Door Locks in cold weather

[N9QGS]

I had this problem last year and now we are dipping down into the 30's at night Im having the same problem. When its cold out and I stick my key in it goes in but doesn't seem to want to turn to unlock the door, its like its the wrong key and it takes some jiggling and force to make it unlock.

Now don't get me wrong, during the day the door and key interaction is perfect. its a night and day difference. I already tried graphite the locks this made little difference so far, has anyone has any experience with this and could suggest something to try as a fix? It is definitely weather related.

now you may ask, and I honestly have never looked to see if there is a door lock on the passenger side as I type this some cars do some don't... but I cant say if it is happening on the other side... something I will look at next time Im out there... And I dont have the keyless entry on my '07

Thanks, Ron

[WeeYari]

Yep, same problem. There have always been a few days in the winter were I have to unlock via the passenger door. Issue with drivers side lock, never the passenger side.

No solution found and this topic has been posted a couple times over the years.

[Lil Abner]

Well, I haven't used a key in my door for over 10 years. But it sounds like the lock needs to be lubricated. There are tumblers in the lock (little cylinders that slide up and down on your notches on the key). In cold weather, lubrication isn't as slippery, and those tumblers can get stuck. I'd say some white lithium grease in the lock cylinder would do the trick. Hopefully someone else can confirm this for me.

[WeeYari]

^ Nope, that hasn't done the trick.

[ilikerice]

im wondering if the tumblers are getting frozen.. maybe the lube that toyota uses is past its viscosity or has worn gone.. from only using the driver side for so long but the passenger side still works.. so the tumblers are now completly exposed to the elements and the freezing point has increased... just a thought... something that just poped in my head.. i used to work at lexus and we used a yellow grease to lube things like that.. i dont work there anymore so i cant get the part number.. ctscott my help with that maybe..

[MadMax]

You can get Car Lock De-Icer & Lubricant Spray at any car parts store, that always worked for me.

But a better solution is to move somewhere where the winters are more mild! That's what I did! Highs here in the 70s° and bright sun all week!

Cheers! M2

[Shinare]

^^ Yah, but you still live in Texas. :) J/K

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by Shinare

^^ Yah, but you still live in Texas. :) J/K

Don't be jealous!

[bankrobber]

Had this problem every winter I lived in Maine. Even had the door freeze to the rubber gasket. Hard to wash a car when below freezing outside. I can remember using a car wash and I would spray the water and before I could get the soap brushed on the water had froze on the car. I often left my doors unlocked. Many people use to leave their cars running while they went inside the only grocery store in town. Even had the tires freeze to the ground a few times.

[MadMax]

Heck, consider yourselves lucky. On my old VW Passat, the latches would freeze thus I would have to drive to work grasping the door handle to keep it from flying open on righthand turns! Of course this was in Belgium, where the damp air and long winters meant I dealt with this problem quite often...

[R2D2]

Ron and others,

The best solution I've found for the above problem is silicone spray lubricant that can be found at auto parts stores (I personally like the Napa brand the best), Walmart, and hardware stores. It is a very thin lube that doesn't thicken too much with the cold that is rubber friendly. It works great at keeping things from freezing up and repels water. Buy a can that comes with the attachable straw and insert it in the door lock. I usually give it a couple quick sprays then insert my key and lock and unlock the door a few times to distribute the lube.

I also spray it on all the rubber door seals and gaskets because it conditions them and keeps them from cracking and drying out. But the best part is it will help keep the doors from freezing shut. I also lubricate the door hinges with the same stuff. Works great. Doesn't attract dirt and it's cheap.

Honestly though MadMax's idea of moving someplace warmer gets a little more appealing every year!

R2

[marcus]

wd40 works for me...spraying the key holes with it.

[toast]

might be worth pulling the door panel off and checking to see if the lock cable is hanging up or off of one of it's retaining clips. i had a problem with my aftermarket keyless entry on the driver door not wanting to lock when it got cold out. turned out to be a cable was flexing just enough to be a problem when it got cold.

[DebbyM46227]

Originally Posted by N9QGS

now you may ask, and I honestly have never looked to see if there is a door lock on the passenger side as I type this some cars do some don't... but I cant say if it is happening on the other side... something I will look at next time Im out there... And I dont have the keyless entry on my '07

Enlighten me....what cars don't have a door lock on the passenger side?

[Bluevitz-rs]

^Most new cars that come standard with keyless entry.

[DebbyM46227]

OK, I wasn't thinking of keyless entry....I took it as not being able to lock the door at all.