General A bit of a scare!

[LoBsTeR]

Went to my car this morning. Ice had covered everything. Tried to open the door and it seemed that the handle was stuck. Pulled a little harder (being cautious not to snap the handle) and pop the door opened. When I tried to shut the door, it just bounced back open. I tried slamming it etc but to no avail. Turns out that the door handle mechanism inside the door had frozen solid. After leaving the car running with the blower heat on full, it eventually de-iced after about 20 minutes.

I have never had this on a car before and I would say that it is potentially a design error. Good job I wasn't working otherwise that would have been a tough one to explain.

Has anyone else had this?

 

[Ffoxy]

Had this on a very old Mk2 Escort, I got into the habit of squirting window defroster into my locks as well as over the windows when it was sub-zero outside.

Seemed to work, that did have a rust hole on the top if the door edge tho, letting water in to freeze probably, question is, how is water getting into your lock? Or was it a freezing fog type night?

 

[LoBsTeR]

Wasn't the lock as it has a remote. It was just the mechanism in the door that froze. Bizarre...Oh and yes it was a freezing fog night.

 

[Texastel]

I thought my drivers window was gonna shatter when i tried to open it. Frozen stuck.....left it for a while then hey presto.

 

[dan-the-man]

This happened on my old Stilo, door bounced open when I tried to close it

 

[JFL]

Havent had ice on the stilo yet , only a bit on the front windscreen and it took all of a few minutes to go away

winter hasnt even started yet

 

[Argonought]

Has anyone else had this?

I had something similar and assumed it was the internal mechanism but it was only the door handle staying 'out' (which you don't realize once inside the car)

A good squirt of WD40 sorted it for me

 

[jostheboss]

Ewww get some good grease on your joints!!! My drivers door started creaking in the cold - flushed out all the old stuff and put some zx-1 microlube on - awesome stuff!

If only I could find that creak the car makes now....

 

[mrm1]

I had something similar and assumed it was the internal mechanism but it was only the door handle staying 'out' (which you don't realize once inside the car)

A good squirt of WD40 sorted it for me

I have had this happen a few times on the drivers door. makes you look a bit of a prat, streaching out to "close" the out side door handle.

 

[volxstu]

Cor blimey we havnt had it that cold down in kent yet. We had a little frost one morning but thats it.
You can buy a lock lube that you just put in the key hole that also acts as an anti freeze i really cant remember what its called but im sure halfords prob do it. The one i had came in a little blue bottle. If it was the whole mechanism you may have to get inside the door card but im sure that you could do it without having to be to invasive if thats the right word.
Right thats my tip of the day its time to go home for a beer,

 

[Argonought]

I have had this happen a few times on the drivers door. makes you look a bit of a prat, streaching out to "close" the out side door handle.

First time it happened to me, after eventually getting the door to shut, decided it was far too risky to chance using the driver's door again so slid across and exited via the passenger side.

Felt a right prat when I realized all I had to have done was tap the external handle shut

 

[Big Black Stilo]

as posted it is caused by the handle sticking out- happens to mine a lot wen frozen

 

[Schwenck]

Yep, I had the bouncing door thing on my Stilo.

Usually it was on the rear doors ("What's a b*stard car, daddy?" ) as I guess they didn't get so much use. I found a quick succession of Lock-Unlock-Lock-Unlock-Lock-Unlock-Lock-Unlock on the central locking button (ie, the one on the drivers arm rest) did the trick each time. Oh, and a modest bit of chainlube on the sliding part of the door handle helps.

 

[LoBsTeR]

Thanks for the tips. Its not the handle sticking, thats quite free, its inside the door mechanism somewhere. I will take a look when I pluck up the courage to spend £100 or so on a replacement door card after the door handle snapped a while ago.

Is it a cable type or push rods?

 

[andychat]

Hi All,

Got a bit of a problem with my drivers door. Car was iced over this morning, and once drivers door had been opened, and then closed, the internal handle and the external handle will not open the door (this feels very loose - no springy tension). I am having to climb in from the passenger side. If anyone knows if this is a problem, or better still how I can open my door so that I can get the internal door trim off, please let me know.

If i press the button down on the door, then the internal handle will lift it again, so I know this cable isn't broken, but I don't know why it is not opening the locking mech.

Kind regards

Andrew
email : [email protected]

 

[ChrisMClark]

Thanks for the tips. Its not the handle sticking, thats quite free, its inside the door mechanism somewhere. I will take a look when I pluck up the courage to spend £100 or so on a replacement door card after the door handle snapped a while ago.

Is it a cable type or push rods?

Inside handle is a cable release, not sure about exterior handle, but does it not act directly on the latch?

 

[cris1117]

Had a similar prob a while back spray everything you can get to with W D 40 worked for me. It lubricates and stops things from freezing in cold weather.