My car was frozen (solid!) . . . .
 

I couldn't open any of the doors, they had frozen inside the windows along the rubber door seals. Does this normally happen with scoobs? Is there a way of preventing this or will I have to get the hairdryer out every freezing morning? It took 10 minutes to get into the car because I didn't want to force a door open and tear the rubber seals off with the window!

vasaline on the door seals works

Yes, it's common. 10mins :eek: WTF were you doing? Throw some warm water on it and pull open the door. In almost 6yrs I've yet to tear a seal.

Stefan

Jesus Minor... Where do ya live the North Pole. Mine was frozen this morning but I have never experienced it as bad as you describe.... However,, I have had different complications on this freezing morning...

I've had it frozen (Scotland in -10+winchill) where I couldn't open the door. Water has always done the trick though and I've not had to resort to using vaseline.

Guess if you've no access to warm water then it would be a good precaution.

I was waiting for the sunlight to come round to the back of the house and thaw the windows. (Joke!) The doors wouldn't even open by 1 mm, all of the door handles made a really loud cracking sound when I tried them. I've never had a car freeze like this before . . . will get the warm water ready in future and put some vaseline on the seals!

You should manage it with a baby one ;)

D

don't put vaseline on - it will perish the rubber eventually!! :eek:

I prefer using a club Dunk ;)

Good point about the vaseline. What about some silicon spray?

Stefan

(that's a joke before I get hung, drawn and quartered :))

I had the same problem this morning - spent 10 minutes trying to prise the door open without breaking the door handle off or damaging the window seals. Felt a right plonker walking round the car trying to figure out how to get in. Didn't have any de-icer either so it took another 15 minutes for the heaters to start clearing the windscreen. :Whatever_

That happened to me this morning for the first time in 19 months of ownership!

I think it's because it piddled it down and then froze almost immediately after. :D

Just spray some silicone onto a cloth and then wipe over the seals with this. Works a treat.

Ian

Although don't try HOT water...car winodws aren't made of Pyrex you know

hot water + very cold glass = bang, shatter!

I had to restrain myself from LOL last year when a neighbour poured the kettle on his rear screen and the glass dissapeared into the boot when it shatterred ;)

Silicone spray or a light wipe with silicone grease works well, failing that, use De-icer

Is Back-2-Black silicone-based? Could I use that instead of spray?

IIRC we used to nurish the rubber seals on some work equipment with glicerine (not nitro ;) ) to keep them supple. Available from most decent chemists I believe. They might get suspicious if you ask for too much in conjunction with a load of nitric acid and a demi john though :D

Mine was the same took nearly 30mins to defrost the car inside and out!

Wifes focus was the same but all I did to defrost that was turn the Aircon on Full and put front and rear screen electric demisters on full:)

I have a peek out the window when I get up to see if its frozen solid, this morning it was frozen rain and the doors were firmly stuck shut so it was off round to the garden and took the 8ltr watering can into the house and filled it with water approx 40c and then poured it all over the car, done the trick. I always make sure I leave time for this on cold mornings as the amout of twats you see driving with little oor no vision where they are in a rush is a worry

andy ;)

Excellent thread, this. I have learned a lot. I had the same experience this morning - all doors frozen solid. Took longer to get going than to drive to work.

Where can the silicone spray/ grease be bought from, btw?

As someone stated earlier, glycerine is used to prevent sticking etc. and to condition rubber seals in low temperatures. Think I first heard about using it from a Danish bloke. Can also be used on windscreen surrounds and wipers etc.

J.

I took my reno 5 this morning so I was OK but the misses used the scoob for work, I bet she was stuck :D cant wait to see her later although the car had gone at dinner so she must have got in somehow

first frost this year, almost forgot how I used to de-ice the windows, faffed about for 10 minutes with the de-icer and a scraper and was still struggling so just got a jug of warm water, 1 minute later I was on the road :D

Had the same problem
I had to abandon my car last night as got it stuck on a country road, I could maybe have got through but there was an Audi TT parked nearby and my car was sliding too close to it for my liking so i gave up rather than face an insurance claim.
Retreived it this morning and the door was frozen shut, as it was middle of no where i just had to give the door a good pull!

Shark Man,

That's why I said warm. I also haven't smashed any glass in my 5yrs+ of Scooby ownership.

white tornado,

You can buy silicon spray from Halfrauds or any motor factors.

Stefan

LOL! I thought the door handles were going to snap off this morning. I fannied about with an aerosol de-icer which just froze on the windows, so then I armed myself with one of those manual spray de-icers to see if that was any better - it wasn't. I couldn't get the de-icer to go between the door seal and the window. I couldn't even get into the car or the boot to get hold of the bloody ice scraper, and couldn't go into the back of the house or kitchen for water because it was all locked up from inside! 10 minutes later I managed to crack the driver's door open, start the car up and wait another 5 minutes for the heaters to do something. Warm water it is then. :D

The only thing with the water is that it'll re-freeze in minutes if cold enough. So splash it on, get in the car and get the heaters on quick style :D

I won't guarantee you'll get out of the car when you reach your destination.

We'll await the "I got stuck in my car after de-icing with water" thread ;):D:D

PMSL! That's probably the sort of thing that would happen to me! The car was still an automotive iceberg when I arrived at the office but thank god the doors worked.

Happened to my CTR this morning as well!

Put your cars in the garage, you peasants...

rolflmao at Yoza...

It's now a dining room, so I can't...

and my Golf had the same problem this morning - fortunately fixed by spraying with De-icer.

Where can you get glycerine from? the chemists?

Same problem here, a few minutes buggering about unfreezing the locks, then more time unfreezing the doors then another 5 mins waiting for the heater to warm up.. I love winter :D