Am I the only one who's windows freeze shut? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Am I the only one who's windows freeze shut?

D Hook

Elite Explorer
Joined
October 10, 2010
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City, State
Omaha, NE
Year, Model & Trim Level
06 Explorer Limited V-8
Now that winter is full blown, my windows have begun to freeze shut again. This happened a few times last year when I first bought my '02. I've never had this happen so often on a vehicle.

I've been trying to figure out a solution and have been thinking about maybe using spray silicone spray (lube) on the edges of the window. Maybe spray some WD40 in the window tracks on the A pillar and B pillar? Paste wax on the edges of the window?

Anyone else having this problem? And how did you solve it?
 



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I thought it was just me. Every single time it gets under 30 degrees it frozen. I'm going to try the in channel window vents and see if it helps.
 






i had the same problem. Since i work for an airline, i borrowed some glycol deicing fluid and rubbed it in the tracks and top or the door frame. Seemed to work just fine.
 






Is this deicer available to the public ive never seen such a thing.
 






Now that winter is full blown, my windows have begun to freeze shut again. This happened a few times last year when I first bought my '02. I've never had this happen so often on a vehicle.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Same here. I live just outside Buffalo, NY and winter is here. My drivers window is the one I notice most for being frozen shut after first morning start ups on cold mornings, in the 20's for temp and my Explorer has window vent shields all the way around it to keep water out of the upper window tracks. I can't really tell where it freezes at along the window seals, thinking top and bottom edges. Much worse on days where it rained the day earlier then got colder the next day. I've also noticed the front passenger side window freezes up as well. I usually find out the hard way it is frozen, sitting in line at the drive-thru window for a coffee at my local Tim Hortons coffee shop.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>I've been trying to figure out a solution and have been thinking about maybe using spray silicone spray (lube) on the edges of the window. Maybe spray some WD40 in the window tracks on the A pillar and B pillar? Paste wax on the edges of the window?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I haven't tried to use anything yet to stop the freezing up of the window edges, but I like your idea of using wax along the top edge of the widow glass itself, because you can buff it off and it should leave no streaks in the glass when it goes up or down. I would think spraying the bottom track with wd-40 or silicone would leave streaks on the window as it went up or down, unless you spray it on then wipe it off and dry it real good. I'm not sure how it will work. I'd like to find a fix for this because we are about to get our first blast of winter this Friday with heavy wet snow in the forecast and temps in the 20's at night, 32 by day. I'm also worried that when the window freezes up and you go to lower the window numerous times to break it free, that sticking and pulling down of the window motor will cause the window pane to pop out of it's bottom track. I'll try one of your suggestions tomorrow (Wed.) morning while it is still around 40 degrees and see what happens come Fridays nasty weather. I'll post up my findings by the end of the weekend, thanks for the idea's.
 






i had the same problem. Since i work for an airline, i borrowed some glycol deicing fluid and rubbed it in the tracks and top or the door frame. Seemed to work just fine.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Is that the same stuff "Glycol" thats inside a bottle of gas tank anti-freeze? At a $1 a bottle it would be a cheap fix. I know they sell windshield deicer in a can at the parts stores as well, wonder if it's the same stuff as what you used?
 






Is this deicer available to the public ive never seen such a thing.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You can buy a can of "windshield deicer" in the parts stores, think Prestone makes it and I'm not sure if it contains that Glycol, EXplorer04 mentioned. I'm gonna get a can of it tomorrow morning and give it a try on the window gaskets, think it costs around $2-$3. The label should say if it contains Glycol.
 


















Thanks for the ideas folks. I believe, on mine anyway, it's the rear window track, the one on the B pillar that freezes. I'm going to try spraying that one first and see if it works; if it doesn't, then I'll just work my way around the window spraying one edge at a time until I find the culprit.

The reason I don't think it's the bottom rubber seal is that the first time this happened last year, I got out and used my scraper to free the rubber seal from the window and it still wouldn't go down. So I figure it must be one of the tracked portions of the window; either front, back or top.

It's very annoying.
 






