HELP locks frozen

[gandyRX]

just been outside to get into my fd, and i cant get in!!!!!! its a jap import with a clifford alarm with the extra solinoid/popper thing to open the passanger lock, anywayz bleeped the car first time the drivers door only opened part way, tried to use the key and it wouldnt open still so i pushed it shut, the passanger door was still locked and i didnt hear the central locking motor go either, so i unlocked it with the key, locked the whole car again with the fob then unlocked it again but the car stayed locked, got in through the passanger side and tried to open the drivers door from the inside but nothing its still locked, i can hear the central locking motor go when i use the clifford fob but not with the button on the inside! im really worried now, is it just coz of the cold weather that its not opening or is it fooked
 
please help guys
 
cheers andy

[ash]

Hi Gandy, I know the locks on the FD are relatively weak and yes i would expect that the cold weather has done this. It did it on one I had a while back on the pass side. Pour some warm water over the locks a couple of times and try then.

HTH.

[m1tch]

I have sprayed some WD40 in mine, it dissapates the water so there isn\'t any to freeze lol

[NurburgRob]

WD40 them first but if it\'s too late blow into them, with a straw if you\'re scared of getting stuck

[m1tch]

Also, if you think its the rubber seals that are freezing, put some petrolium jelly on them and they won\'t freeze

[DMDRIFTING]

Hello,

don\'t mean to jump on the thread, but i\'ve has exactly the same thing happen on the same morning. I have a G5 Clifford, I can hear and see, it open the inner door release lock, but the drivers door won\'t open!

Managed to climb in (Through the boot :Giggle) and get the passenger door open from the inside, but the  drivers door release handle \'inside and outside\' will not open the door! They seem to be disconnected?!

Took handle off from inside and the thin bar that connects to the lock seems lose compared to the passenger side?

Thing is to get to the mechanics of the lock you need to take the door card off, but you can\'t get the door card off with the door shut ARGH :Grrr


Do not want to butcher the door card but what other option do I have?


Did you get yours fixed Gandy?


Also the passenger door lock is not activated by the Clifford anymore \'since this\'?!

[DrDan]

Another "me too" on the frozen locks thing... that\'ll teach me to wash the RX in the winter

Unfortunately I applied some "engineering force" to the door handles & locks, and whilst I didn\'t snap the door handle, thankfully, I did manage to break some linkages to the locks (I\'m guessing as I haven\'t had the door card off yet). I am unable to unlock/open the drivers door from inside with the handles or outside with the key. Passenger door is fine, so I can at least get into the car without climbing in through the boot.

I dismantled the door handle (removed interior plastic cover, undid the two 10mm nut/bolt), and popped off the outside door handle. Disconnecting the metal connectors from the door handle, I was able to push the lock rod to unlock the door, and then open the door by pulling on the other rod. However once I re-assembled the door handle mechanism, I found that I couldn\'t unlock the door once again

My suspicion is that I have twisted the lock barrel against the frozen locking mechanism, and have somehow offset the linkage where the barrel is connected to the lock/unlock rod.

My plan is to dismantle the passenger door to do a compare and contrast... however if anyone has a close up picture of the door handle lock assembly linkages, i.e. the inside of the door handle, that would be great!

Thanks,
DrDan

[Jimi_Hendrix]

My FC turbo II did this to me every morning for a few days on the trot! Lol!
 
I always keep it in the garage overnight and thats fine. But when i go to work, park it in the lot sort the letters (i\'m a posty) and come back to it its frozen up! Lol!
 
Strangley though! It ONLY happens on the drivers side and usually the boot lock. Passenger side is almost always fine! Lol! So i just hop in that side manualy unlock the drivers side and then i\'m ok to go.
 
I dont have any alarm or anything but i do have central locking.

[Archbish]

I think you should be able to get to the handle mechanism on the inside by taking off the cover above the door trim toward the back of the door.  From there, you may be able to twist the mechanism and release the door...

[gandyRX]

yeah you can, you need to lift up the little flap and unscrew the screw then you should be able to move it, bit of an update, i managed to free up the locks once the temperature rose abit, sprayed them with wd40 and there kinda ok, the drivers side only moves 3/4 of the way then you have to put the key in fully unlock it and lift the handle at the same time to get in, but if you move the button abit on the inside its perfect, its like it just needs that extra mm to unlock it so im gonna grease up the mecanism and all moving parts and take it from there

[DrDan]

I think you should be able to get to the handle mechanism on the inside by taking off the cover above the door trim toward the back of the door.  From there, you may be able to twist the mechanism and release the door...

Archbish,
Were you referring to the FC or FD there?

I dismantled the inside of the door handle on my FD this morning (plastic cover 2x10mm nut/bolts), which allows the outside bit to come apart, and then you can reach in and pull on the connecting rods to unlock/open the door - that\'s assuming that the rods are still connected to the latching mechanism itself, and that that is working too

DrDan.

[DMDRIFTING]

Hello again,

right mine is fixed.

Problem: When activating the alarm to unlock the door, the cable that releases the locked latch, snapped due to the cold weather


This is one of two cables, this one is connect to the motor that is activated by the alarm to unlock the latch (Lock/latch in car).

The actual latch that pivots 90 degrees, to lock, on the door lock striker had frozen also which is the main reason why the the door was unable to be opened.

Method: Remove the plastic corner cover inside the car, to reveal the two 10mm bolts. Remove these, unhook both thick wire/cables and take off outer door handle. This enables you to spray, WD40 + Chain Lubricant down the inside of the door, closest to the rear of car. Then a few kettles of HOT water, again closest to (Door lock striker) rear of car. Repeat this process until the latch is freed.

JOB DONE.

Going to purchase a new door lock cable tomorrow and fit as due to the broken cable, even though the lock inside activates, the door it\'s self will not lock.


Hope this helps others in this cold, but DAM what fun it is driving to work in the mornings, in snow, Waaaa,waaa,waaa,wa,wa,woooooh wa wa lol

[DMDRIFTING]

Right, i went to the scrap yard yesterday, the actual cable i needed had been broken on that rx7 too! Argh

Anyway the passenger side cables were still intact so i removed these and took them home!

Today, I removed the drivers side cable that was broken, only to notice, it is a lot longer than both the passenger side cables, argh! So cannot remedy my problem! Need to Source a new cable, will put a wanted post up

Oh and the cable itself has two rubber seals either end, one of these was broken and the cable was slightly rusty a one end, and kinked?? So this will be the cause of the break!