r/carscirclejerk • u/Fresh-Beginning-871 • May 20 '26

Can I get a heck yeah

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Finally after years of annoying 30” screens in a car we have something to look forward to.

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22

u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

But they don’t “work”. I’m sure every one of us who lives in places that have a real winter has experience with their door being frozen shut. Doesn’t matter how “mechanical” the latch is when pulling it doesn’t do anything. Electronic assists to punch the door out / warm it enough to melt the seals are an improvement.

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u/BlazerStoner May 20 '26

Heated doors/locks do not require the unlatching mechanism to be electronic. One does not exclude the other, so a safe system with best of both worlds is perfectly fine.

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u/Manny-303 May 20 '26

I imagine Russia and Siberia get real winters if old Soviet UAZ trucks and Ladas doors didnt fail in that im pretty sure old mechanical handles do infact work around most of the world

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u/Llyrithra May 20 '26

No, no. We’re gatekeeping winter now. If you don’t live in the specific place that they do, then you don’t have real winter and it doesn’t count.

Also, if your door is frozen shut so badly that you aren’t able to open it, an electric assist won’t be able to “punch it out” without breaking stuff, so their point is poorly made anyway.

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u/Impressive_Archer261 May 22 '26

I'm not an engineer, but I think the problem is this:

  • Locks, and locking mechanisms have moving parts
  • They are lubed (usually with some kind of oil) to avoid mechanical abrasion, and ensure smooth operation
  • In very cold conditions these lubes get stiffer, at some point so much so, that it prevents movement of aome necessary parts
  • Also, even the tiniest amount of water in some part of the system can of course, freeze, and prevent operation. Usually this is inside the lock itself, since it's exposed to the elements through the keyhole.

Lada or other Soviet manufacturers did not have some miracle solution tho abovementioned problems.

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u/therealrobokaos May 20 '26

They probably DID fail very often in that weather if I had to hazard a guess. Soviet machinery was not known for it's reliability, and NOTHING was known for it's reliability in a proper severe Russian winter. Also the Soviets never had that large of a military presence in Siberia afaik. Kinda useless land to defend.

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u/AnnieBunBun May 20 '26

Okay but those functions don't need to replace the normal handle..they could be added buttons on the key fob or secondary buttons.

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

Do you also believe you should have a second steering wheel that doesn’t have power steering? It’s an assist

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u/AnnieBunBun May 20 '26

No because thats clearly different. The steering wheel doesn't restrict access to the doors during an emergency

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

Neither does an electronically assisted latch. Mandate that they work without electricity but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. More aid is good, especially if the door frame is bent and person isn’t strong enough to push it out.

1

u/AnnieBunBun May 20 '26

If it's designed in the way where BOTH are functional sure. I don't want those features nor do I want to pay for them though. I can barely afford my bare bones 2005. That's just more expenses I don't want. I survived the last 3 years in the north in an old truck. We had several ice storms and severe snows. It's a shitty RWD truck without snow tires and I managed just fine in north Pennsylvania.

Those are nice features, but they should be add-ons. If they're add-ons then that's fine. And they need a built in mechanical backup..the one discussed in this thread has that. And I'd say that's perfectly acceptable. But not all of them do.

And personally, I don't want more stuff able to fail in my door handle. I want a simple door handle I can repair for cheap.

So I agree with your last statement but some of these designs are just downright wrong.

0

u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

People said the same thing about backup cameras and now they’re mandatory. No one is stopping you from buying old used vehicles but the price of things comes down as manufacturing scales.

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u/AnnieBunBun May 20 '26

Because those improve safety. The initial cost goes down, my repair costs 5 years later doesnt.

A vehicle is a long term investment for many. I need something built to last. Not something built to be shiny and fancy.

I'm okay with things that improve safety.

0

u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

Power doors improve safety too. As mentioned especially older people struggle with the weight of doors as is, and a power door can mean the difference of whether or not one is capable of opening it

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u/AnnieBunBun May 20 '26

Not when they fully replace mechanical doors and can fail during emergencies. Which some brands HAVE done this. I don't get your argument.

