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Date:         Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:22:23 -0900
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Keeping things from freezing shut
Comments: To: John Rodgers <inua@charter.net>
In-Reply-To:  <4B203088.30508@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

John the half smart ones carry a strap and tie the door shut so they can drink their coffee and text friends during the drive. You left Alaska before the explosion of coffee stands and cell phones, back when drivers had free hands. My wifes 2003 Passat 4motion Wagon lives in our two car garage and has never had problems with frozen locks, doors, or windows. My daily driver Syncro(`87 Sunroof model) lives outside, no room in a two car garage for a second vehicle and does occasionally suffer from frozen door syndrome. This usually occurs during warming spells when the roads get slushy and it sprays onto the lower edge of the doors. The slider is the worst as it gets blasted by the front tire and between the large contact area and way the door opens can be challenging to get open once frozen. I suspect a decent set of mudflaps would help this. Silicone does help keep the door seals from freezing to the body.

Mark in AK

On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 2:19 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:

> Don't use graphite, silicone and all that stuff they sell you in your > locks and places. It gunks them up and they don't work well or at all. > > To remove water to prevent freezing - spray/wash/drown the area with > alcohol. Alcohol itself is an anti-freeze, and it will absorb the water, > and prevent it from freezing as well. Thento remove the water saturated > alcohol - just let it evaporate - or speed evaporation by a few minutes > hit with hot air from a heat gun - not to hot - it will evaporate > quickly - taking the water with it. I prefer using regular denatured > alcohol. Be judicious about the application however - some types of > surfaces do not like alcohol.- might soften in contact, but for most > applications it's safe enough. It's a trick I learned living 30 years in > Alaska. The period of freeze-up in the fall, and the beginning of spring > thaw was when freezing doors, locks, wiper blades freezing down, etc, > were most aggravating. > > One more thing - Alaskans for the most part leave their vehicles outside > in winter. The constant going in and out of garages makes for a daily > freeze-thaw cycle and by the time you get out of the garage in the > morning when the locks and doors work in the warm garage air - and park > outside for the day - the vehicle is totally frozen by time to go home. > Windows won't work, door locks won't work - heck, you can't even get > your door to catch, much less lock - so chechakos (Alaskan sourdough > term for newbies, greenhorns, and tinhorns) will ride home holding the > door closed with one hand, and a blast of frigid air blowing in around > the unclosed door. Such unpleasantness is un-necessary. > > Airlines de-ice with hot glycol, you can get ANTI icing just using > denatured alcohol from the hardware store - or in a pinch - the alcohol > from your medicine cabinet at home. > > John Rodgers > Clayartist and Moldmaker > 88'GL VW Bus Driver > Chelsea, AL > Http://www.moldhaus.com <http://www.moldhaus.com/> > > > > > Mark A Kippert wrote: > >> It was 46 degrees F when I woke up in Indy this morning and it had >> rained all night. The weatherman indicated that it would drop down to >> low 20s by evening. This is sure to freeze my doors shut like the old >> man's Oldsmobile ("That son of a b**** would freeze up in the middle >> of summer on the equator!"). >> >> Last year the van froze up under similar conditions. Couldn't unlock >> the doors and when I finally got a key to turn they were frozen shut. >> So this morning I applied a liberal coat of Armor All to all the door >> seals and shot some lube into all the keyholes. We'll see how >> effective this is when I leave work this evening. >> >> Mark K >> 1986 GL/2WD/4SPD >> >> >>


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