It's finally starting to get cold here in southern CA, so I'm wondering what you guys normally adjust on your car or change to make sure the car runs well in the cold. Although my cold is probably laughable to some of you (usually gets down to around 27-30F here). It never snows so chains or snow tires aren't an issue but it does rain sometimes.

Should I change oils to something thinner that will be easier on the engine?

Stuff like that. Thanks guys.

 

In someplace like SoCal, you don't need to do anything different. While there are some areas down there that experience a "real" winter, Palmdale isn't one of them.

Changing to a thinner oil is only something for people who live in truly cold winter climates, where temps regularly hit near or below zero. Otherwise, 5w-20 or 5w30 is fine for most people year round.

 

I know this one should go without saying all year 'round, but keep tabs on your tire pressure.

 

Trust me, I'd give my left arm to have SoCal climate! There is nothing that your RA will require.

 

Hahahaha yeah yeah come talk to me when its summer guys.

I'm surprised you've even heard of Palmdale otter.

Anyway thanks, my previous car was a 96 Corolla so little to no care was taken on the maintenance side of things, this time around I'd like to keep this thing nice.

 

wait you guys have winter down there?

 

Yeah, at least here in the high desert (high altitude = cold on a sunny day).

It's snowed an inch here and there every couple years but not lately.

 

heh, my summers consist of 80 degrees one day, 30ish the next, (gotta love those cold fronts in the desert!)

 

Must be nice. Not looking forward to when we hit -40 F here haha.

 

my summer consist of up to 120 f....and i work outside..... (

 

dethrock, you mean -40 Celcius?
at -40 I'm not even thinking of leaving the house. Back to bed!

 

I'm originally from CA and still have family scattered around that state.

Just stick with the maintenance schedule in the warranty/service manual, and the car should last you a long time.

 

In San Antonio? Texas? 30 in the summer? I lived in SA for five years and I never seen temps below 75 in the summer months. And once in a blue moon there was some freezing rain in the winter.

I was born and raised in SoCal. Yes, the high desert can have cold nights in the winter, but nothing that would require additional maintainance on your RA that wasn't already covered in your owners manual. The only exception to SoCal is if you lived in high elevations where there is snow; then of course we're talking a dedicated snow tire or chains and checking to see that your coolant levels are good.

 

a lot of people here in Quebec don't drive their RA on winter. Quebec's winter is pretty hard on cars

 

Hill Country man, we got crazy weather up here