Issue with door lock at below zero temperatures

5566 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by AarnMunro, Feb 7, 2017

xguess

Discussion Starter · Feb 7, 2017

Hello to everyone!

I am new to this forum and also to Mini band. I am a owner of the new JCW (Nov 2016 made).

Being now in a "first 2000 km" I have experienced an issue when in temperatures below zero (i.e. -10 Celsius) the driver door wont lock in after being open. This is the second week I own this car. I yet have never washed it. I know that the car dealer has washed and prepared the car and that water may have soaked inside the door. For the first time this has happened I was very mad and spent 20 minutes worming the car until the door fully locked. I also noticed that I could drive away with the open door which is kinda hilarious. I called the dealer they recommended to put the car in a warm garage / parking for 6-12 hours... I don't have such opportunity. So I tried asking around the MINIpeople community her in the motherland. Also, I used to own BMW 4-series which had same kind of issue but which was not so persistent at that time.

My question was related to the driver door lock mechanism and if it had a warm/heat up function (as in BMW) when you pull the handle of the door for 20 seconds or so it would heat the inside of the mechanism? This morning was very cold (-22 Celsius). The car being outside would open up and start up with no issues. However the door won't lock from inside/outside and I decided to pull the handle of the door for the while as I used to doing so on my BMW F32. Surprisingly (or not), this worked and the door locked easily. I am not sure if I am luck this time or not... before this morning this has happened every day during this whole week...

Thank you for your advice or comments.

Alex

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Bigdavep

· #2 · Feb 7, 2017

Are you sure it's not the window being stuck. I've had it where the window can't drop, it allows you to open the door but then won't shut as the top of the window can't get past the rubber seal.

I've just wobbled the window a few times and it's come unstuck and shut fine afterwards.

Dave

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xguess

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 7, 2017 (Edited)

Thanks for reply Dave. I am sure that this is not the window because I could roll it down easily. I attach a video with the problem shown.

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xguess

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 7, 2017

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jeremybingham

· #5 · Feb 7, 2017

Only thing i can suggest is a hairdryer and thoroughly heat up the door lock mechanism areas to get rid of any water that might be in there? Then some water repellent spray in the lock mech!

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xguess

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 7, 2017

jeremybingham said:
Only thing i can suggest is a hairdryer and thoroughly heat up the door lock mechanism areas to get rid of any water that might be in there? Then some water repellent spray in the lock mech!

Thank Jeremy. I did put in some WD-40 lubricant. May be that helped as well.

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mikeswagon

· #7 · Feb 7, 2017

WD-40

Why didn't I remember my old friend at this time??? I couldn't get into the drivers door one day last week, and it was a balmy -10 that day too. The handle was frozen, and the window would not drop either.

Hanging my head in shame I have to admit I bought a can of de-icer, and used it yesterday to soften the ice on the window, what a horrible mess everywhere.

FS: one nearly new can of de-icer, only a few squirts used.

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xguess

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 7, 2017

mikeswagon said:
WD-40

Why didn't I remember my old friend at this time??? I couldn't get into the drivers door one day last week, and it was a balmy -10 that day too. The handle was frozen, and the window would not drop either.

Hanging my head in shame I have to admit I bought a can of de-icer, and used it yesterday to soften the ice on the window, what a horrible mess everywhere.

FS: one nearly new can of de-icer, only a few squirts used.

it was only a little drop of wd-40

it quickly absorbed into the lock hole. so nothing messed

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mikeswagon

· #9 · Feb 7, 2017

xguess said:
it was only a little drop of wd-40 it quickly absorbed into the lock hole. so nothing messed

Good work there, that's what I will be doing here if the rain ever stops. It was the de-icer that made the mess, it's just hard to get the car washed when it's dark by the time I get home and then it's below 0 overnight.

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AarnMunro

· #10 · Feb 7, 2017

jeremybingham said:
Only thing i can suggest is a hairdryer and thoroughly heat up the door lock mechanism areas to get rid of any water that might be in there? Then some water repellent spray in the lock mech!

Keep attention not pointing it towards the window...you should brake the glass!

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