Cold Weather and Doors not closing '95 164Q

To start with dont wash the car and leave it out in low temperatures, but i suppose you did´t expected it go that low. In winter when i sometimes can expect temeratures as low as -20 i try not to wash the car. When i wash it i always try to leave it in my garage with the doors open for at least 24 hours to let it dry. Then i use a good lock oil whithout deicing component and silicon oil on the rubber parts. If the locks have frozen i put hot water in a plastic bag and hold it against the parts i want to defrost (use gloves not to burn your self) works almost every time. Never put more water on the parts it makes it just worse.
I also use an electrical engine heater and a compartment heater when its freezing outside. It saves the engine and its nice and warm to get into the car.

JK
164 Q4

Have this in my "alfa to-do's" stack of print-outs...
http://www.lexingtonma.net/users/BobC/door_jammed.php

Yes, who would have thought that over night the temps normally in the '40s would have dropped down in to the 20's. The EuroSunday Christmas Toy Drive in Sacramento was yesterday which was the reason the car got a bath. After the frost melted, the doors are all working normally now. I am going out to find some lock oil and lub the mechanisms. Thanks for your help.

velocedoc said:

This morning it was a frigid 25 degrees when I left for Sacramento. I washed the car last night and came out to find my car frosted over on the top. I opened my door to find that the moisture had frozen over and held the door such that it took a good pull to open them. Then I got ready to drive out and I couldn't close the door. The locks were frozen and wouldn't latch over the contact on the body. I know some of you folks live in cold climates, so what do you do when your doors don't shut? I poured hot water over the units and worked the locks up and down to where it would finally close repeatedly. What a eye opener this problem was.

Click to expand...

May or may not remember but I use to live in Flagstaff, which has I think the most if not the most days below 32˚F.
I have had my doors lock me out of my car in a storm while it was parked in a parking lot downtown around 1-2am. The only door I could get open was one back door. Fun.

I removed the lock mechanism cleaned it and used:
AMSOIL Synthetic Water Resistant Grease
Which I got from a snowmobile shop up there.

You can pick it up anywhere or even Polaris brand water/freeze resistant will work, also protects against corrosion.

If you have compressed air and cannot get to the lock yet to do this, air it out before it sits overnight.

Jason

I had to ride around in Columbus Ohio during a snow storm holding the drivers door closed with one hand and driving with the other. #$*^&!! (83 GTV-6) I never did learn from that. It would happen about once a month in the winter. I guess I got my short term memory in high school
I saw some stuff in a catalogue that is for padlocks and such. Can't remember where but I will need some this winter for sure.

Paul

I'm sure that I'll forget by tomorrow

Had the Same Problem with my Ford Taurus SHO!

Had to drive to work the other morning holding the driver's door closed! It's not just an Alfa trait, but can happen to any car in the snow/ice belt. Water gets into the latch mechanism and doesn't allow it to work properly. It will usually go away when the car warms up, so don't sweat the small stuff.