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        General >> Problems >> Froozen car wont open with key fob
        
(Message started by: macooz on Nov 24^th, 2010, 12:02am)

Title: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by macooz on Nov 24^th, 2010, 12:02am

Hi, I have a problem with my Ford Scorpio -95, when the car has been locked for about 1 day or so in below freezing temperatures the car won't open with the keyfob unless i try pushing the button once a second for 10-15 minutes and then it just's opening. I've changed the battery in the keyfob a month ago and i've had no problem with the keyfob before in +°C. This is my first winter with the car so i don't know if this has been a problem before during the previous winters.

Could it be the keyfob or the sensors in the car that's faulty? When the car is warm or recently used it's no problem opening with the keyfob.

Is there any way i can use just the key locking/unlocking without setting of the alarm?

A question about the batteries in the keyfob, i've read in the threads that it should be 2xcr2016 right? I have 1xdl2016 and 1xdl2025, this is just like the previous owner had in the keyfob. Could this be a part of the problem?

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Matt on Nov 24^th, 2010, 8:24am

Sounds like you have damp in your door interiors and you locks are icing up, check your window seals are not bypassing water, also try putting your key in anti freeze before putting it into the lock, a few repeats and the anti freeze should of worked its way into the lock,

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by bonnietiler on Nov 24^th, 2010, 9:09am

I think Matt is right, you may have some water in there that is freezing and fouling up the mech.I'd get some heat directly onto the lock, I'd probably start it off with a heatgun, but be VERY careful not to leave it they get really hot, could damage paintwork then use a hairdrier after a few moments, that ought to get things moving.
Regards
Bonnieitler

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Cosray on Nov 24^th, 2010, 10:07am

on 11/24/10 at 00:02:21, macooz wrote:

A question about the batteries in the keyfob, i've read in the threads that it should be 2xcr2016 right? I have 1xdl2016 and 1xdl2025, this is just like the previous owner had in the keyfob. Could this be a part of the problem?

It is probably not part of the problem described since that appears mechanical however, the batteries should be identical CR2016 and fresh in order to avoid dataloss, especially since you are now transmitting and receiving excessively.

Once you wear out your batteries because of high usage you may need to reprogram. No big deal, but can be avoided.

Replace them each MOT and they will always function. ;D

HTH
Ray

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Highlander on Nov 24^th, 2010, 10:12am

on 11/24/10 at 00:02:21, macooz wrote:

Is there any way i can use just the key locking/unlocking without setting of the alarm?

Using the key in the lock shouldnt set off the alarm, is that what happens?

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by macooz on Nov 24^th, 2010, 11:11am

I'll try the antifreeze later today!

When I unlock the car with the key the larmindicator contiues to blink even though the car is unlocked but I haven't tried to open the door to see if the alarm would set off (too scared I guess).

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Nov 24^th, 2010, 1:39pm

Around the lock barrel is a white plastic thing, it's got two microswitches in it, one for lock direction the other for unlock, they tell the PCM you've actually locked / unlocked the door. So the PCM then knows to turn the alarm mode on or off. Could be a bad connector plug contact?

As for the icing up problem, a hefty dose of WD40 right into the key hole? Once they're thawed out obviously. Needs the tube pushed in to open the hinged keyhole cover flap thingy

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Nov 24^th, 2010, 1:43pm

PS you can get fob batteries from here

http://www.rapidonline.com/sku/Electrical-Power/Batteries/Lithium/Lithium-coin-cell/73324/18-0471

Always need two

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by macooz on Nov 24^th, 2010, 2:27pm

Mike, i think you could be right about the "white plastic thing with two microswitches in it".. I got the car open now, i had to use the key to unlock (it didn't react the first time i tryed to turn the key in the keyhole but after like 10 times it unlocked the car) but the alarm was stil activated (but had not set off). I locked and unlocked the car then with the keyfob without a problem. I then used the antifreeze lockspray in both driver front door and passengerfrontdoor and noticed while turning the key from lock-unlock-lock and so on that when i unlocked the car in the passengerfrontdoor with the key the alarm turned off! :o

Might be the white plastic thing thats broken in the driverdoor?

I'm now going to change the batteries in the fob so i get two DL2016 (that's the same as CR2016 except it's duracell right?)

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Nov 25^th, 2010, 3:37pm

Could well be!

I'd think about dirty connectors in the door(s) at the mo, had a bit of bother with that myself. Just needs unplugging / plugging back in to clean it. Means getting inside the door though.

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Dec 17^th, 2010, 4:56pm

Another wrinkle on this ~ won't open with key fob? How about won't open at all, simple as that.

To wit, doors frozen shut. Needed to go out for supplies and stuff, had to pour a kettle of warm water around the edge of each door to open it. Except N/S rear for some reason is not too bad. Forget about trying to open the boot. (Although it had thawed out enough to open at the local shopping centre.)

Finally got back home just before 2 p.m., grabbed some lunch then needed a quick dash to the Post Office, about 3:30 pm.

Frozen solid again! Only left it an hour and a half. So, spraying all the door rubbers with WD40 doesn't work.

Couldn't be asked, by the time I'd finished thawing it all out again would be getting a bit too late. Anyway the PO is supposed to be open tomorrow as well so will try again then.

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Geoff_W on Dec 17^th, 2010, 8:35pm

Mike,

Petroleum jelly smeared on the rubber seals?

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Dec 18^th, 2010, 12:11pm

That's a possibility, didn't want anything too greasy though, but still needs must when wotsitsname! :D

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Tim_Lusername on Dec 20^th, 2010, 5:14pm

Just a right random thought from someone who had to pour water over his drivers door today to unfreeze it.

What about a light spray of a wax type furniture polish on the door edge?

At least it would smell ok :-)

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Tompion on Dec 20^th, 2010, 6:40pm

If you push hard on the top edge of the door it will usually break the ice so you can open it.

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Dec 26^th, 2010, 1:18pm

on 12/17/10 at 20:35:03, Geoff_W wrote:

Mike,

Petroleum jelly smeared on the rubber seals?

Did that a few days ago, could open it just now perfectly normally, but is not completely frozen up at the mo as of course the sun is shining today!

Still the passenger side won't unlock. Yes think it's the actual lock modules icing up, don't know what the complete answer to that is, short of taking them out, drying them out and water proofing. Is it worth the aggro?

Before when it was really bad got it unlocked but couldn't lock it again, so was left like that all night. Time before that just managed to get it locked but alarm wouldn't arm, so obviously was a switch problem as well.

Title: Re: Froozen car wont open with key fob
Post by Mike H on Dec 26^th, 2010, 1:21pm

Appendix ~ yes if you need to get the doors open quick a kettle of WARM water poured around the edge works like magic, mustn't be hot though as could crack the glass I imagine.