stiff door handles and lock knobs
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Saskatchewan
stiff door handles and lock *****
This is the first winter I've had my 92 aerostar, I'm finding some interesting things:
Starts well in cold weather.
Lots of heat, even though the gauge only shows 1/4 warm.
I like sitting up high for winter driving. I like this van.
Traction sucks ! Even with winter tires, I need a couple hundred pounds of weight over the rear axle to get reasonable traction.
All inside door handles are extremely stiff, and won't budge at all below -5 celcius. When I CAN get the doors to open from the inside, the latch sticks open and I have to warm them up until they will hold the door shut again. I squeezed to hard on the driver's latch that I broke the plastic parts that connect to the cable. Pushing the lock ***** down is nearly impossible. Opening the doors from the outside is no problem. I took the panels off yesterday to have a preliminary look around. I'm looking to see how I can drop some lube into the cable.
Does anyone have any process advice on servicing the mechanism inside the door?
Starts well in cold weather.
Lots of heat, even though the gauge only shows 1/4 warm.
I like sitting up high for winter driving. I like this van.
Traction sucks ! Even with winter tires, I need a couple hundred pounds of weight over the rear axle to get reasonable traction.
All inside door handles are extremely stiff, and won't budge at all below -5 celcius. When I CAN get the doors to open from the inside, the latch sticks open and I have to warm them up until they will hold the door shut again. I squeezed to hard on the driver's latch that I broke the plastic parts that connect to the cable. Pushing the lock ***** down is nearly impossible. Opening the doors from the outside is no problem. I took the panels off yesterday to have a preliminary look around. I'm looking to see how I can drop some lube into the cable.
Does anyone have any process advice on servicing the mechanism inside the door?
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
use silicone spray....avail. at most auto parts stores
does not gum up with cold temps....
i use it in locks now also...cleaner than graphite
displaces water
get one with long spray tube
let it dribble down shafts into mechanism
spray the window door glass guides also
does not gum up with cold temps....
i use it in locks now also...cleaner than graphite
displaces water
get one with long spray tube
let it dribble down shafts into mechanism
spray the window door glass guides also
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
From: Kiev, Ukraine
-5 dgr C - is not a prioblem for aero. It was -35 lust winter.... I had to keep my battery inside my house. It is warm in aero after 10 miles only, engine may idling for a hour, but if it is -35 outdoors, no reason to wait till it be warm niside, it is no enought heat to defrost the windshield so i cover windshield with cartoon.
Today is -7 dgr C here, in Lugansk, tommorow it will be +2. After heater core flush aero is warm inside.
Today is -7 dgr C here, in Lugansk, tommorow it will be +2. After heater core flush aero is warm inside.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,016
Likes: 209
From: SoCal
Wheelz,
When I was in Fairbanks, the local sporting goods stores offered a winterizing service for bicyclists; they rode until the temps dropped below -20F. This involved changing out all the lubes with stuff that will not stiffen up at low temps.
Sounds like you need to do something similar to your door latch and lock mechanisms. It's likely that water crept into some of those parts, and they need to be cleaned out and re-lubed. Silicon spray will work, but it will not stay around. But a silicon or Teflon based synthetic lube will work better. Try some Triflow, which is Teflon based, will stay thinner than most oily lubes in extreme cold weather, but has more stuff to it than spray silicon.
Also, the power lock motor is supposed to be sealed, so you can only lube it by taking it apart. The earlier models have a ball-driven screw assembly that can get sticky. It is under the rubber bellows which is supposed to keep the moisture out. But too often, the rubber breaks, and rain water drips right into the workings. I forgot which year was the change-over, but the later models have lower effort motors that are supposed to be easier to push by hand. But again, if water gets in there, it can mess anything up.
When I was in Fairbanks, the local sporting goods stores offered a winterizing service for bicyclists; they rode until the temps dropped below -20F. This involved changing out all the lubes with stuff that will not stiffen up at low temps.
Sounds like you need to do something similar to your door latch and lock mechanisms. It's likely that water crept into some of those parts, and they need to be cleaned out and re-lubed. Silicon spray will work, but it will not stay around. But a silicon or Teflon based synthetic lube will work better. Try some Triflow, which is Teflon based, will stay thinner than most oily lubes in extreme cold weather, but has more stuff to it than spray silicon.