As we all know Glycol is what's in anti freeze. Winshield De-icer and Gas "Anti-freeze" additives usually have very high concentrations of Alcohol / Methanol, which evaporates very quickly. You probably don't want to use on your paint for extended periods of time either.

A google search showed the following:

1- Mix three parts white vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle and spray the solution on your car windows before you go in at night to prevent ice buildup.

2 - A solution of seventy percent alcohol to water with a few drops of dish soap can be sprayed onto the windshield before one goes to bed each night. While this solution does not fully prevent ice build up, it does make it easier to remove the ice in the morning.

3 - Mix dish soap and water in a spray bottle. The mix should feel soapy to the touch. Spray the windshield thoroughly.


On a related note:

Here's a trick I used years ago when unfreezing stuck door locks one (really cold) night at work. This will probably work for stuck windows as well.
Get yourself a pot or pitcher of very hot water. Pour the liquid onto the window just above the lock/door handle area. You may have to push the glass back a bit if possible. Your door lock will work after one or two applications. Now go home, remove the interior door panel and point a hair dryer into the door internal and let dry.
 






Thanks for the ideas folks. I believe, on mine anyway, it's the rear window track, the one on the B pillar that freezes. I'm going to try spraying that one first and see if it works; if it doesn't, then I'll just work my way around the window spraying one edge at a time until I find the culprit.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I just went out and bought a bottle of "Prestone Window Ice and Frost Shield" in the larger spray bottle. They have it in an aerosol can with a built in ice scraper as well. It cost $5 and change. I applied it to the window tracks on my drivers door after lowering the window all the way down. I sprayed it directly into the window tracks, but not directly on the window itself. This is the only window I used it on, because I want to see if the other windows freeze up and do a comparison. It's going down to 29 degrees or so tonight and it rained and snowed a little so far today with a little more snow tonight, so we'll see if it works. Everything should be frozen up after the rain and snow and the colder temps tonight. I'll be heading out to the gym at 4am and I'll see of I can open the window right after start up. The Label on the bottle says to apply it when you are done driving for the day and it mentions nothing about being harmful to the vehicles paint job, just humans, it's poisonous and cannot be made any other way it says. Contains Methal Alcohol and Propelyne Glycol.

I'll let you guys know how it works out tomorrow morning.
 






As we all know Glycol is what's in anti freeze. Winshield De-icer and Gas "Anti-freeze" additives usually have very high concentrations of Alcohol / Methanol, which evaporates very quickly. You probably don't want to use on your paint for extended periods of time either.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The "Prestone Window Ice and Frost Shield" contains Methal Alcohol and Propelyne Glycol and the warning label on it does not mention anything about it being harmful to a vehicles paint job. It does warn it is harmful to the eyes and skin and is poisonous.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>A google search showed the following:

1- Mix three parts white vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle and spray the solution on your car windows before you go in at night to prevent ice buildup.

2 - A solution of seventy percent alcohol to water with a few drops of dish soap can be sprayed onto the windshield before one goes to bed each night. While this solution does not fully prevent ice build up, it does make it easier to remove the ice in the morning.

3 - Mix dish soap and water in a spray bottle. The mix should feel soapy to the touch. Spray the windshield thoroughly.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If need be I might try number 1, as a way to prevent frost and ice build up, but the other 2 choices sound messy. I can picture the dish soap getting very slushy like a snow cone mixing with the fallen snow and ice build up and leaving a soapy film on the windshield as well. You'd spend just as much time cleaning off the soapy, icy spray you applied as you would scraping ice from the windshield the hard way.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>On a related note:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Here's a trick I used years ago when unfreezing stuck door locks one (really cold) night at work. This will probably work for stuck windows as well.
Get yourself a pot or pitcher of very hot water. Pour the liquid onto the window just above the lock/door handle area. You may have to push the glass back a bit if possible. Your door lock will work after one or two applications. Now go home, remove the interior door panel and point a hair dryer into the door internal and let dry.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This might work temporarily to get a door lock open, but all the hot water you dumped down the window seals will turn to cold water in no time and re-freeze everything it touches inside the door. It would be frozen by the time you got the door skin off and hit it with a hair dryer. At least in Buffalo, NY it would. I would use full strength windshield washer fluid in that case, because it doesn't freeze and will thaw out anything it touches. In years past to unlock a frozen door lock cylinder, I would heat up the cut end of my door key with a lighter or a gas grill lighter and insert it into the lock cylinder while it's still hot and it would thaw out the cylinder and you could unlock the door. But with these Explorer keys having computer chips built into them I wouldn't do that now in case of damage to the chip. There is no easy way to beat mother nature.
 






