I dropped the camera and the zoom lens got off line. It won't close or go back in the camera. It looks stuck and I tried pushing it in but I'm afraid that I might push hard that it'll break the mechanism inside. Thank you.

Sounds like the drive motor assembly has quit. this needs to be repaired by shop, probably had nothing to do with the cold.

The lens and housing will probably need to be replaced, but I would take it to a camera repair shop and have it checked to rule out other problems before proceeding with repairs.

Stuck zoom is the most common failure mode for a digital camera. Some common error messages that might show up on the LCD's of cameras with this problem include "E18 lens error", or "lens error, restart camera". Some cameras might show nothing at all, but merely make a beeping noise as the lens goes out, then in, then the camera shuts off. Sometimes the lens won't even move.
The problem is actually quite common throughout all camera brands. Usually it's sand or grit interfering with the lens extension mechanism. Or the camera's been dropped with the lens extended. Or the camera has been powered on, but the lens had been blocked preventing its extension. Or the battery ran down with the lens extended.
A camera owner that suffers this problem may have no recourse for having the camera repaired. Many camera makers will not honor repairing this problem under warranty as they claim it is due to impact damage to the camera, or sand or debris getting into the lens gearing mechanism (neither of which is covered under warranty). The quoted repair cost is usually close to or more than what the camera is actually worth.
This part can be easily replaced in most cameras.
The following video shows how to open a Nikon Coolpix P80:

http://www.desmontalo.com/?p=277

Here are some troubleshooting steps that you can try that may (or may not) correct your problem. They only seem to work for less than 40% of the lens errors, but if the camera is out of warranty (or repair cost approaches that of the camera), they're worth that try. Some of the later steps do involve some risk to the camera, so carefully weigh your options before deciding to conduct them:
And here's a video summary of the steps:

It looks like the autofocus system got damaged, take it to a service center for repairs.

How do outdoor pictures look when taken with the camera? If overexposed, first check that your camera is in automatic mode, and not some other manual exposure mode of the camera. Next, a stuck shutter is another common failure mode for digital cameras. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, sometimes with lines, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open).
To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter. If so, please see this link for further info and a simple fix that may help.

You've likely jammed the zoom motor in the lens. You're correct in thinking that the camera can't work without the lens out. With it being physical damage repairs wouldn't be covered under warranty so you either need to pay to have it repaired (if that's even possible, it varies camera to camera) or buy a new camera unfortunately.

For whatever reason, the lens has failed. This can be caused by many things: the lens motor has failed or is stuck, the gears involved in driving the lens have jammed, or, as pointed out previously, the lens itself, a series of tubes which fit into one another has become stuck. You can try GENTLY pressing down on the lens when you first power the camera to see if you can free up the stuck lens. If that doesn't work, I'm afraid you are going to have to get the camera serviced.
The clicking sound you're hearing is the lens trying to move itself. Unfortunately, it's probably not going to be fixed by pushing on the lens. You are going to have to get the camera serviced. Sorry!

Hummmmmm.......I guess it all depends on how hard the drop was. At this point, you have nothing to lose by tinkering around with it.....but my guess would be that it's taken it's last picture. You might try locating a camera repair shop, or even an independent jeweler. They might could at least take a look at it and give you a second opinion. Hope this helps, and sorry about the bad luck!!!!

Chad

Same problem guys!!! LENS HAD GOT STUCK - ABOUT ONE THIRD OUT after a knock. After lots of playing, and tapping and batteries in and out tried the whole twisting and pulling thing whilst turning off and on.

After a few minutes it came free and whole lens popped out. I then had to twist the outer part of the lens to straighten that up and allow it to fully retract. Works a treat now!

PS Tried the Sony online chat support - useless!!!!