Frozen Sliding Doors

I had to have my car towed to the garage I have do all my repairs, once. After a night in a heated garage it was all thawed out, but it was not cheep. If this happens get in whatever door you can open. Hopefully if you drive it and warm it up the doors will thaw. Once you are able to open the doors rub the rubber gasket with vegetable oil. The water can't stick to the gasket thus it can't freeze.
If driving around doesn't thaw it out wait a few days when the weather warms up and then use the vegetable oil.

ETA:
Many mechanics say to never use WD-40 or Vaseline because they are a petroleum product and can damage the rubber gasket. Vegetable oil will not damage the rubber.

It has been forever since I owned a mini van but back in the day if you overrode the system to open a door you had to slam it shut. Then when you hit the open button it opened as usual.

Am I the only one who read she got the dang door open, she just can't get it to close right?

Do you have lock de-icer? Squirt that in your locks. I personally drive to the grocery store with the heated underground parking when that happens and let it thaw while I shop.

If you can get into the minivan. take some time to run it and warm it up.
I find warming it up about 10 min has everything pretty well warmed up/thawed out.

I carried a couple of cans of de-icer all winter. I sprayed the locks, handles, and hinges when doors or windows were an issue.

Yes, the sliding door on my minivan has been frozen shut. I did get the door loose but not open. The "close door" message came on. I needed to go. After I had driven a few blocks with the fan blowing heat I was able to open the door and shut it. This probably doesn't work when you have self opening doors.

I would hesitate to put anything on the gasket without asking for information from an official source. The product for unfreezing locks is not intended for gaskets. In the lock it evaporates. I think it will evaporate on the gasket; thus will not prevent future freezing. Why risk damaging the gasket?

There may not be obvious damage now but it may shor ten the life of the gasket. I suggest the same for vegetable oil. I've had a sticky substance on my cookie sheets caused by leaving vegetable oil on them. Same with the bottom of a cry pan. In addition to that possibility, oil attracts dirt. We don't want a build up on the gasket.

I suggest you ask a professional.

We have a Pontiac Montana that does that. We actually don't use that side often. Don't know if an Odyssey has two sides to open or just one. Anyway, yucky, but after a few attempts to close it and keep it shut my husband takes a kleenex, wipes it dry and then spits on it (although I liked the vegetable oil idea, too and will have to try it). I know sounds gross, but it has worked. Then it shuts...ugh, sorry.

I have a Dodge Grand Caravan and yes, they can freeze shut. I also have that with the driver and passenger doors sometimes. I once had to climb in the hatch, over the back seat with a car seat in it and kick open the door. Was not fun. The door does not catch because the latch is still frozen. You can try using a hot towel (like straight from the dryer--not wet) or a hair dryer to warm it. I had to do this once for the back hatch so it would read closed. You can also try spraying the latch with wd-40 the night before to try to prevent freezing. This worked on car locks that were always freezing on us.

Yep. Happens all the time. And I don't think a remote starter or warming up the car will help. I actually have had winters where the door wouldn't open for a whole week, even after driving the car around half the day each day. The internal temperature of the car does not affect the external temperature of the door on the sliders. I think the only thing that would help would be to heat it from the outside, like with a hair dryer, but that would take me too long, so the kids climb through from the front for me. It was a much bigger PITA when they needed me to strap them in.

ETA: google this question - there are actually quite a few suggestions out there: http://www.odyclub.com/forums/9-problems-concerns/21857-f...

I recommend warming up your vehicle when temperatures are cold enough to freeze doors closed. 10-15 minutes with the defrost on high should do it.

As for the tracks of your doors, go to a bicycle shop and pick up some dry lube (usually graphite based). It will help to keep your doors sliding and latches catching properly.

Have you considered a remote starter?

Have the lock looked at by shop..

Tony's Fast Lane in Lyons is a nice place. We have done work their before and he is reasonable.

Good luck.

Have you tried spraying it with WD-40 when it's dry and not sticking? Give it a good coating and it shouldn't stick when it's cold and wet. .