I bought the LS in California and live in western Canada. I was just wondering what members thought about some winterizing questions I have.

Tires have been thoroughly discussed which was helpful. I was wondering if I should install a block heater? Significant pros?

And if there is any undercoating process I should do to protect from corrosion that may not have been part of the factory treatment for sunny SoCal? Thanks in advance!

 

Since you live in the land of real winter and are planning to drive the car through it:

- I think a block heater is a good idea as it keeps the oil warm and flowing with cold starts. (A bit thinner oil may also help.)

- I've heard mixed reviews about additional undercoating. The major problem I've heard is that post-assembly undercoating may trap salty brine and cause hidden corrosion. Some folks say that underbody flushes when the temps warm above freezing help. If you live in a place where they don't use a lot of salt on the roads, you may have little to really worry about.

 

The LS is really pretty resistant to rusting right from the factory. Not to say it cannot rust but it takes some years and many winters of salt and poor maintenance. Perhaps the best preventative is to keep the car washed often in the winter months. Though I do not like the auto car wash brushes, I run mine through within a few days of getting salted. Underbody wash is very important. Then, twice a year (spring/fall) I do a thorough inspection underneath with a can of rust resolver. If I see any areas even beginning to rust, I hit them with the resolver (like POR15 in a spray can) to arrest the rust. I also remove the plastic fender apron around the rear fender wells and clean the dirt from under that each year.

You would also want to ensure that your antifreeze mixture is appropriate for your area. It will be getting much colder in Canada than in S. Cal. and if (big if) the mixture was too "thin" it could freeze up. However, if maintained by the dealer there is probably little danger of this happening. But you never know until verified. A drain and refill would not be a bad idea if it has not been previously done on schedule.

Other than that, some good windshield washer fluid and snow tires and you should be good to go.

 

Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen. I'm going to go ahead and install a block heater to keep her warm, wash religiously above, below and inside and double check the antifreeze. When I got the LS I knew I was making a choice to not have another DD and needed to ensure winter did as little damage as possible. Thanks again!

 

I'm running it stock, give the engine several minutes to heat up before going anywhere and take it easy (for the first 5 mins after a cold start). Keep a huge distance and brake early (saved me several times already)

 

I agree with the above comments - make sure your coolant is mixed properly for anti-freezing and is changed every 3 years, use wiper fluid with a freezing point suitable for your climate, and rinse the undercarriage and wheels as often as possible to prevent salt corrosion.

In June, I was very up close and personal with the underside of my 2002 (8 years of Ontario winters and road salt) when changing out an O2 sensor using a bay lift. The underside was surprisingly clean and shows that the LS430 is fairly resistant to rusting.

If I recall correctly, the Lexus manual specifies rinsing the undercarriage at least once a month. Another IIRC, the manual said parking a wet car in a garage without ventilation would accelerate rusting.

If your battery is over 5 years old, or if you want peace of mind, get a new battery. In cold climates, CCA is probably your primary concern - the Interstate MTP-24F has 880CCA and was the highest I was able to find. The LS has a lot of electronics and the standby current draw is probably higher than normal cars. With a weak battery, you may not be able to start your car when you really need to.

Regarding the block heater: "Research by the Agricultural Engineering Department of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada has shown that operating a block heater for longer than four hours prior to starting a vehicle is a waste of energy. It was found that coolant temperature increased by almost 20 °C (36.0 °F) degrees in that period, regardless of the initial temperature (4 tests were run at ambient temperatures ranging from −11 °C/12.2 °F to −29 °C/−20 °F); continued use of the heater for a further one or two, or more, hours achieved a mere 2 or 3 more degrees Celsius as conditions stabilized. Engine oil temperature was found to increase over these periods by just 5 °C (9.00 °F)."
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_heater and http://www.hydro.mb.ca/your_home/hom...ck_heaters.pdf

From a financial perspective, you should take the cost tables in that PDF and update with current hydro rates to do a cost/benefit analysis. Also should factor in cost of the block heater and labor. I would also add in a field for the amount and cost of gas burned to heat up the block to an equivalent temperature without a block heater.

From an engine wear perspective, the 2002 LS430 manual says 5W-30 should be used if the temperature range will be between -20F and +100F (-29C and 38C). It also says 10W-30 can be used from 0F to 100F (-18C and 38C). My take on this is that if are going to do a lot of engine starts when the block is below -29C, get a block heater.

Regarding idling and warming up: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...e-driving.html

EDIT: One last and very important point - be VERY familiar with how the car handles in the winter when ABS, VSC, and Traction Control are on and engaging, and when they are disabled. Test both Snow and Power ECT modes. Play around in a brightly lit, unoccupied parking lot that is well-covered with hard-packed snow. Make sure your tires won't touch pavement, since hitting pavement while tires are spinning or sliding sideways will wear them down needlessly. Turn the radio off and listen to your rpms and tires spinning - keep the tire spin under control. High-speed spinning can overheat/damage/blowout your tires.

You'll get a good feel for the car's weight, throttle response, the handling and traction capabilities of your tires, and stopping distance. This will help you in case emergency maneuvers are required. Alternatively, you could pay for a winter driving course.

 

^Some excellent info there, thanks. Just for fun, here is a pic I snapped last night.

Warning: Those who reside in nice warm may go into slight shock...

 

Agreed, thanks for a the helpful post, many issues I hadn't necessarily thought off. I've been finding the winter driving better with the transmission in normal mode rather than snow. Something about the pause feeling at the start turns me off.

Carguy: Nice pic of the display lol mine said -17F recently

 

Damn! I thought I was going to impress ppl with these temps...until I realized that Canada is much colder. I really dislike the 10F, can't imagine -17F

I drove this car with snow mode and trac on and it is about the safest car I've ever driven in snow, you can be an idiot with the throttle (like I was) and the car just moves like it's on dry pavement. Then I got bored and went power mode and trac off, what a difference!