frozen doors help

might sound stupid but got to my car golf vr6 early hours after a night shift, it has clifford alarm and de locked handles, unlocked car and opened door then door would not shut, got back out and managed to shut it but then would not re open front doors would not open, ended up climbing through back door, door pins on front doors would not move and internal release handle would not operate, after 10 mins driving everythin normal when home, guessin everythin was frozen internally any way of stoppin this as dont want to climb through back doors everytime

Hi probert,

my golf did this the other morning, i opened up the front doors and got in but then it wouldnt close properly. i squirted de-icer into the lock barrel and poured warm-ish water on it but to no avail.

i got back out, put the key in the lock and locked it, then unlocked it again and it was fine. i'm a little mystified, but it has behaved itself since.

DKM

thats my only prob i have de locked handles so i rely fully on the clifford openin ma car up seems weird how nothin worked then handles inside and out were fine, hope it dont happen everytime dont fancy climbin through back every time its cold

it sounds like the lock mechanisms freeze in the cold - i guess that after 10 mins driving (with heaters on i assume) it had thawed enough to operate again.

cant think of any suggestions about how to resolve this, maybe pour hot water on the handles before you start out in the morning and leave a couple of mins to defrost the mechanism?

only other suggestion would be to get a cheap car cover for the car and then it (might) not freeze on the inside of doors?

DKM

spray the mechs with some wd40, should stop the surfaces freezing together

were are they ?just below the pins and were the door locks onto striker?? will i have to take door card off then just spray all parts?just gone to go out car been stood all day and it done it again nightmare!!!

Been having the same problem with my 95 TDi fo rthe last 3 weeks or so. I smeared a very thin layer of vaseline around the seals to stop them from freezing together. This worked. As far as the door mechanism not working - I've tried everything to no avail. I can get it shut once I push the lock down from the inside, enough to get working until the thing thaws out. Agree though, its a tad embarrassing having to climb over the back seats on the street every morning!!!

Think these cars must have a phobia towards cold weather or something! i had the same problems on 96 vr6,couldnt get through drivers side door had to climb in from passenger side and pull door lock pin up then it was ok.Only thing i have done to try and solve it is to spray wd 40 down were the locking pin comes through the door card and silicone spray on door seals.Just waiting for another sub zero night to see if it has made any difference.Dont think ill be jet washing the car for a while!!!

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Originally Posted by toquark

Been having the same problem with my 95 TDi fo rthe last 3 weeks or so. I smeared a very thin layer of vaseline around the seals to stop them from freezing together. This worked. As far as the door mechanism not working - I've tried everything to no avail. I can get it shut once I push the lock down from the inside, enough to get working until the thing thaws out. Agree though, its a tad embarrassing having to climb over the back seats on the street every morning!!!

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Just what i was going to say dude. Vaseline or... that spray on copper grease. My mechanic friend says he had a similar issue on his Transporter van and that was the first thing he reached for :)

Any further probs, politely ring your dealer and play dumb and ask 'what would you advise?' type thing. Amazing how often making the person on the other end of the phone feel like a God, can be of benefit! :p

rubbed vaseline on door seals and skins of doors, then took off door cards and sparayed 3 in 1 oil into mechanism and door catch and were the pin goes to mechanism, never had same problem since so all sorted :D