Question about Rangers

[Viva]

Hi All,

It froze pretty bad here in TX the past week. My Ranger unlocks but won't open. Very odd! Is it just frozen shut somewhere? The passenger door won't budge either. Tried heating the key..nothing. Just wait it out till she unfreezes?

 

[donaldcon]

Welcome to the cold we suffer here in ohio.

No matter what you own the doors freeze shut in this crap...

lots of techniques out there to get in....

The door freezes to the rubber seal, try using a hair dryer or pouring window deicer at the top so it cna run down in and thaw it out.

 

[RatDog8o8]

Might be that the weatherstripping around the door got wet enough while driving to re-freeze and stick the door(s) shut......especially if the truck was parked outside when it got cold again.

What part of TX?

 

[Viva]

Will hot water on the rubber help? Its not expected to freeze again so I am not worried about it re-freezing. My class started...right now LOL Im so inexperienced at cold weather consequences. Thanks for the ideas.

Edit: My main question is will the hot water do anything to the rubber?

 

[RatDog8o8]

No, the water won't hurt the weatherstripping. But.....be VERY careful and try not to dump any on really cold door glass. (Cold glass + hot water = no glass.) Shouldn't take much, maybe a cup or so.

When you get it opened, take a rag with some WD-40 on it, and wipe the weatherstripping down. This is supposed to help moisture from doing this......the freezing/sticking thing.

 

[backroad101]

Yup, put some WD40 in the key holes as well as some on the weatherstriping, especially if you park outside.

I have not had trouble with weatherstriping and I have keyless entry. But the locks on my tailgate and tonneau cover froze last year so I was sure to spray some WD40 in them this year.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Yeah its just the rubber seals, if you yank hard on the door they usually come apart up here in AK but then again it gets so cold that nothing freezes to other cold things.

I sprayed my rubber seals with a silicon rubberizer thats used for RV's to keep the rubber things on the doors and such feeling like new and my doors haven't frozen shut since.

 

[gribly]

Says right in your owners manual to lubricate the door seals regularly with silicone grease. Frozen doors are very preventable.

 

[stegomon]

if you can't handle that...i would hate to see you in the real cold up here in maine....heck it was 30 in Portsmouth NH today and i was driving the rig with the windows down!!!

 

[adsm08]

It's normal. The only reason my truck doesn't do it anymore is because the rubber is so old it won't hold water to freeze to the doors anymore.

 

[ocelotl]

dang!

sorry guys! i have no idea about what you guys are going through. i'm here in sunny LA! tomorrow's forecast: a nice 75 degrees F.

i feel for you though bros!

 

[heptofite]

i usually body-check the door, cracks the ice, door pops open.

 

[--weezl--]

i usually hammerpunch the doorframe, cracks the ice well enough for the most part, i have used hot water, never any issue with broken windows, though it is a risk... pull like hell works too, though this has risks also... my favorite is the hammer punch though(smash pinky side of fist downwards on truck, the meaty part of the side of your hand will cushion enough to not scratch or dent)

lol you southerners, it's so cold! lol we were -40 a couple weeks ago

 

[Captain Ledd]

Windsheild washer fluid that will de-ice (should say on it somewhere) Keep that at room temp, maybe over a heat vent. Pour it on the door cracks and seals. Not all at once, enough to get it a good covering, let it sit for a few minutes, and pour some more on until the door opens. Viola!

I sometimes have to do this to get my shed doors open. This will work from personal experience.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

I always juice the seals with armor all but you have to rub it in good so the good part stays and the 90% water goes. Makes it slickery, wd-40 is petroleum based and though it does work the rubber will breakdown. I had a girlfriend years ago that on own used her fancy body lotion on them and by golly not only did it work, it smelled sexy lol.