winterizing your car in L.A.? (Orange, Malibu: to live in, stores, discounts)

[enro]

Hi all. I've been in L.A. for about six months -- moved here for work. I have a question about winterizing your vehicle.

Obviously we don't need winter tires here for example, but how many of you use anti-freeze coolant? Or is it just water in your radiator? Any other steps you take for the slightly cooler weather?

This recent cold snap has me a little wary. This morning my Jetta warned me that the temp was 39 degrees!

Anyway, any suggestions or comments would be great. Thanks.

[beachdiver]

We lived in Orange County for 16 years... Yes, you should always use anti-freeze in your radiator, even though it doesn't freeze in that area (I think it's better than plain water to protect against overheating too). Also, make sure your tires are in good condition, with plenty of tread. When the winter rains come, you don't want bald tires!

[Fontucky]

Unless you head up to the mountains or live in the high desert, I can't see the need for any "winterizing" whatsoever. Winterizing my truck = using the heater rather than the aircon.

Anyone who uses just water in their cooling system is a moron, unless they're driving a Model T.

[CALGUY]

Coolant has rust inhibitors in it, and protect the engine from rusting from within.
Using straight water will turn the freeze plugs on your engine to rust in less than a year, and that will cause a major leak in your engine, which in turn could be extremely expensive.
Plus, rust will raise havoc with your radiator.
Here in SoCal, a 50/50 mix of coolant and water is recommended.
Bob.

[Fontucky]

Straight water also boils at a much lower temp, which can be a problem on scorching days while stuck in traffic.

[RoaminRebel]

Another post on this thread reminded me - also check the rubber on your wipers and replace if needed! They dry climate deteriorates them more rapidly. When the rain comes (somewhere Dec - Feb) you don't want to be stuck during a long drive with wipers that streak everywhere!

This cold snap is a bit of an anomaly, as 70F days in January are not unusual. Certain areas (such as Malibu canyon) can briefly dip below freezing at night though.

[thelopez2]

You can put Rain-X on your windows for the 10 days of rain we have.

[buzzkillb]

Bottled water and coolant mix. New wipers before the rain as there are normally discounts before the rain appears. And the auto stores become flooded with everyone who waited until the last minute.

There isn't much more to do out here. Besides leaving the fast lane because people seem to drive faster as the rain comes down and be ready to watch for the same people spun out across the slower lanes.

[L.A.-Mex]

Originally Posted by enro

Hi all. I've been in L.A. for about six months -- moved here for work. I have a question about winterizing your vehicle.

Obviously we don't need winter tires here for example, but how many of you use anti-freeze coolant? Or is it just water in your radiator? Any other steps you take for the slightly cooler weather?

This recent cold snap has me a little wary. This morning my Jetta warned me that the temp was 39 degrees!

Anyway, any suggestions or comments would be great. Thanks.

don't worry, this cold snap will end today, and next week we will see temps in upper 70s /low 80s, like others have said you don't need to "winterize" your car at all here since temps in winter are usually 70 highs/50 lows, with temps below 45 not occurring on multiple nights.

[Marv101]

LA simply doesn't get cold enough for anybody to have to winterize their auto unless they plan to live in the mountains; the average high and low temps for LA on December 11th are 68 & 48, so the numbers from December 8th (57 & 40) are irrelevant in that regard.

A 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water in your radiator year-round is fine; LA will be back in the mid-70s this weekend, with lows in the 50s--pretty routine stuff to most of us.