All doors frozen, no remote start!

[Freedom55]

I don't have remote start. We had freezing rain yesterday and even after chipping the ice off with my fist around the door edges, I just couldn't get them to open. The rear doors opened partially but the top was stuck. Not wanting to tear the weatherstripping, I managed to open the hatch, took off my boots, folded the rear seat and I finally started the vehicle and put the defrost to the max! I exited through the hatch and closed it. After about 20 minutes or so, I was able to open the doors. I did this about 40 years ago when an elderly woman in a parking lot couldn't open her doors because the locks were frozen. Since she had a hatchback, thank God, I suggested that I can go through the hatch and crawl to the front, bingo!

Of course in my case, I could have used a hair dryer to melt the ice around the doors if the hatch was stuck as I was parked in my driveway.

 

[Jmaz]

I don't have remote start. We had freezing rain yesterday and even after chipping the ice off with my fist around the door edges, I just couldn't get them to open. The rear doors opened partially but the top was stuck. Not wanting to tear the weatherstripping, I managed to open the hatch, took off my boots, folded the rear seat and I finally started the vehicle and put the defrost to the max! I exited through the hatch and closed it. After about 20 minutes or so, I was able to open the doors. I did this about 40 years ago when an elderly woman in a parking lot couldn't open her doors because the locks were frozen. Since she had a hatchback, thank God, I suggested that I can go through the hatch and crawl to the front, bingo!

Of course in my case, I could have used a hair dryer to melt the ice around the doors if the hatch was stuck as I was parked in my driveway.

To partially alleviate the stuck doors and hopefully not tear the rubber, you might coat the weatherstripping , both door and frame, with some silicone. I've used silicone dielectric grease as well as spray silicone sprayed on a rag. Both were rubbed in well. The ice, well that gets chipped or melts off.

 

[ceric]

Would a bottle of De-Icer help?
You can find that at AutoZone.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Does your girlfriend/wife have a bottle of rubbing alcohol??

Pour it all over the door edges/cracks at top and sides then pull your door open. you'll be in in seconds and only cost you a 99 cent bottle of alcohol.
if the ice is thick, pour and chip, pour and chip.

For future, like JMAZ says, get some good silicone all over the seals so it doesnt happen again,

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Does your girlfriend/wife have a bottle of rubbing alcohol??

Pour it all over the door edges/cracks at top and sides then pull your door open. you'll be in in seconds and only cost you a 99 cent bottle of alcohol.
if the ice is thick, pour and chip, pour and chip.

For future, like JMAZ says, get some good silicone all over the seals so it doesnt happen again,

I don't know for sure, but I suspect that alcohol would not be kind to any wax that you may have on your car. I suppose that wouldn't matter much if your car is sealed shut with ice.

Treating the rubber door seals (best done in the warm weather) with something would help. I use this stuff, it's a bit pricy @$11 I suppose but so what?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[Freedom55]

The weather was better today so I treated the weatherstripping with silicone spray on a rag. Should have done that in the Fall...like I use to in the old days!

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I don't know for sure, but I suspect that alcohol would not be kind to any wax that you may have on your car. I suppose that wouldn't matter much if your car is sealed shut with ice.

Treating the rubber door seals (best done in the warm weather) with something would help. I use this stuff, it's a bit pricy @$11 I suppose but so what?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Yep. But at the point you may be late for work, to pick up the kids or late for important doctors appt, who cares about the wax job...

 

[raj55]

While you are applying silicone on the weather strips , don't forget to spray Teflon or carbon de-icer in the key holes so that the doors open in freezing cold. Charge your battery too just before or during winter and change to winter tyres!

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Yep. But at the point you may be late for work, to pick up the kids or late for important doctors appt, who cares about the wax job...

Work? What's that?


That's why I said this below.

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect that alcohol would not be kind to any wax that you may have on your car. I suppose that wouldn't matter much if your car is sealed shut with ice."

 

[Conrad 16.5]

While you are applying silicone on the weather strips , don't forget to spray Teflon or carbon de-icer in the key holes so that the doors open in freezing cold. Charge your battery too just before or during winter and change to winter tyres!

Good point except that these cars all have keyless entry. Unless, of course, your fob battery is dead.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Work? What's that?


That's why I said this below.

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect that alcohol would not be kind to any wax that you may have on your car. I suppose that wouldn't matter much if your car is sealed shut with ice."

Oh yeah. I forgot. You're now one of those. Everybody wants to be one.

Which AARP just sent me a form yesterday. Apparently you can join at 50 now? Thought I had at least 10 years before the mailers started.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Oh yeah. I forgot. You're now one of those. Everybody wants to be one.

Which AARP just sent me a form yesterday. Apparently you can join at 50 now? Thought I had at least 10 years before the mailers started.

Don't get me started on those stinkin AARP mailers!

Too late...

I was lucky* enough to retire when I was 55 and I can't tell you how many of those AARP mailers I've received over the years! I remove my name and toss em in the recycle bin. AARP has tried many a time to get me to join and they've resorted to sending mailers with nothing but my address on the outside of the envelope. No clue as to who it came from till it's opened up. I call that deceiving and I don't like it one bit!


* No luck involved, it's all in the planning.

