Ignition cylinder stiff when cold...?

[gogmorgo]

Wondering if it's normal in severe cold or if there's something I could do about it without pulling the cylinder out.

 

So when it gets colder out, I notice a little (but not huge) bit of resistance in the lock cylinder, down around -25°C(-13°F) or so. Down around -30°C(-22°F) it's noticeably stiff, but still turns easily enough, and returns from the start position nicely. But the last couple weekends we've had a few mornings below -35°C(-31°F) it's really difficult to turn, and it takes about five seconds to slowly return from the start position. Yesterday morning I mildly frostbit the side of my finger starting the truck at -38.7°C, per my neighbour's digital thermometer, -37.7°F, because I had to take my glove off to get enough grip on it. But this morning at all of -4°C(25°F... crazy temperature swing, yeah) it was buttery smooth, no resistance at all. Same as if the truck's been running earlier in the day and the interior's still warm(ish).

 

Has anyone else experienced this and done anything to solve it? It was a little gummy last winter, and shooting some white lithium grease into it helped, but it hasn't done anything for me this time around. Frostbite is a concern I suppose, but breaking things is more what I'm worried about.

[DFoley]

Can't help you with a fix, but if it makes you feel any better our MJ does the exact same thing during  this past weeks -40 :(

 

Solved today since it rose overnight to -2 :)

[Keyav8r]

Move South. if you go far enough it will totally clear up. Never had an ignition cylinder freeze up. Had a door lock do it once. Poured on a little hot water and everything worked.

[gogmorgo]

It doesn't act like a frozen lock, at least not like one with ice or anything in it. It turns, it just feels like it's had tire poured into it — it's smooth, just very difficult to turn. And like I said it's fine down to around -25 or so.

I've decided since posting that I'm more concerned about frostbite. After typing a whole bunch, my finger hurts. With that it didn't help at all that the power outage of a few hours on Saturday morning (not fun at -40, haha) screwed up my timer so my block heater didn't come on for more than a half-hour or so before I tried starting it. Needless to say it took a bit to get it going, so my bare finger spent about a minute on the key... at -39.

[Dzimm]

I agree with keyav8r. Move south, problem solved. And you won't get frost bitten nearly that quickly. So hey 2 birds with 1 stone.

[mikekaz1]

do you like to move when its -25 degrees?  eh, neither does it! its not broken, its just grumpy.

[gogmorgo]

I'd rather risk frostbite than sweat to death down south. 

Abd I spend quite a bit of time outside at -25. It's what some of us call a nice winter's day. Unless it's windy it's not even enough for more than a light jacket.

[Dzimm]

I don't like to do anything when it's -25. Just come a little farther south where it rarely goes below -25 but dosent get so hot in the summer. Man there is no way I could do the -25 on a regular basis, absolutely no way.