# Frozen windows



## KevC (Jul 12, 2016)

Bit chilly this morning 

Having had a Scirocco with frameless doors for a few years I was all set for this morning with a hot water squirter around the drivers window before trying to open the door but when I did the glass didn't move but the door opened. Damn.

Got the car started up and everything else cleaned off but the drivers door window button didn't do anything at all. The scirocco used to have a reset order of button presses but holding the button up or down and vice versa for several seconds produced nothing at all.

I could pull the door shut on to the first latch so it wouldn't open but I couldn't close it all the way. As I pass the Audi garage on my way to work I decided to head over there and put up with the alarms for 5 minutes but just before I got there I tried the button again and the window dropped. I stopped at some lights and opened and closed the door and it seemed ok apart from a warning about hill hold not being usable but a total engine stop and start fixed that.

Any tips on avoiding that in the future? In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have pulled the door open as the glass drops when you first pull the handle so I'm guessing I'm better off not even trying to do that until the glass drops.


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## Dash (Oct 5, 2008)

Keep it in a garage!

The sensor/switch on my MK1 was kippered and the window only dropped some of the time. Didn't seem to do any damage opening it fully up.

But you're right, you'll be putting strain on the window motor by trying to drop it when it's frozen solid. The motor *should* be able to take a bit of resistance and stop (for safety), but as we've seen on the MK2s, the windows can be a bit sensitive to failure.

I think the only thing you can really do is stop it from freezing over or somehow defrost it before opening (hard to tell).


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## datamonkey (Jan 23, 2012)

KevC said:


> Any tips on avoiding that in the future? In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have pulled the door open as the glass drops when you first pull the handle so I'm guessing I'm better off not even trying to do that until the glass drops.


Yeah that can be a pain. Rub some of this on it...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UX25AV3QVH


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## KevC (Jul 12, 2016)

Thanks, I've got some gummi. I'll apply a liberal load tonight before it freezes again!


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## Piker Mark (Nov 16, 2011)

Yep that's the stuff. I've been using it on my cars for some time now. Recommended to me several years ago by my Audi Dealer - I had a little creaking going on soon after taking delivery of my mk2 TTS and that's what the Dealer used to sort it out. It also stops freezing of the rubber seals. Get mine off fleabay. One bottle lasts ages. I usually give all the seals a quick going over a couple of time a month. Certainly does the trick.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Piker Mark said:


> I usually give all the seals a quick going over a couple of time a month.


:O. I wouldn't brag about that on an open forum. LOL.

Sent from my iPhone so this is what Autocorrect thinks I mean.


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## Edinburra (Aug 19, 2016)

ZephyR2 said:


> Piker Mark said:
> 
> 
> > I usually give all the seals a quick going over a couple of time a month.
> ...


My thoughts entirely.


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## 4433allanr (Mar 11, 2016)

I was worried this might happen this morning but fortunately the drivers window was ok. More of an issue was how long the rear window took to clear.


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## Ashstan (Jun 24, 2016)

KevC said:


> Bit chilly this morning
> 
> Having had a Scirocco with frameless doors for a few years I was all set for this morning with a hot water squirter around the drivers window before trying to open the door but when I did the glass didn't move but the door opened. Damn.
> 
> ...


Maybe this would solve everyones window problems. Stops the windows from freezing

http://liquiproof.co.uk/collections/sho ... lass-wipes

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## KevC (Jul 12, 2016)

The last couple of icy mornings have been ok post-gummipfledge but equally weren't as cold as that first morning. I've also learnt to only test the door handle rather than pull the door as well as you then get a pre-warning whether the glass is ready to drop or not and if not I've been applying more hot water to the seals until it does drop.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

KevC said:


> The last couple of icy mornings have been ok post-gummipfledge but equally weren't as cold as that first morning. I've also learnt to only test the door handle rather than pull the door as well as you then get a pre-warning whether the glass is ready to drop or not and if not I've been applying more hot water to the seals until it does drop.


