An electric car and severe frost - how to defrost, how to open a frozen door? [ANSWER]

Severe frosts came to Poland. You may find that a wet or damp electric car is completely frozen over. How to get there? How do I open a frozen door? Here is a step-by-step instruction manual using the Tesla Model 3 as an example and our experience.

Table of contents

• How to get to the frozen car?
  • • Door handle and lock
    • Chandelier
    • Door
    • Windshield
    • Charging port cover

Door handle and lock

If the doorknob is frozen and won't move, you can try tapping it with your hand to break the ice.

If the lock is frozen and will not budge or open, you need to defrost it. We can use an aerosol defroster (spray inside and wait), a hair dryer (like in the video below) or hot water bag / balloon with zipper in a few minutes.

Chandelier

If the mirrors are folded, simply knock on the handles and clean with your hand or a brush.

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Door

If the car door is frozen, there are several ways to open it. but they cannot be torn off by force. The easiest way to defrost them is to use a dryer, which we will use to heat up the edges (where the door meets the cabinet - see film).

You can also try leaning your whole body against it.crush the ice on the seals. It's finally worth it make sure we do not enter the car through the passenger doorespecially the one on the back right.

In the case of doors without top frames (Tesla Model 3, but also diesel Audi TT) where the window is lowered when opened, the ice must be cleared. If it remains frozen, the internal latches may break when you try to open them. As a result, the glass ... will fall. Driving in the winter with an open window is not the most pleasant.

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For the future do not forget to also lubricate the door seals with greasefor example, grease (Michelin Fine Grease, available at any bike store). However, after lubricating them, it is worth wiping them with a clean cloth so as not to stain your clothes when entering. No polishing.

Windshield

If there is ice on the windshield, the wipers are frozen, do not tear off by force - this can damage the feathers. Therefore, you should think in advance, connect the car to electricity and start heating the interior.

If we have nowhere to connect the car, turn on and turn on the heating / ventilation of the windshield. In severe frost (below about -7 degrees), the efficiency of the heat pump is low, so expect that such an operation will significantly reduce the vehicle's range.

Defrosting Nissan Leaf 2015 24kW windows (-9st, 23.02.2018)

Windshield defrost test at -9 degrees Celsius. 5 minutes have passed - the clock is visible next to the big "0" on the counter (c) Sanko Energia Odnawialna / YouTube

We do not recommend scratching the windows. If necessary, use the rubber part of the scratching post. It takes more time, requires more effort, but pays off. With plastic scratches, we can be sure to leave scratches on the glass that will be visible in strong sun.

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Charging port cover

If the charging port flap is frozen, a bag / bottle filled with hot water must be used. Put it on the damper for a few tens of seconds to melt the ice. On the other hand, if the shutter does not close after overnight charging, it must be thoroughly ice-free and wiped dry.

How does ice affect Model 3?

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