How to open a frozen car door

During the winter, or on a particularly cold night, it's not uncommon to see your doors freeze. For the most part, heat from the sun takes care of any thin layers of ice that form overnight. However, in the bitter cold...

During the winter, or on a particularly cold night, it's not uncommon to see your doors freeze. For the most part, heat from the sun takes care of any thin layers of ice that form overnight. However, in severe frosts or when there is a lack of sunlight, these thin layers of ice can form in the space between the car body and the door. The handle and latch mechanisms sometimes freeze, which can also render the door unusable.

When this happens, it is important to open the doors without damaging any of the parts inside the door or the seals that prevent water from entering the vehicle. There are a number of remedies for this problem, some more effective than others. In this article, we'll look at a few methods that actually work.

Method 1 of 5: Click on the door before opening it

Step 1. Double check that the doors are unlocked.. Cold weather can make remote keyless entry less consistent, so press "unlock" several times.

If the locks are not frozen, turn the key in the lock counterclockwise to unlock the doors to make sure the door is unlocked before determining it is frozen.

Step 2: Click on the door. It may seem that there is little movement, but the ice is very fragile, and it does not take much movement to break it.

Press down on the door from the outside, being careful not to leave a dent, and lean on it with your weight.

Try to open the door after, but don't try to open it by force. This quick little technique can completely solve the problem.

Method 2 of 5: Pour warm water over the frozen areas

Necessary materials

• Bucket
• Warm water

If the "push and pull" method doesn't work, it means that the door is indeed frozen. To deal with this, there are a number of methods that can be used. They are all effective, but choosing the right method depends on what you have available and how cold the door is. Here are a few ways to remove ice from a frozen door:

Step 1: Take a bucket of hot water. Common sense dictates that warm water dissolves ice well. Fortunately, warm water usually melts ice well.

Take a container and fill it with a source of warm or hot water. You can get some hot water from the faucet or tub, or even heat water on the stove.

Step 2: Pour warm water over the ice in the door.. Pour warm water in a continuous stream over the ice jammed in the door.

If the lock is frozen, insert the key shortly after the ice has melted, as cold metal and air can freeze previously warm water just above the small lock hole.

Step 3: Push and pull the door until it opens. Once the amount of ice is noticeably reduced, try to free the door by pushing and pulling until it opens.

• Functions: This method is not recommended at very low temperatures (below zero degrees Fahrenheit), as the water can freeze faster than the existing ice melts.

• A warning: Make sure the water is not boiling, the hottest water the faucet can give is sufficient. Boiling water can easily break cold glass, so avoid it at all costs.

Method 3 of 5: Melt the frozen area with a hair dryer.

Necessary materials

• Electricity source
• Hair dryer or heat gun

To melt the ice, you can use a hair dryer or a heat gun, but this method has significant drawbacks. First, using electricity near water can be dangerous, and extra care must be taken to keep cords out of snow and water. Plastic trims and doorknobs can also be melted down with a heat gun and even a particularly hot hair dryer.

Step 1: Use a heat gun or hair dryer. Melt the ice on the door handle, lock and in the space between the door and the car body.

Avoid placing the heat source closer than 6 inches to the ice when using a heat gun and 3-4 inches when using a hair dryer.

Step 2: Gently try to open the door. Gently pull on the door until it can be opened (but not forced). If that doesn't work, try another method from this article.

Method 4 of 5: Remove ice with an ice scraper

Most drivers accustomed to winter conditions have an ice scraper handy. This can be used on any ice that is present on the outside of the vehicle. Ice frozen between the door and body, inside the lock, or on the inside of the handles cannot be removed with an ice scraper. Handle ice scrapers with care, as they can also damage paint and finishes.

Required material

• Scraper

Step 1: Use an ice scraper to scrape the outer ice. Remove external ice from the door, especially ice that is visible along the edges of the door.

Step 2: Click and drag the door to open it.. As in methods 1 and 2, click on the door and then try to open it.

If that doesn't work, try scraping off the ice that has formed, or switch to another method if the door is still frozen.

Method 5 of 5: Apply Chemical Deicer

The last method known to be effective is the use of specially formulated de-icing chemicals. They are often sold as windshield de-icers, but all car de-icers work on the same principle, so they can be used to de-ice locks, handles, and the space between the door and the body.

Necessary materials

• Chemical deicer
• Gloves

Step 1: Apply de-icer to remove ice that is preventing the door from opening.. Spray it on ice and wait for the time indicated in the instructions (usually 5-10 minutes).

Step 2: Gently try to open the door. As soon as the ice noticeably melts, carefully try to open the door.

• Functions: Once the door is opened, immediately start the engine and turn on the heater/de-icer to break up any unmelted ice before the vehicle starts moving. Also, make sure that a door that was previously frozen can still be closed and fully latched.

Any method or combination of the above methods should help you fix your stuck door problem. Cold weather conditions can cause a lot of unpleasant problems. If the car has a dead battery, a jammed door, or other problems not related to icing, then no amount of defrosting will help.

If you still have issues with your door or whatever, an AvtoTachki mechanic can come to your place to inspect your door and make the necessary repairs so you can be on the road again.