Tikkatoo

New Member
I finally got into my defender this morning, using hot water to defrost the lock...but now the door just bangs and won't stay shut. I have tried turning the key, flicking the door button lock up and down, pressing the door button in and out and swearing at it but it still won't catch and stay shut. Any tips please???
 
that hot water is now frozen water

take the card off and get a hair dryer, or carefully with a hot air paint stripper on the mechanism - then coat it with the thickest gooiest grease you can find
 
Thanks Sean, I did think that was prob something to do with it!!. Will get the hairdryer out in a while.
 
I had to warm up the door panel on my 90 the other day to be able to get the door unlocked too. Fun this weather!!!
 
Use a hot key (lighter in my pocket at all times at the moment) to get into it if stuck, takes about 3/4 heatings to get in.

You then want to spray deicer into the lock or methanol - never use water, you've just created a bigger ice cube!

You will also find that the push buttom goes in and stays in, if it doesn't come back out it will just bounce open again because it's in opening position. You can quickly wave the lighter about under the button to melt the ice, I also give under the lock barrel a 2second heat to help thaw it out.

Once moving freely get the deicer or similar in there, something to displace the water that won't freeze.

I find a "tuned" lighter is ideal; lift metal cover off, push gas valve up off wheel, move to the side then push back down, move valve round and try that, 2 inch flame!
 
ah have been spraying locks with WD40 (pocket sized kept in dash) when ah lock it up for evening seems to keep the frost at bay overnight

My neighbour used a chefs blowtorch thingy, seemed to work quite well also :D
 
"Frozen door locks aaaggggghhhh" Me too, a right pain in the ar*e.

"take the card off" yeap that's what I had to do, i blasted it with wd.

"then coat it with the thickest gooiest grease you can find" Hi Sean, any grease in particular, or anyone not to use?
 
With multiple extension leads I used the hairdryer and got the catch working again, then sprayed WD40 all over and it was all working fine. Haven't tried to get in this morning. Will get some grease over the weekend.

Thanks for all your help
 
Had the same problem last week. After I freed the locks up with a bit of heat I put WD40 in there and not had a problem since.
 
Get in the passanger door and climb over or kick it open !
Drivers door never opens this weather.

The last time it happened I could only unlock the backdoor and climb over the seats, still couldn't open it from the inside!!!.
When it came back after being stolen they had nicked the dog guard so would have been really stuck if it was still there.
 

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