  It's nice to be warm!

[Walt Longmire]

44 minutes ago, janice6 said:

I used to park outside but hated the cold and stress on the vehicles.  1500-Watt tank heaters etc.  I put up a triple attached (city inspector and I argue about being a double, he claims a triple, I say it's twice as big as a double!)

Anyway, my FIL picked up a huge number of fiberglass mats from a large refrigerator manufacturer, so I put 4" mats in the walls and ceiling when I replaced the house furnace, I put the old gas one in the garage.  Now it's set at 50 degrees year around.   

I like to go into the garage in the middle of Winter and play with my power tools Air and electric.  It's nice to be warm!

My shop where I park the KW and front end loader, has in floor heat. I had Dish Network for quite some time. Was nice going there to work on something and be extra comfortable and have a game or Nascar race on.

[gwalchmai]

9 hours ago, janice6 said:

Fellow I worked with lived in Northern Minnesota and he parked in an unattached garage at night.  He said it could go to -30 and the garage would be damned near zero by simply holding some of the engine heat in and fighting "wind chill".

Yep. Just putting an awning over one's car can keep it much warmer by reducing radiative heat loss. I suspect that's why my lock initially froze - when the driver's side was facing west it was more open to the sky than when facing east. 

[railfancwb]

On 1/8/2022 at 5:51 AM, gwalchmai said:

Yep. Just putting an awning over one's car can keep it much warmer by reducing radiative heat loss. I suspect that's why my lock initially froze - when the driver's side was facing west it was more open to the sky than when facing east. 

Prevailing wind direction also matters. 

[holyjohnson]

Lock De-icer works well for frozen locks.

 

in Minneapolis Latches Freeze, only thing that helps that is Spring..