Frozen ignition lock--Winter warning

[D Hook]

Never imagined this could happen but it did.

During our -20 degree days here recently, I went out to warm up the Explorer. Scraping snow off the car, I dropped my keys into the snow. Almost couldn't find them in the snow drift. Finally found them, brushed the snow off and started the car. No problems.

After coming home later, parked the car and left it in the sub-zero temps for about 2 days. Went out this morning and couldn't turn the key in the ignition. Figured out right away what had happened. I must not have gotten all the moisture off the key before I inserted in the lock and the water froze inside the ignition tumbler, freezing everything together. So took my heat gun out and thawed out the lock enough to get it to turn. After getting the car started, had a warning on the air bag light stay on. After about 15 minutes of warming it up I shut it off and restarted and the air bag light went off, as it should.

Lesson learned.

 

[Blackhawkxx]

Never imagined this could happen but it did.

During our -20 degree days here recently, I went out to warm up the Explorer. Scraping snow off the car, I dropped my keys into the snow. Almost couldn't find them in the snow drift. Finally found them, brushed the snow off and started the car. No problems.

After coming home later, parked the car and left it in the sub-zero temps for about 2 days. Went out this morning and couldn't turn the key in the ignition. Figured out right away what had happened. I must not have gotten all the moisture off the key before I inserted in the lock and the water froze inside the ignition tumbler, freezing everything together. So took my heat gun out and thawed out the lock enough to get it to turn. After getting the car started, had a warning on the air bag light stay on. After about 15 minutes of warming it up I shut it off and restarted and the air bag light went off, as it should.

Lessened learned.

Back when I was working night turn, that happened to me a few times without dropping my keys. I have a remote key fob but never use it but had put it in my coat pocket just in case I locked my keys in the car. When the lock was frozen, the key wouldn't turn at all, the remote would unlock the door. I hate that they only put one key lock on cars now because when one is frozen the other side may work.