Frozen doors!

andyman · #1 (**permalink**) 12-01-04, 03:42 PM

Hi, I'm new here, first post. I own a '99 Catera, 67k. Love the car, I guess I got a "good" one no problems at all and I've had it for about a year and a half. Today when I went to get in my car all the doors were frozen shut (we had an ice storm in Chicago last night). I unlocked the doors but for the life of me could not get them opened no matter how hard I tried. For a moment I thought I was going to snap the handles right off. I finally got the back door opened and climbed over the seats and statred the car. When I finally got the driverside door opened it would not close again! :madtalkin Everytime I tried to shut the door it would bounce back open. I looked at the mechanism in the door and it was working fine. After about 10 min. I got frunstrated and turned off the car, got out and shut the door. The door latched fine when the car was off! So opened it back up got n, started it up and the door was latching fine from then on. Whats the deal? Is the door mechanism electronically controled or something? Is this common in cold weather?

**Vesicant** · #2 (**permalink**) 12-01-04, 05:27 PM

How easily was the door catch moving? It may have froze up and wasnt catching well even if you moved it. Lubricate it well with WD-40 or other and make sure it works smoothly on all doors. Also, check the "health" of your weather stripping around the doors. Any moisture that gets in can do it. Was anything in the car wet or frozen on the interior?

lady-cat · #3 (**permalink**) 12-01-04, 11:07 PM

i too live in illinois, and i've had my 99 catera for 3 winters i love this car but those doors are trickey, usually i leave my drivers side unlocked... when it's real cold. and the door won't latch, you have to wait until the car warms up then it closes fine. about 5 to 10 minutes as you stated. sometimes it will unlock partially, then immediately lock back. i too had to climb through the back seat this morning, but after letting the car warm all was fine. i still love my car. good luck

RBraczyk · #4 (**permalink**) 12-01-04, 11:19 PM

WD-40 works well because its a water displacer. Get a door lubricant. If you have water anywhere in those doors, It can freeze small things together. I remember my deville's doors used to not open on really cold days, had to really yank on the suckers.

andyman · #5 (**permalink**) 12-02-04, 11:57 AM

It happened again today, I got out and moved the latch back and forth with a pen a few times and breathed on it. After a few tried it ended up latching. I'll try the wd40 tonight and see if it helps. There was no water or ice inside the car or around the stripping, so that looks fine. I guess it's something I'll have to live with durring the winter. Still love the car though

Stoneage_Caddy · #6 (**permalink**) 12-02-04, 01:12 PM

Reminds me of my first winter in alaska , took it to a car wash in late december ....thought "everyone else does it so ill be fine" ....well it was -30 outside and by the time i got back to base i locked inside my car with a freind of mine ....luckily i had my cell phone and called ahead to the fire dept i worked at and they opend up a bay so i could drive in ....shut the car off while they put space heaters around the car so we could get out ......

They asked why i washed it , then they remeberd im from florida .....