Failing that get out there with the wife's hairdryer on them seals. Its not called a hairdresser's car for nothing you know.


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## Phoenixred (Sep 2, 2016)

Hi

I had VW road side assistance pay me a visit at home last week when my drivers door, after opening to get in would not latch. The window also didn't lower or raise when you pulled the door handle. The mechanic simply put a small pen into the actual latch to manually preposition the lock mechaism on the side of the door and then re locked it. Apparently in icy weather the door electronics can auto shut down to preserve the window motor and glass as it detected it had frozen over and is designed to prevent you slamming the door closed and smashing the glass. Never heared of this before but is a little odd. He told me that on very icy days some luke warm water down the window before opening the door should help prevent it in future.


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## Arbalest (Feb 27, 2015)

Experienced this problem for the first time on Monday night despite having applied gummi pflage to the rubber seals in the autumn. Now realise that I should use the gummi far more frequently during the winter months.
My question is how to secure the car when you have to park in a public place and you cannot fully close the driver's door, as this prevents the locking mechanism from working. Anyone got any possible solutions or know how the roadside assistance guy sorted the problem (see previous posting from phoenixred). Obviously if at home can use the warm water method to defreeze the frozen window but if you have to park in a public car park or on the street and you cannot lock the car it's a big problem.
All thoughts & suggestions gratefully received.


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## EvilTed (Feb 5, 2016)

Arbalest said:


> Experienced this problem for the first time on Monday night despite having applied gummi pflage to the rubber seals in the autumn. Now realise that I should use the gummi far more frequently during the winter months.
> My question is how to secure the car when you have to park in a public place and you cannot fully close the driver's door, as this prevents the locking mechanism from working. Anyone got any possible solutions or know how the roadside assistance guy sorted the problem (see previous posting from phoenixred). Obviously if at home can use the warm water method to defreeze the frozen window but if you have to park in a public car park or on the street and you cannot lock the car it's a big problem.
> All thoughts & suggestions gratefully received.


I can't see any option but to sit in the car with the engine running and heaters on full blast until the window de-ices. then close the door properly. 
I drove away yesterday with the door half latched but within a mile or so the window had deiced enough for me to close it. If your journey is short I wouldn't leave the car with a half closed door.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Had the same problem myself after monday night. I have some gummi pflage but can't really use it on my roadster. I called out Audi Assistance but by the time they arrived it had thawed out and worked just fine when the guy tried it, much to my embarrassment.
A couple of bits of advice from the assistance guy. Its not the seals around the door that caused the problem but water getting down the seal where the window drops in to the door. Pouring warm water over this seal should help. I guess if you are away from home you could pee on it  Also a few sharp slaps with the palm of your hand along this seal might break the ice and allow the window to drop.


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## Piker Mark (Nov 16, 2011)

Mine haven't quite frozen up yet, despite a few very hard frosts to minus 6 last week (see pic I took below). I'm coating the seals once a week with the gumi. Did have one morning where they were close to sticking, but the window still dropped as I opened the door a second time.


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## jryoung (Feb 8, 2015)

Pour some warm (not hot or boiling) water onto the window fixes it


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

jryoung said:


> Pour some warm (not hot or boiling) water onto the window fixes it


The downside to this remedy is that it stays damp inside the seal so its even more to freeze up the following night if it goes cold.
The Audi Assistance man did say that this is more of a problem on Mk3s than previous models.


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## 4433allanr (Mar 11, 2016)

Cool pic of the TTs btw.


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## mattb5906 (May 29, 2016)

ZephyR2 said:


> jryoung said:
> 
> 
> > Pour some warm (not hot or boiling) water onto the window fixes it
> ...


Couldn't agree more! Not advisable.

I tried the water method yesterday morning with success, but this morning it had frozen even more and below the seals. Spent absolutely ages trying to get the window to budge. Tried a plastic card down the seals (and even further) and water again but no use.

You would have thought with a car in this price range would have a decent solution to this. Why they can't add a heating element inside the door which gets activated once the car is started or unlocked if the battery is above a certain level is beyond me.

