My 1999's tiptronic, windows/doors froze closed. Aerosol de-icer got me in. I put the key in the ignition but couldn't turn it and the window went down 1/2 way. I have pulled up the e-brake, stepped on the brake and tried....nothing. I thought it might be a dead battery....trickle charged it....nothing. I attempted to jump it....nothing. Any guidance/suggestions?

 

Where are you located and what kind of temps are you seeing? The could very well be a frozen ignition assembly or even a malfunctioning ignition switch. Cabrolet or Coupe?

 

I cant recall exactly but isnt there a steering wheel interlock with the ignition switch?
Have you tried turning your wheel (it'll be difficult) while trying to rotate the key and see if that allows it?

 

Thanks for the reply. I can move the wheel freely.

 

Wisconsin. sub-zero, single digits, teens, upper 30s next week. Cab, with a hard top on for the winter. Any idea why the window would go down half way?

 

Because they do this when they are confused. I live in Florida and it has happened to me a couple of times. Lock up and turn back and the window is halfway down. There is no explanation. Turn ignition switch on and hit the up window button, hold for 10 seconds once it reaches the upper limit. The car has never done it for the passenger window, only drivers side.

 

Yes, these cars have anti-pinch protection and this could have been triggered. When it senses any sort of resistance, the motor will pull the window down to the half-way point.

Now, I could have predicted your location. What you're experiencing is not uncommon in cold climates where sub-zero temps are present for long periods of time. I assume the car was parked outside over night, correct?

Do you have any way of safely warming up the interior of the car?

 

I can figure a way of heating the car. I have a small electric heater. Are you suggesting that if I can get the temp up something "good' will happen?

Any idea why I cannot get the key/ignition to turn? It seems locked up tight because I cannot depress the gear selection lever button either.

Do you know if the two issues are connected?

All that said, it is a very proficient winter vehicle. I have to be more careful about watching for precipitation and plummeting temps. We dropped about 40 degrees in 6 hours.

 

Remember, we're talking about a 25 year old vehicle. That's classic status. The original factory grease is probably not sufficient for turning the key in these temps. I've experience this first hand. Thought it was the steering wheel/ignition lock feature, but realized it was actually the ignition assembly. I sprayed some silicon lubricant in the key hole and exercised the ignition assembly by rotating the key back and forth and then left to right a few times. It worked like a charm. I can't guarantee that will be the fix, but worked for me.

Now, do one thing for us once the car is warmed up inside... put the key in the ignition and gently try to turn the steering wheel while rotating the key into 1st position. Don't go medieval, be gentle!

If it doesn't turn, give it a break. Now, when you remove the key from the ignition, do you hear a click?

 

Good advice about being gentle.
The key is not "clicking" when it comes out of the ignition.

To recap, you are suggesting:
1. Warm the interior.
2. Spray silicone lubricant in the key hole/key ignition "assembly". Do you suggest I take the plastic collar off and get the outside of the assembly as well as the inside?
3. If I can get the key to move and car started, then....reset the window by lowering it all the way and then putting it back up.

Did I miss anything?

 

That tells me it's the ignition assembly.

Yes, just proceed at your own risk. This is what worked for me and I hope it works for you. I would recommend getting some gel silicon spray if you can find it locally. Don't go crazy with it. Apply a small amount and then test. Of course, this is after the interior of the car has been warmed up. There is also a chance that the ignition switch is bad too. It mounts on the back end of the ignition assembly and a common failure point, but usually it causes electrical gremlins not the symptoms you describe.

And yes, I would do a full window reset... lower both windows then continue to hold the down buttons for 10 sec. Then raise the windows up while holding the up buttons for another 10 seconds. Test.

Good luck! Report back.

 

An electric hair dryer is a pretty fool proof way to thaw out frozen locks (a heat gun will work as well on a low setting but you still have to be super careful you don’t peel paint/burn/melt anything). A hair dryer is the safest bet… good luck

 

SUCCESS!!!

To recap -
I put a blanket over the driver side window (it was stuck in the 1/2 way position).
I attached a trickle charger (just in case)
I put a small space heater/fan in the driver side foot well and thawed out the inside of the car. It was running a solid 8+ hours.
Our outside temperatures got above 32 degrees yesterday....so I was feeling lucky.
I sprayed silicone lubricant into the key/ignition assembly. I also took off the rubber collar and sprayed very little on the outside of the assembly.

I got in and GENTLY inserted and jiggled the key. I pressed on the shift lock button (Tiptronic) while gently turning the ignition and she fired right up.

Prior to turning the key and while jiggling the key I heard the "clink" you referred to inside the assembly.

I reset the windows (all the way down, pause, all the way up).

New "Opportunity":
Now I have to depress the shift lock button while starting the car or I won't be able to push the button down to get it out of park and into drive after the car has started. Similarly, if the car is started and I put it into neutral and release the button, I won't be able to shift it out of neutral unless I turn the key in the ignition to "off" and turn it while simultaneously pressing down on the shifter button.

Questions:
1. Was the window issue NOT connected to my ignition issue?
2. Will my key/ignition & shift lock button problems be solved by replacing the key/ignition assembly?

Thank you for your consideration and suggestions. My car is back in garage awaiting the next adventure.

 

Congrats! I would just say that if you havent replaced your ignition switch yet... it's probably time anyway.

I'm no ultracold weather expert but I've had plenty of vehicles that have all kinds of weird issues when the temp stays well below freezing. Maybe pull the car into a heated garage for a week or so and see if the problems go away?

 

That's great news! Glad it worked out. IMHO, the window drop issue is not related to the ignition issue. However they both suffered from the freezing cold. As I mentioned before, when the car senses resistance in the window, it will drop the window to the half way point. That being said, I'd let the car thaw out completely and see if the problem reoccurs. It might be time for a new regulator.

RE: the shift-lock / ignition issue. That my friend is above my pay grade here on Rennlist. Maybe Skip (Porschetech 3) can chime on on that one. But personally, I don't think you need a new ignition assembly unless the problem gets worse. The ignition switch is pretty easy to swap out and the cause of my ignition related problems.

Good luck!