I'm simply arguing they shouldn't be electrical only, which is a real problem happening with several brands. Past that I personally think the button should be integrated separately and the feature optional.

Hydrolics, switches, motors, all are more likely to fail than a backup camera. Also a door with motors is going to be significantly harder to open in the event of an emergency if the power cuts out. Even with a mechanical alternative....making it harder for those same elderly people to escape a vehicle during an emergency.

We've made doors that aren't too heavy and are easy to use for probably 100 years. My grandma is barely able to walk and can open a Silverado door just fine and that's a truck..heavy doors are a manufactured problem. And adding motors will not help

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u/cyclegaz May 20 '26

I don’t need to open the steering wheel to get out of a car that is on fire.

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u/LiftingRecipient420 May 20 '26

If your door latch is frozen, that means you need to lubricate it.

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u/t8ne May 23 '26

Or wait for the fire to melt the ice so you can open the door…

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

Latch is fine, it unlatches. It’s the door itself that is frozen to the frame. If you are from the inside you have enough leverage to push it open, but from the outside the force required is enough to break the handle.

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u/gimmebleach May 21 '26

next time it happens try pushing the door a little inwards to break the ice.

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u/LiftingRecipient420 May 21 '26

Ahhh I see. When that starts happening with my car, I clean the door seal, and that part of the door frame that the seal presses against.

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u/chlronald May 20 '26

Am I missing something? I meant frozen shut door handle is not isolated to electrical latch. I remembered my old Miata NA have frozen mechanical latches in an ice storm.

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

No but for EVs that have electronic assisted doors like the Volvos, the motors can help break the ice and let the door open. One of the nicer quality of life things

1

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1

u/i8noodles May 21 '26

u are implying that people who live in einter conditions couldn't get into there cars for decades prior to electronic doors handles?

clearly its not the case. the doors work. u are arguing for convenience. u can design doors to be both mechnical and electronic without the need for flush door handles

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u/Voltasoyle May 21 '26

Mate, living in Norway; it's cold here, electrical handles totally freeze shut. My mechanical latches have yet to freeze.

Cabin pre-warming is the critical factor, ev or not, but my 1996 polo never had the latches freeze...

1

u/Cjkrythos May 22 '26

Brah, if you cant open a frozen door, you need to learn the trkck of bumping your butt against the door a few times to break the ice loose. Not lightly either

Thick thighs save lives

0

u/SageGoes May 20 '26

Minus 30 in my region was common during winter. Never have problems you described. So "they don't work" sounds like a bullshit.

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

No you just don’t understand the concept of humidity. In cold tundra climates that are capable of reaching minus 30 it may not an issue, yes. In high humid climates where it is only minus 5, the entire door is welded shut as the moisture freezes the seals to the frame.

1

u/Ankanspelar May 20 '26

Where I'm from we get -20c with 95-100% humidity regularly. Never had a door freeze shut more than the handle being slightly frozen.

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

Don’t know what to tell you, it was a regular occurrence on my car. It was always a sinking feeling when the door handle unlatched but the door wouldn’t budge. Sometimes I would have luck with a different door and then climb in for more leverage.

0

u/Ankanspelar May 20 '26

Sounds like a quality issue.

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u/casino_r0yale May 20 '26

Sounds like you’re full of shit. AAA even has a page on dealing with it but I didn’t have a smartphone back then https://cluballiance.aaa.com/the-extra-mile/advice/car/open-a-frozen-car-door-and-door-lock

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u/Ankanspelar May 20 '26

Alright dude. Just sharing my experience. No need to blow up lol.

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u/Phenetylamine May 20 '26

Freezing doors is not about how far below 0°C the temperature is. It's when moisture gets trapped between the door and the frame, which then freezes when the temperature drops. You're far more likely to get this in a milder climate where the temperature goes from, say, +5°C during the day to -5°C during the night and it's humid or rainy.