Best video I have seen yet on explaining and the fix. My ‘17 has been doing for years and I just learned to lock it by pushing knob down and closing door.
Appreciate the commonsense approach of doing while frozen. I wonder how long it will take ford engineers to wake up as they are still having problems with this issue.
They have had this issue since 04 with the doors freezing open. It's a safety bulletin. Still present on the newer 202x's. All they do when you take em into the dealer is grease em.
Great video on how to correct a problem that has plagued ford for years, the first ford that had this issue was my 1968 mustang, now my 2018 F150, no sense taking it to ford, they just look at you like a deer in the headlights!
It can only be three things that freeze. Either the latch, inside or outside release cables. Ford has placed stiffer springs in the latch so my guess they know what's the cause but don't want to recall millions of latches. I suppose one of the cables can develop condensation inside that freezes but on this particular vehicle it was the latch that froze.
Just started having problem with my 2018 also got the door kits from the dealer did them myself everytime I take my truck in for a warranty work something else goes wrong with it. You nailed everything and I was wondering what caused it thanks for that and I think you are about right with the 20° I also took out the Tumblr on the driver front door I could not believe how easy it was to open a door with an open-end wrench we will see how they kit works out. Wish I came across this video to begin with I would have replace the latch .good stuff.
I think it is condensation that freezes inside the door latch on the release lever. Ford has beefed up the spring for the outside cable lever and added a spring for the inside cable levers.
13 degrees here today (In Tennessee) and my 2015 has the same issue. Thanks for your well thought out approach and demonstration video on this issue. For the record I never had an issue with this in Florida.
That`s what mine is doing. Thought it was the striker latch but I heated that and it didn`t change right away leaving me to definetly believe the problem is like yours. Thanks much for showing this.
I’ve just recently started having this problem. And I found once in the vehicle just lock the door before closing the door and it will close probably then it will warm up on the way to where your going
Great video with no added story time and terrible camera work. Direct and to the point. However did I see you replaced the latch with another OE? Maybe the replacement came with a stronger, more robust spring.
Yes, the new OE replacements have larger springs. Ford has never admitted that the latch is at fault but I suspect they don't want to have to recall hundreds of thousands of pickups and pay for upgraded latches.
I previously misspoke. I had a very hot hot air gun blasting at that striker and it didn`t thaw that fast. That aluminum is quite the heat sink. Now I know what to attack. How bad a job is replacing the latch? Thanks again.
It's not the easiest of jobs if you haven't done one before. If you plan on tackling it I would suggest reviewing the service procedure or see if someone has a detailed RU-vid video.
I've had the same thing crop up repeatedly with my '17. Have found that a blast of high pressure "Gun Medic" CLP gun spray, followed by 30 seconds of hair dryer on high, or heat gun on lowest setting, directed into the latch opening will often unfreeze and lubricate the mechanism without having to disassemble the door. I used to laugh at the idea of cordless heat guns, (why would you want a heat gun that puts out half the heat as a corded one for only a minute or two on a charge?) now I keep one handy in the truck. The low output is perfect for thawing out a door filled with fragile plastic parts.
Ford does have a recall for the freezing doors. But many will tell you it doesn’t work. I, for one would never buy an F150 again. My 2017 doors have been freezing for the last three years. They also lead to water into the truck during the summer. I am pulling my doorhandles out this weekend and putting silicone around them to seal them to the door so water cannot get in around them. There are also a few other places that you need to caulk to stop the water from coming in.
I have a different problem. Whenever it rains my keyless lock/unlock handle actuator doesn’t work. If I use the fob buttons it works just not the touch sensors on the truck handle. ‘19 f150.
"The exterior front door handles contain a keyless entry antenna and capacitive touch sensor(s). The antennas and lock/unlock sensors are wired to the BCM . When activated, the antenna transmits a low frequency signal to activate a passive key." Very possible the door handle is defective. I would start by checking to see if any BCM codes are stored. Next step would be to check both the door handle switch PIDS on a scanner. Also, hold your key close to handle and try locking or unlocking. It may have moisture intrusion into the handle which is affecting the transmitter.
My F150 is a 2018 and it has this problem on both front doors and one back door. When the mechanism thaws out and latches properly, it can actually freeze again while the truck is parked. I am desperate for a fix. The various spray lubricants appear to offer short term help but the problem remains. When did Ford update the door latch assembly? Is it already in my 2018? I'm desperate for a fix. I'll have to sell the truck if I can't solve this problem.
I don't think the updated latches came out until around 2020. As far as I know, Ford has no service bulletin that involves replacing the latch for a freezing concern but I think the latches are the problem. It's obvious the return springs inside the newer version latches are larger. The recall has techs doing all sorts of other stuff but If it were my ride then new latches would be installed before anything else.
Hey James, I have the same issue. I had to go through my back right door to open my drivers when its frozen. I called my local ford dealer and there is a recall. They are replacing all 4 door latches. Id give your local dealer a call. Hope they fix it for you.
@@deathdog1644 It happened again yesterday. I had to drive the truck while holding the door closed. 😂 I went by the dealer and they sprayed all of the doors with PB Blaster (not the Ford deicer product). All they can really get at is the door latch. Great guys at this dealership, but as Rain City Wrench has shown, the problem is not the latch, it's farther inside the door. Yesterday was the fourth time all of the doors have been sprayed this winter. I'm going to schedule the recall service with them, although they said it has been shown to be ineffective. If the problem is not solved by the service, I'll sell the truck. Thanks, and thanks to Rain City Wrench.
Ford's, designed and built in a state where is below freezing 4 months out of the year, yet somehow between this and the windshield fluid freezing up they haven't figured it out
Yea. This is the first one I have caught in the act. Have had customer complaints before of freezing on just one door but not all the doors. When they come in I can never duplicate of course. It looks like the temperature needs to be below 20 degrees before the latches will freeze.
@@raincitywrench117 it’s going into ford Friday…they are doing the grease/weather stripping blah blah….then said if it does again they replace the latches. 🤯🤯🤯. Just ridiculous.
Interesting. The only other thing that could freeze and cause the mechanism to not return is one or both of the cables... or the latch was not the updated unit with stiffer springs.
