Storm season car key card

Slip this in the glovebox or a jacket pocket. It is for the mornings after freezing rain, when the car is glazed over and the key or fob will not cooperate.

Get ready in the fall

• Find the metal blade hidden inside your fob, and try it in the driver door once
• Look up where your car reads a weak fob for push-button start (it's in the owner's manual)
• Buy a spare fob battery that matches, and store it at home where small children cannot reach it
• Carry a small can of lock de-icer in your pocket, since one locked in the car is no help
• Keep the spare key somewhere other than the car
• Save a photo of the ownership papers on your phone: replacing a key means proving the car is yours, with the VIN

Iced in after freezing rain

• Go round the car: another door or the hatch may open
• Spray de-icer into the lock; hot water just freezes again
• Turn the key gently, because a twisted or broken key turns a small job into a bigger one
• Lock turns but the door is stuck? The rubber seal has frozen: lean into the door, then pull

Fob not responding

• Hold it in your hand for a minute to warm it, then press again
• Open the door with the hidden metal blade
• Touch the fob to the start button or the backup spot to start the engine

Warming it up with a remote starter

• Take the key with you whenever the engine is running
• Keep the garage door open, or the car outside, any time the engine runs
• Child or pet shut inside the car: call 911 before anyone else