Reverend Conehead
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I drive my dream car. It's a 2014 Honda Civic. I love it, but I did have some problems today. It was 14 degrees Fahrenheit here in Omaha today. However, I don't let a little cold weather stop me from doing what I want. I know how to bundle up and protect myself. I did a little shopping and went out for some Hawaiian food. Yum.
However, when I returned to my car, and put the key into the lock, the door wouldn't unlock! Also, the keyfob thingie that you can unlock the doors with quit working a couple months ago, so I have to use the key, and that wasn't working. I had some trouble with the lock about a week ago, but I thought that was just because there had been ice in it. Clearing it out seemed to fix the problem. Today, it did not look like there was ice in it, but I could be wrong. I got really upset and said, “Oh, gee, gosh darn it, heck, fiddlesticks.” (Okay maybe I was a little more emphatic than that.)
One thought I had was to warm up the lock with a cigarette lighter, but I don't smoke, so I never carry a lighter. Then I went back to the Hawaiian restaurant to ask if I could borrow a lighter, but they didn't have one. They did offer a blow torch, but I was sure that was overkill and could damage the lock. So I went back again to try once more. Still no dice, and I was starting to think I would have go call roadside assistance. Not a fun thing to on such an okole-freezer of a day. Then I got an idea. Maybe I could warm up my key with my mouth enough for it to warm up the lock just enough.
So I must have looked like a loon standing there on a frozen day with my car key in my mouth. After some 5 minutes like that, I wiped the spit off my key and tried it again. It worked! No need to call roadside assistance!
However, now I'm afraid to lock my car. I don't know if the lock is actually damaged or if the cold had made small ice crystals interfere with it. If I had had to have it towed, would an auto mechanic even have been able to help me? Maybe I would have needed a locksmith?
So for now, I'm just not locking the car. The key works fine in the ignition, and the car is protected in my garage. Should I have a mechanic or maybe a locksmith look at this? Or should I find some small can of de-icing fluid to carry with me? I don't even know for certain if the lock is actually damaged. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears (an they're very cold ears). I'm missing living in Hawaii right about now.
However, when I returned to my car, and put the key into the lock, the door wouldn't unlock! Also, the keyfob thingie that you can unlock the doors with quit working a couple months ago, so I have to use the key, and that wasn't working. I had some trouble with the lock about a week ago, but I thought that was just because there had been ice in it. Clearing it out seemed to fix the problem. Today, it did not look like there was ice in it, but I could be wrong. I got really upset and said, “Oh, gee, gosh darn it, heck, fiddlesticks.” (Okay maybe I was a little more emphatic than that.)
One thought I had was to warm up the lock with a cigarette lighter, but I don't smoke, so I never carry a lighter. Then I went back to the Hawaiian restaurant to ask if I could borrow a lighter, but they didn't have one. They did offer a blow torch, but I was sure that was overkill and could damage the lock. So I went back again to try once more. Still no dice, and I was starting to think I would have go call roadside assistance. Not a fun thing to on such an okole-freezer of a day. Then I got an idea. Maybe I could warm up my key with my mouth enough for it to warm up the lock just enough.
So I must have looked like a loon standing there on a frozen day with my car key in my mouth. After some 5 minutes like that, I wiped the spit off my key and tried it again. It worked! No need to call roadside assistance!
However, now I'm afraid to lock my car. I don't know if the lock is actually damaged or if the cold had made small ice crystals interfere with it. If I had had to have it towed, would an auto mechanic even have been able to help me? Maybe I would have needed a locksmith?
So for now, I'm just not locking the car. The key works fine in the ignition, and the car is protected in my garage. Should I have a mechanic or maybe a locksmith look at this? Or should I find some small can of de-icing fluid to carry with me? I don't even know for certain if the lock is actually damaged. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears (an they're very cold ears). I'm missing living in Hawaii right about now.