Also, the power lock motor is supposed to be sealed, so you can only lube it by taking it apart. The earlier models have a ball-driven screw assembly that can get sticky. It is under the rubber bellows which is supposed to keep the moisture out. But too often, the rubber breaks, and rain water drips right into the workings. I forgot which year was the change-over, but the later models have lower effort motors that are supposed to be easier to push by hand. But again, if water gets in there, it can mess anything up.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Saskatchewan
Originally Posted by xlt4wd90
Wheelz,
When I was in Fairbanks, the local sporting goods stores offered a winterizing service for bicyclists; they rode until the temps dropped below -20F. This involved changing out all the lubes with stuff that will not stiffen up at low temps.
Sounds like you need to do something similar to your door latch and lock mechanisms. It's likely that water crept into some of those parts, and they need to be cleaned out and re-lubed. Silicon spray will work, but it will not stay around. But a silicon or Teflon based synthetic lube will work better. Try some Triflow, which is Teflon based, will stay thinner than most oily lubes in extreme cold weather, but has more stuff to it than spray silicon.
Also, the power lock motor is supposed to be sealed, so you can only lube it by taking it apart. The earlier models have a ball-driven screw assembly that can get sticky. It is under the rubber bellows which is supposed to keep the moisture out. But too often, the rubber breaks, and rain water drips right into the workings. I forgot which year was the change-over, but the later models have lower effort motors that are supposed to be easier to push by hand. But again, if water gets in there, it can mess anything up.
When I was in Fairbanks, the local sporting goods stores offered a winterizing service for bicyclists; they rode until the temps dropped below -20F. This involved changing out all the lubes with stuff that will not stiffen up at low temps.
Sounds like you need to do something similar to your door latch and lock mechanisms. It's likely that water crept into some of those parts, and they need to be cleaned out and re-lubed. Silicon spray will work, but it will not stay around. But a silicon or Teflon based synthetic lube will work better. Try some Triflow, which is Teflon based, will stay thinner than most oily lubes in extreme cold weather, but has more stuff to it than spray silicon.
Also, the power lock motor is supposed to be sealed, so you can only lube it by taking it apart. The earlier models have a ball-driven screw assembly that can get sticky. It is under the rubber bellows which is supposed to keep the moisture out. But too often, the rubber breaks, and rain water drips right into the workings. I forgot which year was the change-over, but the later models have lower effort motors that are supposed to be easier to push by hand. But again, if water gets in there, it can mess anything up.
I have a can of Lithium lube. I'm not sure how good that would be. I'll look for the teflon based lube.
New User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Silver City Nm
As your vehicle is now fourteen years old I imagine that all the factory lube is dried up, worn out or lost it's lubricating properties. If it where my vehicle I think I would pull the inside door panel off, remove and clean all the parts including the window mechanism etc. (why not do it all at once) and relubricate all joints, sliding surfaces, moving parts etc. with a good quality lithum greese. I have found that Tri-Flo (spray) works well on lock cylenders, some lock smiths love it, others cringe. You can also get a teflon greese that works great at all temps but it is often hard to find. Use a GOOD quality silicon spray on rubber parts - get it from a glass shop, not an auto parts store. This may be an all afternoon job for each door but well worth while if you are going to keep the vehicle for a while. If you are going to sell it next month, hose it down with WD-40!
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,016
Likes: 209
From: SoCal
Daddymouse is right; any of this work will require removal of the door panels. But to remove the door lock motor, you will actually have to drill out a rivet that holds its bracket to the rear face of the door. Later, you will need to install a short bolt in its place to re-attach it to the door.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 830
Likes: 0
From: Kitchener,Ontario,Canada
Originally Posted by wheelz
All inside door handles are extremely stiff, and won't budge at all below -5 celcius. When I CAN get the doors to open from the inside, the latch sticks open and I have to warm them up until they will hold the door shut again. I squeezed to hard on the driver's latch that I broke the plastic parts that connect to the cable. Pushing the lock ***** down is nearly impossible. Opening the doors from the outside is no problem. I took the panels off yesterday to have a preliminary look around. I'm looking to see how I can drop some lube into the cable. Does anyone have any process advice on servicing the mechanism inside the door?
I had the stiff lock **** problem, you can try carefully dripping some oil on the black push down shaft (the one which locks the door from the inside), this will run down the actuating shaft & lubricate the outer part of the mechanism, worth a try. I used liquid wrench & it's silky smooth at the moment. Have not had -35*c yet though! that will be the test.
Aeroman.
Last edited by Aeroman59; Dec 31, 2006 at 08:32 AM. Reason: typo
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