Cold affected windows

Well, this was a little embarrassing!

It was 19 degrees when I left for work this morning. I'm all snug and toasty inside, I pull up to the base entrance to show the gate guard my ID, and my window won't roll down! So I had to quickly pull slightly forward and open my door (there was a line behind me).

I played around with the switch, and after a few tries, the driver's window started to work properly. I did this with the other windows, and they were all working by the time I parked, except for the driver's side passenger window. Fast forward a few hours, I'm leaving the base to grab some lunch, it's about 30 degrees outside, and all the windows work.

Never had that happen before. At least I'll know the next time it's below freezing to work the windows BEFORE I get to the gate!

 

There was recently a thread here within the past week or so that discussed this topic. Ive experienced this problem as well and used the lightest dab of silicone grease on my finger inside where the window seats. A few others mentioned silicone spray which is probably a better option but I had a small tube in the center console already.

 

I had this happen to me 3yrs ago. It was the great Texas freeze of 2021. The temp got below 0 degrees. No shit, the recorded low was -2 degrees. Even though I parked my car in the garage, I had the same issue that you did.

I was going to go to the store, so I got in the car (it was a 16' Hyundai Sonata, not a Toyota) and after I started it I accidentally hit the window switch. Then I realized that nothing happened when I hit it. None of the windows would roll down. I wasn't planning on rolling them down, due to it being so fucking cold. But I took that as a sign that I shouldn't be driving.

So I stopped the car and went back inside for the remainder of the day. The next day, after it warmed it up, all the windows worked normally. I assumed that the excessive cold froze the motor or gear mechanism temporarily. No biggie. I was selling the car in a week for a 2021 Tacoma.

 

The same thing happened to me last night here on the frozen tundra of metro ATL. Had to open the door to drop letters in the big USPS box. No big deal; the windows work fine today.

 

Having spent most of my life in an area where winter is the majority of the year, this is what I know. If it's frozen, don't fuck with it. I can't tell you how many broken/burned out window regulators, cracked glass, and other expensive window problems I've seen over the years. Just leave it alone until it warms up. Take the extra time to open your door if you need to access the outside when it's below freezing.

 

I was traveling through Flagstaff with my family many years ago and it was -20F outside. I wanted to see how 20 below felt @ 60 MPH so I rolled the window down. Of course it was REALLY cold! Da!!! Then I discovered that the window wouldn't roll back up. The back seat passenger (my mom) was not amused at my decision to roll the window down. Thankfully the temperature increased rapidly as we dropped in elevation and the window was back up before too long. This was probably almost 40 years ago and we still laugh at this story today. Moral of the story, don't mess with things unnecessarily when the temperatures are very low.

 

Another vote for leaving windows alone in the cold, especially if you already tried and they don't move right away. I usually only open them later when they're well thawed out.

 

Being a truly old timer, I don't miss one bit the days of having to unlock doors with a physical key in the winter, especially when an ice storm managed to freeze all up in the keyhole.

 

windows froze quite often when it well below freezing, snow melts and goes between glass and door seals where it freezes overnight. The fix is to press front windows defogger button on climate control and drive about 10 min with warm air going full force. Ice will thaw and windows will work again.

 

I've been a warm sunshine west coast person most of my life, so the cold weather vehicle hacks were new to me: raise your windshield wipers up; don't lock the car; if it's going to snow, put a piece of cardboard on the windshield, put the wipers down on top of it to keep it in place, then in the morning just pull the cardboard off and you have a relatively clear windshield; etc. Kinda like dripping faucets so the pipes don't freeze, leaving lights on in exterior closets (like a water heater or well pump) so those areas don't freeze; etc.

 

Be glad it isn't a TESLA, nothing works on them when it freezes, you cant even get the door handles to work!!!!! MISSION FAILED!

 

I just Rain X'ed my windows. Might sheet the moisture away better?