my guess is water is freezing in the key hole, not further in the door, cause blowing hot breath for a few minutes will unfreeze the lock. and when i do that even my breath condensation will initially freeze on the outside before all melting. sometimes my thumb is numb by the time i get back to the car… winter surfing, biking, or sledding…
my ignition tumbler is working fine, i just don’t want to do anything that will speed up damage. i am letting other keys dangle, not a ton but 2 apt keys, 2 small mail keys, small roof rack key, small usb stick, small bicycle key, and a 2nd car key. if i separate i’d more likely lose the car key.
good point about alcohol having water… it did seem to help though, as the freezing temperature of alcohol in water is lower… i think i will put some in a pocket spray bottle, though it’s not an instant defrost either.
the stainless door of the keyhole is in tact, sometimes it freezes shut as well.
the original keys, classic center keys, and the silca steel key i found are indeed steel, they magnetize while the standard brass copies do not.
so i guess w/o a full cleaning, the best solution for now is either no lube or a lube that is not grease or oil, that claims to not attract dirt.
houdini lock lube is supposedly good.
i also called
Renewable Lubricants | Home and they recommend 1 drop of their firearm lube. they make a variety of lubes, penetrants and greases, some food safe for kitchen equipment, some industrial grade for machinery, some products they sell buckets of to the military.
for locks they recommend their firearm lube, just 1 drop. it’s pricey for a tiny 0.25 oz, idk if 1 drop will really spread in the door lock and my bicycle U locks, maybe that’s overkill
maybe i'll just keep it simple with their bio blast penetrating oil, and order some multi purpose grease to have for other uses.