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      12-02-2014, 12:51 PM   #1
Varinn
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winter mode

My Z4MC is officially in winter mode, really. The temperatures have dropped and the doors are now frozen shut, I've tried the usual hair drier trick on the seals with zero luck. My problem is that the windows will not drop down to clear the seals and allow the door to open. I have tried holding the unlock key but the window motors are not able to drive the glass down even if I try to assist them by pushing down on the glass gently.

Does anyone else have any tricks? I'm daily commuting in my e30 directly into the sun and my prescription sunglasses are locked in the Z!

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      12-02-2014, 01:25 PM   #2
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Pour a bucket of HOT water along the window seals maybe?
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      12-02-2014, 01:28 PM   #3
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Deicing windshield washer fluid & a hair dryer have always worked for me.

Afterwards be sure to dry the seals and coat with light layer of vaseline to prevent further freezes.
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      12-02-2014, 02:54 PM   #4
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I would be very carefull trying to roll down the windows when they are covered in ice. There is a lot of pressure on the glass and you can break the mechanism. Happened to a volvo I was driving a couple years ago. Hair dryer may not be enough heat too, a cheap heat gun from walmart or a hobby store would be faster.

I've also seen somewhere a really good idea of putting a blanket over the car (windows at least) to make de-icing or removing fresh snow a lot easier than scraping it off.

Edit: found it. It's made for the windshield, but could just as easily be used for the door http://www.icescreen.com/
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      12-02-2014, 04:34 PM   #5
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It's open! A few buckets of hot water and the window finally dropped down, I've driven the car to work for the day to defrost it and applied vaseline to the door seals and inside up top where the window slides in.

I think my go-to solution to the problem is to park the car in a family members garage for this winter. Hoping to have a garage of my own for the vehicles next year. Thanks for the tips!
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      12-02-2014, 05:13 PM   #6
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Use some Gummi Pflege Stift' Rubber Care. It keeps the rubber supple, reduces stuck doors due to freezing and prolongs the life of rubber by reducing it from drying out. I've been using it for many years, its easy to apply, not greasy and makes the rubber nice and black.

I would not use vaseline since it's known to deteriorate rubber.
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      12-02-2014, 05:30 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Varinn View Post
It's open! A few buckets of hot water and the window finally dropped down, I've driven the car to work for the day to defrost it and applied vaseline to the door seals and inside up top where the window slides in.

I think my go-to solution to the problem is to park the car in a family members garage for this winter. Hoping to have a garage of my own for the vehicles next year. Thanks for the tips!
Yay!!!
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      12-02-2014, 05:33 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pungo View Post
Use some Gummi Pflege Stift' Rubber Care. It keeps the rubber supple, reduces stuck doors due to freezing and prolongs the life of rubber by reducing it from drying out. I've been using it for many years, its easy to apply, not greasy and makes the rubber nice and black.

I would not use vaseline since it's known to deteriorate rubber.
There's a good idea - wipe off the Vaseline and use some of this goop. I'm curious why I have never had this issue, as it gets cold here too. Perhaps its because I keep my car in the garage most of the time so its mostly dry when it gets cold.
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      12-02-2014, 07:21 PM   #9
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I think part of my freezing problem stems from what appears to be a moisture problem. I had ice all over the inside of my windshield when I finally got inside. I always suspected a moisture problem due to having some fogging when I first got it. The carpets feel dry however, and my condensate drain appears to work ok as when I checked in the summer it would drip like expected.

I always run the car in full auto HVAC, as it seemed to help control the moisture during driving, but maybe that's not a good practice on the Z4?


Quote:
Originally Posted by pungo View Post
Use some Gummi Pflege Stift' Rubber Care. It keeps the rubber supple, reduces stuck doors due to freezing and prolongs the life of rubber by reducing it from drying out. I've been using it for many years, its easy to apply, not greasy and makes the rubber nice and black.

I would not use vaseline since it's known to deteriorate rubber.
I will grab some of this, for the moment I will leave the vaseline on (only used on driver door) as it's better than nothing and shouldn't have a big effect over the course of a day or two.
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      12-03-2014, 09:09 PM   #10
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I have always heard that vaseline or any petroleum based product will break down rubber seals. You also want to stay away from anything with silicone in it. If the BMW gummi pflege (literally "rubber care") is not available, then my choices would be:
1Z Einszett Rubber Care Stick
Wurth Rubber Care Gel Stick
Zymol Seal
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      12-03-2014, 11:08 PM   #11
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I love the Gummi Pflege product. Treat my seals yearly with it.
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