1998 S70 - Remote won't open doors when it's hot outside!

[ChuckyC]

Wonder if anyone else has had this weird problem:

When the temperature outside is quite warm (>90 degrees F) and my 1998 S70 has been sitting in the sun awhile (or even in a hot indoor garage) the remote control isn't able to open the sedan's doors, at least on the driver's side.

Pressing the remote only results in the interior door lock button rising a few cm, not enough to actually unlock the doors. Therefore I have to open the doors manually with the key. (Incidentally, I just installed a fresh battery in the remote but the problem persists.)

This issue just sounds too bizarre to me .... there's gotta be an explanation! Any ideas?

[Ozark Lee]

It sounds like the grease in the latch has become a tad gummy. Usually I would look for it to get worse in the winter months but temperatures in either extreme will cause problems. The bearcat is that you need to remove the interior door panels to get to the locking mechanisms but once there I would think a generous coating of lithium spray lube will fix the problem. If it is real sticky clean the assembly first with something like lacquer thinner and then spray it down with the lithium grease.

...Lee