RE: lock freeze

[Henry Harper <hah@srv.net>]

> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 01:57:28 -0500 (EST)
> From: Chris Maresca <ckm@eainet.com>
> Subject: Re: Lock Freeze
>
> When I was living in Maine (north of Bangor, for those who know...), I
> used to keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol around.  Dipping my key in it,
> and inserting it into the lock usually solved sticky locks.
>
> It seems that the evaporating alcohol creates heat, which helps in freeing
> up lock parts.  I guess it also disolves accumulated gunk in the lock.
> Tested upto -30F.  For lower temperatures, heat up your key with a
> lighter, insert into lock.  Tested upto -70F, unfortunatly...

Um. Evaporating anything *takes* heat. As in, boiling water? Stick your finger 
in alcohol (or water) then wave it around in the air. Does your finger get 
hotter or cooler? Now slight cleaning/very temporary lubrication of the inside 
of the lock, I might believe.

>
> If you're worried about grease stains in your pants from the lubed lock, I
> suggest sowing(sp?) machine oil.  No stains, works great.
>

You might try sowing machine oil, but I wouldn't think the farmers would be so 
fastidious about their seed-planting equipment that they would insist on 
stain-free oil. Now seamstresses on the other hand might not want stains on 
things they sew with their sewing machines.

Look out, it's a spelling policeman!

Now why do I never have trouble with my (Audi Audi Audi) locks in the winter? 
Am I not washing my car enough when it's below freezing? The GTI hatch button 
sometimes gets iced up on the bottom and won't go in or won't spring back out, 
but my locks don't ice up. Doors sometimes freeze shut, yes.

We had such a nice snow Monday night (about an inch on top of clear roads) that 
I had to go and play in a deserted high school parking lot on the way home. I 
did catch a whiff of smoking Hakka-1 once, but there was much satisfactory 
sliding about. In my Audi Audi Audi. Snow spray on the sides of the car, still 
no icy locks.

Henry Harper
http://www.srv.net/~hah
1991 200 quattro, 81k, fun to powerslide
1988 GTI 16v, 173k, what's a powerslide, I know what an "understeerslide" is...