How to open a car door if it freezes: these measures will definitely help

Andrius Žiukelis, head of the insurance company’s BTA Experience Department, says the best preparation for changes in temperature is the best protection against nasty cold-weather jokes.

“When we know that severe frosts are coming, we take care of the right shoes and clothes for ourselves, we also have to take care of our car. Practice shows that drivers often underestimate and consider unnecessary little things like preparing the car. glass or door rubbers for the winter, but sometimes they cause a lot of stress and worry, ”he says.

It is better not to use water

A. Žiukelis says that frozen car door rubbers are one of the most common winter “incidents”.

“Rubber freezes when moisture accumulates: when the temperature suddenly drops below zero, the car is washed and the door does not dry well, when there is a lot of humidity in the car. To prevent this from happening, special measures must be taken. Then you won’t have to feverishly try to get past the door that won’t open and risk breaking the handle or breaking the sealing strips, ”he says.

However, do not panic, the expert recommends even when the spoons are already in the afternoon and the door does not open. His most important advice is not to use force, as this can damage the car.

“You have to try to pull the door carefully, with short, sudden jerks. When the frost is light, this may be sufficient. If this fails, you can lightly tap the door with your fist around its outer perimeter. This ‘procedure’ It can be repeated several times, it is likely that sooner or later the layer of ice wrapped in the rubber will crack and the door will open.

Another way to get inside the car is not very convenient, but effective – try to open another door. The wind usually blows from one side, so there is a possibility that the other door will open more easily, ”advises A. Žiukelis.

One expert considers the “homemade” ice-water solvent or defrosting device that drivers typically use, warm water, to be extreme.

“The warm water will definitely melt the ice and the door will open. However, if you defrost the door with warm water at home and drive right away, let’s say shopping, you probably won’t open it again after leaving the store; cleaning with water will accumulate a lot of moisture in the grooves and guarantee an even stronger freeze, ”he warns.

Wet carpets – frozen glass

Using warm or hot water, drivers sometimes try to defrost frozen or icy car windows from the outside when they have no other means on hand to clean them. This is not recommended as a sudden difference in temperature can cause the glass to crack. It is better to defrost the glass with a special care product. The expert calls it a much more convenient tool than an ice scraper, which often scratches glass.

According to A. Žiukelis, in winter, all car drivers should have an ice scraper, a special broom for windows, a solvent for ice. “It has become very popular lately and is really irreplaceable, when the glass is not covered with frost, but with ice, which is sometimes difficult to remove even with a scraper.

With all of these tools, you won’t have to use a variety of items on hand to clean the glass or wait until the ice melts when the car’s heater is turned on. The worst situation is when drivers don’t have to clean all the windows and start driving as soon as a small area of ​​glass melts. This greatly restricts visibility, increases the risk of causing a traffic accident and puts you and other road users at risk ”, warns the expert.

Another common situation in winter is the frozen windows of the interior of the cars. The ice solvent will also help here more. The insurance expert advises turning on the interior heating, directing the heat flow towards the windows, spraying with liquid and a paper towel or a special cloth to clean it.

The easiest way to insure against freezing your windows from the inside is to keep the interior of the car clean.

“One of the main sources of moisture is damp cloth rugs, so for the winter season they should be replaced by rubber mats. The melted snow is absorbed into the fabric and the water can simply be poured off the rubber after the trip. If you don’t, you cover your glass, door rubbers, window holes with moisture evaporating from your carpets, then face the challenges of freezing. An additional measure to protect against excess humidity in the cabin could be to ventilate the car after the trip, because closing it when it warms up will create more condensation, ”says A. Žiukelis.

Moisture also appears inside the car when climbing with snow shoes, clothing, as well as when snow falls from the body into the cabin when the snow-covered car door is opened. When snow heats up in the cabin, it melts, and if it happens constantly, the moisture doesn’t evaporate. The expert advises to shake the snow from clothes and shoes before getting in the car and cleaning it from the door with a broom. A. Žiukelis recommends storing the broom not in the car, but at home, so that the snow does not have to be cleaned by hand.

Discharged car remote control elements, insufficient brakes, coolant and other fluids, uncleaned cabin air filter often cause problems during cold weather, so it is advisable to pay attention to these technical aspects to protect against possible surprises.