When it's cold outside and you're hurrying to get into your car and turn on the heater, the last thing you want to experience is a frozen door lock. When the lock is full of ice, you won't be able to fit your key inside it, which may leave you unable to get into your vehicle until you call an automotive locksmith and he or she arrives to help you. The good news is that there are several things that you can do to reduce the risk of a frozen car door lock that leaves you out in the cold. Here are three ideas that anyone can employ.
Spray The Lock With De-Icer
It's useful to get into the habit of carrying lock de-icer during the winter months if you live in a harsh climate. A few squirts of this solution into a frozen lock can help to thaw it out. However, it's also a good idea to be proactive. To avoid the lock freezing in the first place, you should consider spraying some de-icer into the lock regularly when the weather is poor. The presence of the solution inside the lock can prevent ice from forming, which can dramatically decrease your risk of getting locked out.
Park In A Warm Environment
Another way to avoid a frozen car door lock is to park in a warm environment whenever you're able. While it's often convenient to park in your driveway, especially if the garage is full, you should make an effort to park in the garage — especially if freezing rain is in the forecast. The garage will almost always be warmer than outside, which means that your car door locks are less likely to freeze. This is especially the case if you have an insulated garage door, which keeps the cold out, or you have a heated garage.
Monitor The Forecast
Freezing rain, especially when followed by a temperature drop, generates a high probability of your car door locks freezing. To be proactive, it's useful to monitor the forecast. If you're experiencing freezing rain and the temperature will soon be dropping, it's useful to scrape away any ice that is around your door locks and, if possible, consider using a hair dryer to dry out the insides of the locks. Additionally, if it hasn't freezing rained yet, you might consider putting a tarp over the locks in the same manner as people place tarps over their windshields before freezing rain.
Call a locksmith for more help.
