frozen ps inner/outer door handle

[puddinboo]

wow 1st slightly cold day -8c ,-17 with windchill and pside front inner and outer door handles don`t work ,hope it warms up and it starts working again anyone else having this issue? if so whats your fix? didn`t feel anything let go the outside handle just didn`t spring back like the other 3 door handles seems like a mechanism is frozen also slack with the inside handle.
note door lock/unlock works .

[jgold47]

Congrats. You got your frozen door handle cherry popped. Mine froze today. On the door edge there is a black oval plug. Pull it out and coat the shit out of everything with WD-40. Helped me after the first time.

[puddinboo]

Originally Posted by jgold47

Congrats. You got your frozen door handle cherry popped. Mine froze today. On the door edge there is a black oval plug. Pull it out and coat the shit out of everything with WD-40. Helped me after the first time.

I just purchased the x5 in june of this year so 1st winter with it. what about teflon spray have you tried that? also should i spray the door latch to . oh by the way nothing is broke i just worked the handle and now door is working 100% woohoo. i didn`t want to replace another lock assembly i already replaced the drivers 1 this year because of a plastic piece that broke off on the lock assembly going to inside door handle cable. anything else i should be concerned about? we get -40c weather here in northern ont. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr lol. thx for your advice.

[ubfan]

Walked out to open my car this morning (26 degrees). Door handle was stuck. Pulled on it really hard. Door opened, but I think I snapped something. I'm hoping nothing broke. After that, door would not close. (Just a note to all, if your door handle is frozen, just don't pull on it hard) I was in a rush so I drove and decided to try closing the door by holding it closed and locking the door. Did this at the train parking lot in order not to drain the battery when I get the car later. Well, that was probably the dumbest thing I did because now my door is completely stuck and I won't be able to easily open the door panel off with the door closed.

I did replace the door handle carrier this past summer so I kinda know what it looks like inside, but this issue looks to be completely different.

Well, I hope when I pick up the car later, the door will somehow magically open. Wishful thinking.

I did find this post. What a great post. Really really ingenius. Hope this works if nothing else works.
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-fix-pics.html

[ubfan]

Walked out to open my car this morning (26 degrees). Door handle was stuck. Pulled on it really hard. Door opened, but I think I snapped something. I'm hoping nothing broke. After that, door would not close. (Just a note to all, if your door handle is frozen, just don't pull on it hard) I was in a rush so I drove and decided to try closing the door by holding it closed and locking the door. Did this at the train parking lot in order not to drain the battery when I get the car later. Well, that was probably the dumbest thing I did because now my door is completely stuck and I won't be able to easily open the door panel off with the door closed.

I did replace the door handle carrier this past summer so I kinda know what it looks like inside, but this issue looks to be completely different.

Well, I hope when I pick up the car later, the door will somehow magically open. Wishful thinking.

I did find this post. What a great post. Really really ingenius. Hope this works if nothing else works.
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-fix-pics.html

[puddinboo]

ubfan I hope you have good luck like I did yesterday. from now on if my handle is just a bit hard to pull I`m using a hair dryer might save me 300.00 if I break the lock actuator.

[bcredliner]

Freezing locks or latches at -40c are certainly not exclusive to an X5. When in Michigan I always had a spray can of de-icer on hand. Sometimes it took the whole can to get the latch working but it always worked. I could also get the latch to work by pulling the inside handle out and at the same time pushing the latch mechanism up with a finger or screwdriver. I still sprayed de-icer or it would likely be frozen again when I got out of work.

As a preventive, I found the more oil or grease on the latch the more likely a problem so I used a spray can of brake cleaner or MAF cleaner to get everything off the latch and then lubricated the latch with a short spray of WD40, fluid film or not at all. I have also used carb cleaner and even PB Blaster but they have a much stronger smell that is around for awhile and are more likely to harm the paint if not quickly removed. I have also used a hair dryer that plugged into a 12V outlet. It works also and can double to heat up the key if a lock is frozen or warm your hands while you stand in the cold cussing.

If you can't open the door you may be able to use the key option to lower the windows to get to a 12V outlet. I have had the door open using the inside handle with out doing anything else when it wouldn't open from the outside. Also better to push against the door from the inside trim panels if the weather striping is frozen to the door frame than pulling on the outside handle--the latch may be working it is hard to tell the difference.

[ubfan]

Ok. Just providing an update. Happy to report that the afternoon warmer weather thawed out the frozen parts and door magically opened. So I didn't break anything after all. Thank goodness.

Will be spraying the internals with WD40 with silicone this weekend.

[puddinboo]

well i sprayed teflon about a month ago on the front rt door handle mechanism that I was having problems with when it was just starting to get cold. now its -39c with windchill and the door handle is working flawlessly woohoo.

[puddinboo]

Originally Posted by ubfan

Ok. Just providing an update. Happy to report that the afternoon warmer weather thawed out the frozen parts and door magically opened. So I didn't break anything after all. Thank goodness.

Will be spraying the internals with WD40 with silicone this weekend.

good to here you lucked out.