"normal" oil temp
#1
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: MidTN
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"normal" oil temp
This may have been covered, before, but I haven't been able to track it down in the archives. (I need a search engine to sort through the search engine results on "oil" and "temp".)
I have the Mitsu "gauge kit" option, and I've noticed that my oil temp has been running very very low.
My 328 runs oil temps between 180 and 190F, but the EVO never seems to get above 70C (158F), and this morning (in slush) it didn't get much above 50C (122F).
Should I:
1) Switch to a thinner oil (5/30,0/30)?
2) Put a "winter blanket" over part of the oil cooler?
3) Get the oil temp gauge fixed?
I know this is synth oil, and can work without being hot, but with heat waves coming off the engine vent, the oil would have to be warmer than that, wouldn't it?
Just where is the oil temp sensor for the dealer option gauge? (If it's not at the block, then the gauge wouldn't be much use, would it?)
I have the Mitsu "gauge kit" option, and I've noticed that my oil temp has been running very very low.
My 328 runs oil temps between 180 and 190F, but the EVO never seems to get above 70C (158F), and this morning (in slush) it didn't get much above 50C (122F).
Should I:
1) Switch to a thinner oil (5/30,0/30)?
2) Put a "winter blanket" over part of the oil cooler?
3) Get the oil temp gauge fixed?
I know this is synth oil, and can work without being hot, but with heat waves coming off the engine vent, the oil would have to be warmer than that, wouldn't it?
Just where is the oil temp sensor for the dealer option gauge? (If it's not at the block, then the gauge wouldn't be much use, would it?)
#2
50C is SERIOUSLY low... If not mistaken you'd want your oil to be at least 70C, personally I prefer 80C range.
Can't help you though sorry, here (in tropics) I have problems with OVERHEATING
Can't help you though sorry, here (in tropics) I have problems with OVERHEATING
#3
Evolved Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 1,328
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: "normal" oil temp
Originally posted by DGS
This may have been covered, before, but I haven't been able to track it down in the archives. (I need a search engine to sort through the search engine results on "oil" and "temp".)
I have the Mitsu "gauge kit" option, and I've noticed that my oil temp has been running very very low.
My 328 runs oil temps between 180 and 190F, but the EVO never seems to get above 70C (158F), and this morning (in slush) it didn't get much above 50C (122F).
Should I:
1) Switch to a thinner oil (5/30,0/30)?
2) Put a "winter blanket" over part of the oil cooler?
3) Get the oil temp gauge fixed?
I know this is synth oil, and can work without being hot, but with heat waves coming off the engine vent, the oil would have to be warmer than that, wouldn't it?
Just where is the oil temp sensor for the dealer option gauge? (If it's not at the block, then the gauge wouldn't be much use, would it?)
This may have been covered, before, but I haven't been able to track it down in the archives. (I need a search engine to sort through the search engine results on "oil" and "temp".)
I have the Mitsu "gauge kit" option, and I've noticed that my oil temp has been running very very low.
My 328 runs oil temps between 180 and 190F, but the EVO never seems to get above 70C (158F), and this morning (in slush) it didn't get much above 50C (122F).
Should I:
1) Switch to a thinner oil (5/30,0/30)?
2) Put a "winter blanket" over part of the oil cooler?
3) Get the oil temp gauge fixed?
I know this is synth oil, and can work without being hot, but with heat waves coming off the engine vent, the oil would have to be warmer than that, wouldn't it?
Just where is the oil temp sensor for the dealer option gauge? (If it's not at the block, then the gauge wouldn't be much use, would it?)
#4
That's too low. Unless you are making really short trips the guage is probably wrong. Synth may flow okay at that temp but I'd worry about bearing-killing condensation buildup in the oil.
#5
Evolved Member
iTrader: (11)
Originally posted by RichJ
That's too low. Unless you are making really short trips the guage is probably wrong. Synth may flow okay at that temp but I'd worry about bearing-killing condensation buildup in the oil.
That's too low. Unless you are making really short trips the guage is probably wrong. Synth may flow okay at that temp but I'd worry about bearing-killing condensation buildup in the oil.
Keith
Trending Topics
#10
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: MidTN
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oil pan? Crikey! No wonder the readings are off. That's like checking the coolant temp as it comes out of the radiator -- or predicting Arizona weather by checking the temps inside the air conditioned office.
Drain plug. Hrumph. That's something you sell with four pages of why the peach basket isn't a safe pickup truck ramp, not something you send to an "authorized service center" to install. This doesn't speak well of Mitsu's view of their dealer shops' installation ability.
It woulda been nice, when they were "hotting up" this block, if they thought to add taps for proper instrumentation.
Oh well. I was thinking of putting an oil press sensor on the oil filter tap. Maybe the temp sensor should go there, and I'll have to settle for the pressure sensor in the pan. (Although they both really should be tapped into the crankcase itself.) This is a wet sump engine, isn't it? Full pressure in the pan?
I wonder if having sensor taps put in the block would void the warranty. I wonder if my local dealer is up to doing that themselves.
After 30 years of Italian cars, I've gotten too used to that hardware. I'm never gonna understand Japanese engineering. Wah kaddi ma sen. Molto bizzarro.
Maybe I shoulda gone for a Lancia Stratos. No, wait. I could'a gotten two EVOs, an STi, and a Mondial for what an original Stratos Stradale costs today. I guess I can live with flaky gauges.
Drain plug. Hrumph. That's something you sell with four pages of why the peach basket isn't a safe pickup truck ramp, not something you send to an "authorized service center" to install. This doesn't speak well of Mitsu's view of their dealer shops' installation ability.
It woulda been nice, when they were "hotting up" this block, if they thought to add taps for proper instrumentation.
Oh well. I was thinking of putting an oil press sensor on the oil filter tap. Maybe the temp sensor should go there, and I'll have to settle for the pressure sensor in the pan. (Although they both really should be tapped into the crankcase itself.) This is a wet sump engine, isn't it? Full pressure in the pan?
I wonder if having sensor taps put in the block would void the warranty. I wonder if my local dealer is up to doing that themselves.
After 30 years of Italian cars, I've gotten too used to that hardware. I'm never gonna understand Japanese engineering. Wah kaddi ma sen. Molto bizzarro.
Maybe I shoulda gone for a Lancia Stratos. No, wait. I could'a gotten two EVOs, an STi, and a Mondial for what an original Stratos Stradale costs today. I guess I can live with flaky gauges.
#13
Evolving Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: MidTN
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by Fourdoor
Ummmm, a wet sump system has near zero pressure in the pan, and in fact should be at a slight vacuum due to crank case ventilation....
Ummmm, a wet sump system has near zero pressure in the pan, and in fact should be at a slight vacuum due to crank case ventilation....
#14
Nothing to worry about. Low oil temperature is normal in cold weather and usually the oil temp will stay below the water temperature unless you do sustained running at speed when it's cold outside. This is especially true if you have an oil cooler in the cold airstream. During other times of the year oil is usually warmer than water as Z1 says. This is based on many different cars all with oil thermometers, some of them with oil coolers that I've driven over the years. The exception would be a car with oil cooler that is cooled/warmed by the recirculating coolant, eg oil/water heat exchanger.
#15
DGS, thanks for starting this thread. I thought I was having a problem with mine as well. I've only had the car since the end of November, so the weather is mild-cool here. The readings stay in the 50-70 C range on the gauge. I had pulled the sensor, checked it and the wiring up to the gauge. The local dealer had no idea what it should read. After seeing this thread I won't worry about it anymore.