Frozen door locking mechanism

[Max Hoepli]

Should spray oil into locks 4x/year, just before washing. I do that with
1986 type 44. My locks were stiff 2 years ago when I got the car, but have
sprayed something like liquid wrench or Krown anti rust oil into door and
trunk locks, into door where handle enters door.

Max


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gwen Agboat" <agboat at trebnet.com>
To: <iain.atkinson at tesco.net>; "'SJ'" <syljay at optonline.net>;
<quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: 06, February 2007 14:00
Subject: RE: Frozen door locking mechanism


> Hello everyone,
>
> It has been frosty here in Toronto lately... even the snowmen want to be
> indoors.
>
> I seldom email... because I don't have any solutions.
>
> However; I did have the problem with the frozen doors and locks on my 1989
> Audi 90Q several times this year and last year.  On more than one
occasion,
> I had to drive with one hand holding the door closed and the other
steering
> and changing gears - in order to catch the early morning train to work.
> Last week, it was so frigid, but I had to clean my car, so I hand washed
it
> with a bucket & soft brush, including all the gaskets around the inside of
> the doors.
>
> I towel dried the car, gaskets and all.  I then sprayed a generous amount
of
> white lithium grease into the locking mechanisms through the key holes and
> from the side of the door (with the doors ajar where the mechanisms are
> exposed).  I wiped up the excess, sprayed the gaskets around the doors and
> used the excess on the towel to rub the lithium grease into the gaskets.
>
> The gaskets are supple and seal well now, none of my doors stick anymore
> despite the wet followed by extreme cold (-29 C) we've had these last
couple
> of weeks.  The locking mechanisms don't freeze at all anymore.
>
> Lithium grease is supposed to be better for locks than WD-40 because
> apparently WD-40 builds up and then dries out (I'm not 100% on this) but
my
> favourite locksmith told me lithium grease is much better for locks.
>
> Gwen
> 1989 A90Q
> =====================================================================
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:quattro-bounces at audifans.com]
On
> Behalf Of iain.atkinson at tesco.net
> Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 10:43 AM
> To: SJ; quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: Frozen door locking mechanism
>
> had the same problem on my urs4 real pita
>
> >
> > From: SJ <syljay at optonline.net>
> > Date: 2007/02/06 Tue PM 02:51:14 GMT
> > To: quattro at audifans.com
> > Subject: Frozen door locking mechanism
> >
> > Patient: 1988 5kq
> >
> > Cannot open drivers side door on cold days, after a rain or snow.
> > The key lock works, but it wont budge the door locking mechanism.
> > When this happens, I can open door locks (except drivers door lock) from
> > passenger side door, then I need to climb over the center console to get
> > into drivers seat. After the car warms up, the left side door lock will
> work
> > . . sometimes,  depending on length of drive.
> >
> > Problem has been isolated to the window weather strip at the bottom edge
> of
> > window. This strip has shrunk due to old age. When it rains or snows,
> water
> > will run down the window and thru the weather strip gap and drip onto
the
> > locking mechanism. During the night, when the temps drop, the water
> freezes
> > and locks up the locking mechanism.
> >
> > I sealed the opening with masking tape, and so far so good. Its been
> tested
> > in rain, snow and below 20F conditions - No more frozen locks. But I
cant
> > open the window of course.
> >
> > Now the Question:
> > Has anyone "extended" this weather stripping? Can I add a piece (from
> > junkyard) of weather stripping and somehow bond it to the existing
strip?
> >
> >
> > SJ
> > 85 Dodge PU, D-250, 318, auto
> > 85 Audi 4k - - sold but still on the road
> > 88 Audi 5kq
> > 90 Audi 100q
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
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2/5/2007
> >
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