Using the car A/C living in LA (Los Angeles, Sacramento: cost, vs)

[woogexx]

What do the majority of people do? Back in Miami it was mostly windows up....same with sacramento. Both of those places get considerable hotter then LA. Especially June-Aug right? To be completely honest with you my AC just went out and the last three days its been 3-digits here in Sac. Can you say traumatic? Ill be moving down south the middle of July. The ACs gonna cost 250 to fix. Cant afford it really. Really worth it?

[PecanPie]

I would say unless you're traveling in beach areas, Southern California is pretty much a windows up area in the summer, running the A/C.

[EscapeCalifornia]

I'd die without AC in the car but I hate the heat. I pretty much keep it around 70 year round. The inland valleys get almost a hot as Sacramento.

[Lovehound]

Instructions for using an air conditioner in Los Angeles.

1.) Sample air and determine whether it's too hot, too cold or just right.

2.) If too hot, turn on air conditioner and roll up windows.

3.) If too cold, turn on heater and roll up windows.

4.) If just right, turn off both air conditioner and heater, roll down windows. If equipped with sunroof, open sunroof. If equipped with convertible top, take top down.

5.) If just right and you are a cute woman driving a convertible, also take down other top. (Just wishing...)

[woogexx]

what is the average temp in the summer? whats considered a heat wave down there? Cuz even when my ac was working. I would drive around with the windows down in 90degree weather. anything over 95 I cant or dont really wanna deal with.

[MIKEETC]

I think you should fix it. Plus, when you decide to sell the car, a non-working AC will affect resale value.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by woogexx

what is the average temp in the summer? whats considered a heat wave down there? Cuz even when my ac was working. I would drive around with the windows down in 90degree weather. anything over 95 I cant or dont really wanna deal with.

Depends on where. 95 at the coast is pretty rare but pretty common just over the hill into one of the valleys.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by woogexx

whats considered a heat wave down there?

We're in a heat wave right now, due to a high pressure system covering most of So Ca. I live in the San Gabriel Valley and yesterday it was 98 degrees. My brother lives in Newport Coast, where it was in the mid-70's. (In downtown L.A. a record was set yesterday at 89, last felt in 1892. Yikes.)

I had a car with no air in 1980, when I lived in Palm Springs for one sweltering year (I worked indoors all day, thankfully). I feel for you. I hated getting in that car and couldn't afford to fix the a/c.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by woogexx

what is the average temp in the summer? whats considered a heat wave down there? Cuz even when my ac was working. I would drive around with the windows down in 90degree weather. anything over 95 I cant or dont really wanna deal with.

As said above, the beach cities often have cooler weather than the valleys during the summer, but inland areas (valleys, desert) can experience 100+ temperatures and even 110+ on occasion. You'll surely have some miserable days if spend the summer in LA, unless you stay near the beaches. If you never leave the beach areas you could be pretty comfortable most of the time, except during the Santa Ana winds when the winds blow off the desert, heat up going over the mountains, then flow towards the beaches and ocean and blow all that cool air out to see.

You end up with the same thing we get at CD on a bad day: a lot of hot air and not much respite.

[bhcompy]

i dunno about LA temps vs miami(humid) or sacramento, but the sun is extremely powerful here. so just like in other southwestern sunny areas(starting probably in denver and on southwest), the temp doesnt really matter if your car is sitting in the sun all day. its going to be 90+ in that car regardless of if its 40 or 80