Not happy


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## Arbalest (Feb 27, 2015)

Thanks for the various responses to my post yesterday; which was principally about how to unfreeze the window, when not at home, and therefore not able to use the warm water method (which seems to create it own problems from recent comments).
I was amused by Zephyr's 'pee' suggestion and I suppose if you go that route and don't have a very full bladder you would have to enlist the assistance of passers-by. You can just imagine the conversation along the lines of " Excuse me would you mind pi**ing on my nice new car" :lol:


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## steve_collier21 (Apr 13, 2011)

You need to move to a country where it doesn't re-melt during the day. It's the yo-yoing around zero that's a pain. If it stays minus then it's not too much of a problem. Sorry that doesn't help solve the problem, but a combination of that silicone stuff for rubbers, credit card in the crack, and never pour hot water down it, means I usually avoid the problem. (And I also apologise that the last sentence sounds like it comes from a sado-porn film.)


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## Arbalest (Feb 27, 2015)

steve_collier21 said:


> (And I also apologise that the last sentence sounds like it comes from a sado-porn film.)


I see your location is in Norway and we all know about Scandinavians and pornography.


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## Edinburra (Aug 19, 2016)

steve_collier21 said:


> You need to move to a country where it doesn't re-melt during the day. It's the yo-yoing around zero that's a pain. If it stays minus then it's not too much of a problem. Sorry that doesn't help solve the problem, but a combination of that silicone stuff for rubbers, credit card in the crack, and never pour hot water down it, means I usually avoid the problem. (And I also apologise that the last sentence sounds like it comes from a sado-porn film.)


Must try the Credit Card Crack tonight c/w silicone, Mmm!


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## Jonny_C (Jul 24, 2013)

steve_collier21 said:


> You need to move to a country where it doesn't re-melt during the day. It's the yo-yoing around zero that's a pain. If it stays minus then it's not too much of a problem.


Have got the "Gumi", but have given up because of this ^.
Have splashed out on a soft, half cover for freezing nights only, as I just don't have the time before work to work out if I'm going to be able to get in my car or not.
Suspect it is more down to the felt seals at base of windows freezing, than the rubber seals.


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## Arbalest (Feb 27, 2015)

Jonny_C said:


> Have splashed out on a soft, half cover for freezing nights only, as I just don't have the time before work to work out if I'm going to be able to get in my car or not.
> Suspect it is more down to the felt seals at base of windows freezing, than the rubber seals.


Although your's is a roadster and mine's a coupe I would be interested to have some details of the soft half cover you have bought; might want to invest in something similar.


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## Jonny_C (Jul 24, 2013)

http://www.carcovershop.co.uk/Waterproo ... Covers.asp

Gone for one of these - due tomorrow - will let you know what it's like once I've opened & had a play.


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## forthay (Feb 23, 2014)

Any tips on how to get the gummi pflage onto the lower seal where the window drops into?

So far I've been getting away with a little bit of de icer and my Sainsbury's nectar card to move the ice.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

forthay said:


> Any tips on how to get the gummi pflage onto the lower seal where the window drops into?
> 
> So far I've been getting away with a little bit of de icer and my Sainsbury's nectar card to move the ice.


Don't think you want to do that. You'll end up getting endless greasy smears on the glass every time you lower the window.

Sent from my iPhone so this is what Autocorrect thinks I mean.


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## Edinburra (Aug 19, 2016)

ZephyR2 said:


> forthay said:
> 
> 
> > Any tips on how to get the gummi pflage onto the lower seal where the window drops into?
> ...


Better a greasy smear than a stuck window and an open door?


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## forthay (Feb 23, 2014)

ZephyR2 said:


> forthay said:
> 
> 
> > Any tips on how to get the gummi pflage onto the lower seal where the window drops into?
> ...


I wonder how the gummi pflage works for others then. The ice that's stopping the window dropping is definitely the accumulation along that lower seal for me. Maybe the nectar card still has a purpose.


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