Electronic Door Locks

We have a 2000 Ford Explorer and the Driver’s side electronic door lock will only unlock during warm weather. The lock will work to lock the doors, but if the temperature is below a certain degree, the door won’t unlock. Has anyone else experienced this problem…what is the fix?

May be the mechanism is binding and needs to be cleaned/lubricated. Binding can get worse at low temps.

“May be the mechanism is binding and needs to be cleaned/lubricated. Binding can get worse at low temps.”

Good advice. I would add that you should NOT use WD-40. It is great stuff for many uses, but cleaning or lubing locks is certainly not one of them. It can cause problems and BTW it can cause the very problem you are asking about.

Switch is fouled by carbon build-up.

Will it unlock with the remote in cold weather? If so, then the switch could be going bad. My vote is for the mechanism in the door binding up when everything contracts in the cold. You may just be able to lube it but you’ll have to pull the interior panel off the door to get to it. Just shooting graphite or similar into the lock will not help this.