The problem of the freezing door locks.

[Twister]

Happens every year. The other night it went down to -5 or whatever the next morning the lock was frozen. In the past I use to spray it with wd40 followed by some thin crown rust that also supposed to displace water.
Was talking to Crown rust guy and said not to put the oil although its very thin.
Do the search on the internet , lots of people spray wd40, but many people are saying that wd40 freezes and it leaves a coating of gunk that is not recommended.

Others say to puff in the lock graphite powder, but others don't recommend it because humidity still goes in and it can cake up. Some locksmith say yes some say no. Also some say pfte ....I think I sprayed some liquid wrench with teflon and I think it still froze.
The slot in lock is closed so its not that its leaking like crazy..............

Anything you doing that gives you good results? THanxxx

 

[Mod100]

Methyl hydrate

 

[Ceiling Cat]

1) In above freezing weather, spray with WD40. Over several times on several days if possible. This only cleans the old oil, grime and rust out. WD40 is not a lubricant.
2) Spray the locking mechanism ( the latch that holds the door closed ) with lithium grease. ( while you are at it, lube the hinges. Doors, hood, and trunk )
3) Spray the lock ( where you put your key into ) with graphite from spray can or it also comes in powder from in a container like nasal spray

Now your lock is all clean and lubed up and should not freeze up.

If your door sticks in the cold, wipe the door area where it is painted with wax. Wipe the rubber seal where it touches the painted area with Armoral

Now your doors will not stick in the cold. ( This trick works on house doors too. )

 

[MrPrezident]

Graphite is too dirty. You will have black pockets. A very small amout of vaseline pushed into the lock works well.

 

[MojoRisin']

I havent tried it myself but i heard that hand sanitizer works well. coat your key in sanitizer and should work

 

[SaturnFan]

Give your locks a shot of this stuff BEFORE the weather turns cold, and you won't have any problems all winter.

 

[FTWWTF]

I just use a lighter and heat the key a little, then work it slowly in.

 

[bazokajoe]

wow,how is your car? most cars these days have remote to unlock them.I haven't used a key in my doors for 10+ yrs.

 

[MojoRisin']

wow,how is your car? most cars these days have remote to unlock them.I haven't used a key in my doors for 10+ yrs.

He said door locks, Im assuming house door not car door. But even so, lots of people have 10 year old cars or older. If it helps him out whats the big deal?

 

[danmand]

He said door locks, Im assuming house door not car door. But even so, lots of people have 10 year old cars or older. If it helps him out whats the big deal?

I have a pickup truck I bought 2 years ago, that requires an old fashioned key. One door was actually frozen this morning.

 

[oldjones]

He said door locks, Im assuming house door not car door. But even so, lots of people have 10 year old cars or older. If it helps him out whats the big deal?

When my friend's battery failed his remote — all he'd used for years, just like you — couldn't open nuthin'. Neither could his key turn any of the gacked up lock cylinders, except the tailgate. Getting to the driver's seat to pop the hood and unlock the door from the inside was a major struggle for a guy who carried lotsa junk in the trunk. In every sense of that phrase.

Never wash your car. If you're using the remote, stick some tape over the keyslots.

 

[wigglee]

umm....lock de-icer?

 

[Cassini]

After getting it unfroze, I would recommend coating it with oil of some sort. I suspect the WD40 is washing out all of the oil in the assembly, making the problem far worse than necessary.

Graphite is the recommended lubricant, however it is messy.

I tried Jigaloo. Had my doubts about it, but it still works quite effectively after several months.

 

[Mod100]

This can ruin your paint.

This is the main ingredient in lock de-icers.

 

[oldjones]

Another concept. Looks promising, but may also freeze up.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

After getting it unfroze, I would recommend coating it with oil of some sort. I suspect the WD40 is washing out all of the oil in the assembly, making the problem far worse than necessary.

Graphite is the recommended lubricant, however it is messy.

I tried Jigaloo. Had my doubts about it, but it still works quite effectively after several months.

Graphite is messy, if you use too much. Just a quick 1/2 second squirt is all you need. I have been using the same can for 10 years, on my cars and house locks. I have also been using it on other peoples cars and house locks. The can is still 25% full.