Referring to the guy on this weeks show from the Watkins Glen NY area whose side doors on his minivan stuck closed in the cold weather. You should also apply the silicone (I use WD40) to the gaskets on all the other doors and the rear hatch, too. What Click & Clack didn’t mention is that the best time to do this is in the late fall, BEFORE the weather gets really dicey. Maybe at the time you get your snow tires mounted, unless you’re a procrastinator who’s lined up at the tire store the day AFTER the first big snow! But, seriously, a little prep in the fall can save BIG headaches later in the year. Also, I suggest that you regularly clear any large accumulations of snow of the roof of the van. As it melts, the runoff can trickle down into the door gaps and refreeze when the temperature plummets overnight. Futhermore, the guy behind you on the road the next morning will really appreciate not having huge chunks of ice and snow flying off your roof and into his windshield!
I had this problem a few times with the utility cap on my work truck.
I tried silicone spray too, but it never lasted very long and the moisture would cause the door to freeze to the rubber seal once again.
If you go to any good hardware store, you can buy a can of “Johnsons Paste Wax”…it is the consistency of boot polish, and you can dab a rag into the can and rub it into the seals. I do this every fall before winter sets in and my doors never freeze. Plus I only have to do it once per winter.
You should also apply the silicone (I use WD40) to the gaskets
Uh, isn’t WD40 a petroleum-base product? I’d be concerned about it damaging rubber gaskets and weatherstripping.
Futhermore, the guy behind you on the road the next morning will really appreciate not having huge chunks of ice and snow flying off your roof and into his windshield!
Not to mention that it’s illegal to drive with snow on your roof in at least one state (New York) for that very reason.
Been using WD40 for decades (long before there even WAS spray silicone) and it’s never damaged the gaskets on any of my cars. It also has the extra property of displacing existing moisture (above 32 Fahrenheit). That’s why it’s also recommended for drying wet distributor caps and ignition wires. BTW, this is an unsolicited testimonial: I do NOT own stock in the WD40 Corp!
It rotted mine away.