Tips for motorists: How to open frozen car locks

In winter, many motorists are faced with the problem of opening doors in cold weather. During positive temperatures, water enters the locks, and when the temperature drops to minus, it freezes and the doors stop opening.

The good news is that more often than not, at least one car door does open, and the driver can get inside the car to start the engine and turn on the heating system.

If this is not possible, the quickest and easiest way is to use a lock defroster. From a spray can with a special nozzle, the agent is sent directly to the castle. Some car owners spray WD-40 on the key for a similar effect.

Another way: gently heat the car key with a lighter. Don't heat it too much, just to keep it warm to the touch, and also make sure the flame doesn't reach the buttons on the remote control as this can damage the computer chip.

If you have some kind of thin metal object, you can insert it into the lock and heat it up to warm up the lock.

If you're in the backyard of a private home and have an extension cord, you can use a hair dryer to open a frozen car door lock. A hair dryer will also come in handy if the door gasket is frozen.

Another way is to push the door as hard as possible (but again, the main thing is not to overdo it). The pressure should break the ice and allow you to open the door.

Whatever you do, do not pour boiling water over the castle. This can not only damage the plastic components, but also disrupt the electronics inside the lock cylinders, which are quite a lot in most modern cars.

Earlier, the Inc-News information portal listed quick and effective ways to clean a car from a thick layer of snow.