Is there a trick to getting the gas door open following an ice storm on the above car ?  Had to use my ignition key to chisel around the door opening when the interior door release failed to open the door due to ice.

 

Don't want to be in this position again.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

Bottle of water?

Usually I just bump the door with my hand a few times and it cracks the ice out of the way.

There is a spray on ice melt solution for windsheilds that you could keep a bottle of in the trunk just in case.

I try to remember to spray WD40 into the insides of the door locks, BEFORE the winter weather hits.

This usually prevents the door-lock tumblers from freezing up (not so much of a problem these days with remote fobs).

Perhaps WD-40 would also act as a preventative on the gas-door latch?

Bottle of water?

Usually I just bump the door with my hand a few times and it cracks the ice out of the way.

There is a spray on ice melt solution for windsheilds that you could keep a bottle of in the trunk just in case.

Great idea, many thanks.  Easy solution, will put a bottle in my bad weather box in the car.

I try to remember to spray WD40 into the insides of the door locks, BEFORE the winter weather hits.

This usually prevents the door-lock tumblers from freezing up (not so much of a problem these days with remote fobs).

Perhaps WD-40 would also act as a preventative on the gas-door latch?

Maybe, but it is a cable release by the driver's seat that unlocks a little tab on the gas tank snorkle.  Ice hardly visits that far inside the door.It seems to gather in the crack between the door and the car body, a rectangle with rounded ends.  I am thinking a wood paint stirring paddle so I won't hurt the paint when prying.  Thanks for your timely reply.  I'm a new Subie owner and this forum has been a great resource for me.

Try smearing some solid white silicone lubricant-stick around the edges of the gas-door.

That works on rubber door-seals to prevent ice from sticking to the rubber.

And it shouldn't damage the paint around the door.

If it's physical ice on the outside of the car, it will need to be physically removed before the flap will open. Your key can work, but be careful not to scratch the paint...

 

A semi-gentle hit with a fist on the outside frequently busts up the ice enough to release the door. Otherwise carefully scraping with something plastic (a credit card, window scraper handle, etc.).

 

Yea, water would probably do it, but if it's ice-storm cold, that bottle is probably frozen too.

You could always spray some silicone spray on the edge of the door or even car wax would help.  The ice remover spray works great too.