Both my car doors and lock mechanisms are frozen shut. I do not have a garage to put it in to thaw out....?

Powdered graphite will help it not freeze again. Back when we lived in upstate NY, mom would carry a spare cup of coffee for the car key so she could get in. Be careful with that if your has an electronic clicker.

Do not ever use WD-40 in a lock. All the grit and grime will collect in the lock. Plus wd-40 gets gummy. Graphite is available in a spray version also. It's solvent based, once that is dry ( a few minutes) all that is left is the powder. I've rekeyed locks at the hardware store for about 6 years.

Car Door Lock Mechanism

These conditions don't happen too often with ice but they do arise. When you suspect it will be one of those nights, just drape a heavy piece of plastic over the top of the door and place a refrigerator magnet or two down low, past the window molding rubber seam. Anything you spray into that door other than a silicone type lubricant will make the inside of the car smell terrible, Your right, it's not necessarily the lock, but the rods that go across the door from the main lock to the inside door handle ( most likely ). Some cars just have a real poor window seal where it meets the door and it a real pain. So, for the amount of times we experience freezing rain conditions, you might just want to try this. Get yourself some spray silicone and a bit longer plastic tube to direct some spray onto the linkage as well. If you arrive home with wet windows that will soon freeze up, get the plastic on it as soon as you can. I hope this helps a bit... It works for me in Lower NY State.... 95 Toyota Camry...

A hair dryer works well, although it can be hard to find enough extension cords to let it reach the car! Also, try a little WD-40 to stop it happening again - it will help keep water from getting into the lock. And if you keep the WD-40 inside the house, it's warmth can help unfreeze the lock as well.

The door locks are supposed to have a little spring-loaded metal flap that covers where the key goes in. It's supposed to help keep the water out, but it sounds like yours is missing or not closing properly. If this is the case, try putting a little masking tape over the keyhole whenever you expect bad weather, to keep the snow and ice out. Otherwise, you'll keep getting frozen locks until you replace the locks.

Good luck!

PS: I strongly suggest you don't heat your key with a lighter. It can destroy the security chip that's embedded in the key, and at $75 to $100 per key...need I say more?

The hair dryer is a good idea.

Spray WD-40 inside the locks using the little tube that comes with the can to help prevent future freeze ups. Do this every couple of weeks.

you can try using a hair dryer and heating up all around the doors and the heating the locks and the handles. to at least try to prevent this from happening again after you get home try leaving the car running with the heater going on high for say 15 minutes it may help

Hair dryer, you need to get rid of the moisture in the lock. Don't use WD40. Its a grease dissolver. It will work for a little while but then it will cease up even more. (a refrigeration/freezer installer told me that) I used graphite for my locks and that worked very well. Also, living in cold Manitoba, even when it is super cold, try to park your car in the sunlight. It will make a huge difference That little bit of sun is enough to keep the moisture out.

hair dryer and the next time put a huge blanket across the car to prevent future freezing, it helped for me

Get a Bic lighter and heat the key up. Slip it in the lock and it works every time. Glad to be of help.

how that be possible. when you unlock, it triggers the cable not by liquid. i think the water somehow got in your lock.

you can try by slow blowing hot air through the lock but not too hot otherwise it will damage the paint on your car.