 

[Freedom55]

Thank you all for your comments but rest assured, we're both retired like some members here and usually we don't have to rush in the morning! I have a smart battery tender/charger and running Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV on steel wheels which I install and remove myself until my old bones won't take it anymore...I also have tucked under the cargo floor basic tools, tarps, blanket, tuque, mitts, tire inflator, jumper cables, first aid kit, etc. (I don't have a Bose system with sub woofer so more space in the spare tire for my winter arsenal). I guess I forgot about the freezing rain hassle as for many years I was parking in a garage, under a carport or had a remote start. Thank God I have wiper deicers on my trim!

 

[Freedom55]

Good point except that these cars all have keyless entry. Unless, of course, your fob battery is dead.

I've replaced the original battery in both fobs last Nov about the time I installed my winter tires as I got a low battery signal. The spare fob also showed low battery signal even if I rarely use it.

 

[Cooter Boy]

Don't get me started on those stinkin AARP mailers!

Too late...

I was lucky* enough to retire when I was 55 and I can't tell you how many of those AARP mailers I've received over the years! I remove my name and toss em in the recycle bin. AARP has tried many a time to get me to join and they've resorted to sending mailers with nothing but my address on the outside of the envelope. No clue as to who it came from till it's opened up. I call that deceiving and I don't like it one bit!


* No luck involved, it's all in the planning.

Retired here too, almost 2 years.

I joined AARP back when, but quit some years ago as they had nothing to offer me. For one thing, I don't travel so that alone kills any reason to be a member. But they still send me spam mail.

Second, their magazines have pictures (ads, articles) of old women. When I'm reading a magazine I don't want to look at old women, I want to look at young women.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

I've replaced the original battery in both fobs last Nov about the time I installed my winter tires as I got a low battery signal. The spare fob also showed low battery signal even if I rarely use it.

I just replaced the fob batteries on Friday. I was getting the low battery notice from the car plus I was having to press the fob button multiple times to get the doors to unlock. Since I retired only one of our fobs for the CX gets used regularly while the 'spare' sits in a fireproof box in the house.

Since the fob that gets used all the time needed a new battery, I decided to check the spare too. It was completely dead, reading less than one volt om my DMM. Even though this fob didn't get used at all last year and was put away with a fresh battery.

Odd, no?

 

[meow_man]

Since the fob that gets used all the time needed a new battery, I decided to check the spare too. It was completely dead, reading less than one volt om my DMM. Even though this fob didn't get used at all last year and was put away with a fresh battery.

Odd, no?

Perhaps odd.
My son's Mazda 3 does the same thing as my CX-5. Both batteries usually go dead in tandem.. My wife's Outback also seems to exhibit the same behavior. I just make it a habit to always just replace both fob batteries at the same time. Then when the one time I need the backup I don't get a surprise dead fob. Added peace of mind for a couple dollars.

 

[Freedom55]

Perhaps odd.
My son's Mazda 3 does the same thing as my CX-5. Both batteries usually go dead in tandem.. My wife's Outback also seems to exhibit the same behavior. I just make it a habit to always just replace both fob batteries at the same time. Then when the one time I need the backup I don't get a surprise dead fob. Added peace of mind for a couple dollars.

Same thing with Nissan (my former 2014 & 2017.5 Murano and my wife's 2015 Juke) unless you remove the battery from the spare fob. I usually buy batteries in a pack of 3 and replace them on the 2 fobs so I have a spare one that just sits for next time I have a low battery signal.

Back to topic, kind of...(I hate winter). In the old days of carburetors and distributor caps, I was always carrying a can of ether to spray down the carb in very cold weather and silicone spray to disperse the moisture on the distributor cap and spark plug wires and also gas line antifreeze. Looking forward to warmer weather as more crappy precipitations coming later this week

 

[Cooter Boy]

Fob batteries: I have an '07 Corvette and do not know if the signal technology is the same as Mazda's or not. But according to what I've read about the Vette, what wears the fob batteries down is using the buttons on the fob.

I can do anything and everything with the Vette without ever taking the fob out of my pocket (not using the fob buttons). I only change the batteries every 3-4 years and as I recall, they usually show around 2.9 volts then and have still worked.

So far the fob on my '23 CX5 works the same way -- I don't ever have to take it out of my pocket. Will the battery last 3-4 years? I guess I'll find out. FWIW, I can get into and start the Vette with a dead fob battery, but I don't think we can with the Mazda. How much of a warning do you get before it no longer works?

 

[wlong01]

Fob batteries: I have an '07 Corvette and do not know if the signal technology is the same as Mazda's or not. But according to what I've read about the Vette, what wears the fob batteries down is using the buttons on the fob.

I can do anything and everything with the Vette without ever taking the fob out of my pocket (not using the fob buttons). I only change the batteries every 3-4 years and as I recall, they usually show around 2.9 volts then and have still worked.

So far the fob on my '23 CX5 works the same way -- I don't ever have to take it out of my pocket. Will the battery last 3-4 years? I guess I'll find out. FWIW, I can get into and start the Vette with a dead fob battery, but I don't think we can with the Mazda. How much of a warning do you get before it no longer works?

You can start with a dead fob battery and probably with no battery. Just hold it up to the start button.