Charge door will not open in 10F weather?

[sp4rk]

Sure this has been covered but I can't find it here. Mods feel free to move! Sorry.

It's a balmy 15F in Illinois today, 0 with "wind chill" and today and for the past 1-2 days, my charge port will intermittently not open.
I aim the charge cord thing at the door and I hear a snap; but it will not open. Try it 3 or 4 times, same thing.
Is this a mechanical or software issue? Is there a fix I can use in the next day so I do don't run out!?

 

[Laumb]

Try prying gently with a credit card or such.



Tapatalkin' from iTalatut...

 

[sp4rk]

Try prying gently with a credit card or such.
Tapatalkin' from iTalatut...

Thanks for suggestion ... went to try that ... and of course it opened on its own! Will try again if it stop working.

 

[Vexar]

Wind chill doesn't matter, Windy City resident! Likely you got some ice melted and re-frozen in there somehow. A little vibration can do the trick. If you are parking outside a lot in winter weather, be sure to plug in at night.
Moderators: link this in the winter driving topic, please.

 

[Doug_G]

Probably got a little snow/ice in there. Has happened to me a few times.

Tip: Ball your fist. Using the soft side of your hand whack the pivot point of the charge door, right on the vertical seam between the charge door and the tail lamp. This will pop the door open, and is much easier than prying with a credit card.

 

[montgom626]

It's a balmy 15F in Illinois today, 0 with "wind chill" and today and for the past 1-2 days, my charge port will intermittently not open.
I aim the charge cord thing at the door and I hear a snap; but it will not open. Try it 3 or 4 times, same thing.
Is this a mechanical or software issue? Is there a fix I can use in the next day so I do don't run out!?

Same issue with Chevy Volt. Both the charging door and the gas filler door can freeze shut on the Volt. Nothing unique with the MS. Water can freeze any port/door shut.

 

[Nikoli]

A few times my charge port has refused to open on the first try even though it wasn't that cold and not frozen. Pressed the charge cord button and hear a beep and click....press again beep and click...press again beep and click. Finally it opens. It's never not opened at all. Maybe the piston that pushes against the magnetic latch isn't strong enough. This is pure speculation, I don't even know if there's a mechanical piston pushing the door away from the latch.

 

[JakeP]

Locking the car with the FOB and then unlocking with the FOB also worked to "unfreeze" a stuck Chargeport door, as posted here earlier:

My charge port won't open - Page 2

 

[JST]

The charge port needs a heating element. This morning after our snow and ice storm yesterday I went to unplug the car and the cable wouldn't come free. Solenoid would cycle but no luck removing the cable. After lots of jiggling, locking, unlocking (and cursing), I managed to get the cable free--but when I got to my destination and tried to pop the charge port door, it wouldn't open. Again, the solenoid would click over and over again but the door would not pop. Eventually with enough banging (and cursing) I managed to get that open, but it was clear that there was ice inside that was causing the problem.

Wouldn't need to be much, but it would be really nice if there were a heating element that would come on say with the rear defroster and/or climate control to clear the ice that gets inside the charge port door.

 

[Doug_G]

I've never had the cable freeze in place, but the door does occasionally get frozen shut. Here is the solution to that:

just lightly whack it as close to the edge as you can on the hinge side. This will lever it open.

 

[Chipper]

The charge port needs a heating element. This morning after our snow and ice storm yesterday I went to unplug the car and the cable wouldn't come free. Solenoid would cycle but no luck removing the cable. After lots of jiggling, locking, unlocking (and cursing), I managed to get the cable free--but when I got to my destination and tried to pop the charge port door, it wouldn't open. Again, the solenoid would click over and over again but the door would not pop. Eventually with enough banging (and cursing) I managed to get that open, but it was clear that there was ice inside that was causing the problem.

Wouldn't need to be much, but it would be really nice if there were a heating element that would come on say with the rear defroster and/or climate control to clear the ice that gets inside the charge port door.

What do you suppose worked? Was it the opening and closing and jiggling or do you think it was the cursing...or perhaps the3 interaction of both???