As we all know Glycol is what's in anti freeze.

This might work temporarily to get a door lock open, but all the hot water you dumped down the window seals will turn to cold water in no time and re-freeze everything it touches inside the door. It would be frozen by the time you got the door skin off and hit it with a hair dryer. At least in Buffalo, NY it would. I would use full strength windshield washer fluid in that case, because it doesn't freeze and will thaw out anything it touches. In years past to unlock a frozen door lock cylinder, I would heat up the cut end of my door key with a lighter or a gas grill lighter and insert it into the lock cylinder while it's still hot and it would thaw out the cylinder and you could unlock the door. But with these Explorer keys having computer chips built into them I wouldn't do that now in case of damage to the chip. There is no easy way to beat mother nature.

I read that the Glycol leaves a sticky residue. Will be interesting to see feedback here.

When I was stuck at work I tried the heat-the-key method with no luck. The entire door lock mechanism was frozen. All I had access to was a coffee maker with hot water. Drying the interior was done when I got home, in my garage. I might have sprayed WD-40 on everything afterward as well. After all WD stands for Water Dispersant. Never had a problem again. BTW, the car was parked in a covered (yet open to the elements) garage area.
 






>>>>>>>>>>>
I read that the Glycol leaves a sticky residue. Will be interesting to see feedback here.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I don't know if it does or doesn't, but when I applied the Prestone Ice and Frost Shield today, I made sure not to spray any on the painted surface of the door, just in case. I sprayed it directly into the slot/weatherstripping edge for the window. Can't really test for it either between my fingers because it's harmful to bare skin. Will have to use a plastic glove.

>>>>>>>>>When I was stuck at work I tried the heat-the-key method with no luck. The entire door lock mechanism was frozen. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sometimes it takes a few tries before it thaws everything with the lock cylinder out. I've also used gas grill lighters to heat the door locks up directly, with the flame right against the outside of the lock cylinder. It will work if it isn't too windy, wind blows the flame out, but with Buffalo right next to Lake Erie, it's always windy here, especially in winter.

>>>>>>>>>All I had access to was a coffee maker with hot water.>>>>>>>>

In a pinch, you gotta use whats available to you to get out of a jam.

>>>>>>>> Drying the interior was done when I got home, in my garage.>>>>

Where I live with the wind chill here, I would have never made it home to dry it out, it would have been frozen up by then. Even if my drive was only a few minutes.
 






will try most of these tips except the hot water on glass idea wont that shatter the glass. I was always told the the rapid expansion from the extreme temp change will cause the glass to break.

What cant you do with vinegar. It seems like this stuff is some kind of magic oil.
 












Yeah, my dad cracked his windshield doing the hot water trick.

I'm trying to find a longer term solution to this so will start trying things like floor paste wax in the side tracks, the Prestone stuff, maybe silicone spray lubricant; anything that will prevent the ice from sticking to the surface of the window.

Exproblems, keep us posted on the results of your testing, if you don't mind. It will be a big help to all. Thanks!
 






Also have to be careful of the drivers side door lock freezing up. Last year, when the first major cold or storm hit, couldn't close the door, the mechanisim wouldn't engage after opening the door. Had to get out with a screw driver and force it a few times, working it back and forth. Spray it with wd 40 or a good silicone spray.
 



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Ok

I would not want to roll my windows down when its that cold, getting into a cold vehicle is bad enough, once it warms up inside they should roll down just fine if you want some cool air to blow in. My concern would be on the door jams freezing up and not being able to open door to get in :rolleyes:
 






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