Everyone with oil temp issues

alan93rsa

You really need to be on a track with a Miata which has had a V8 transplant. I was at VIR a few years ago with one. It was amazing!

__________________
16 Cayman GT4, Carmine Red, Buckets, PCCB etc.

tbonesteak

yup ppl who talk s#!t about miatas don't really have any say in the enthusiast world. Miatas are probably one of the most potent lil boogers once it's been tuned correctly. 2100 lbs, rwd, very tossable, etc. Miatas with f20c swap = gg.

import111

Here in Tucson, AZ. it was 97 degrees. Just cruising at 3K rpm through town my oil temp reached 240 degrees. I remember seeing some people wondering what would happen when summer heat hit, so I figured I would post up what I saw.

FYI, before today cruising oil temp was usually around 220.

travisjb

thanks for checking in... manual or auto ?... pushing it towards redline or just bumping around 5-6K ?

import111

Manual. Shifting before 5K rpm. Mostly cruising with no stop lights.

tbonesteak

Good fawkinnng game nissan. That is absolutely ridiculous....i cant wait til us socal people are sitting in traffic with hot oil on a 100+ degree weather. This should be VERY interesting. The sad reality is that 95% of the people won't even know that the engine's gone into limp mode since they won't be pushing the car enough to hit lowered rev limiter.....and they'll drive the car in 300 degree oil temp a big chunk of the car's life, essentially reducing engine life without even knowing it at all.

travisjb

there is a second limp mode... if you continue long enough at that temp it drops again - I recall 2,500 (First track experience today ! Some good, some really bad)... that'll get their attention !

Robert_Nash

Just though I would share...

I’ve had my 370Z since early January 2009 and have about 4,200 miles on it. During that time I’ve taken a couple of long trips where I’ve generally traveled about 10 miles over the posted speed limit (at least when traffic permits) which for most of the states I travel that's in the 80ish MPH range and I’ve autocrossed my car twice so far. I’ve also, as you know if your read my earlier post, taken my car to the Dragon and the Skyway recently.

<o></o>As hard as I’ve pushed my vehicle, the oil temp, according to the onboard gauge, has only reached the range of 240 up to near 250 degrees. A few days ago, I discussed this issue with the owner of Crawford Z Car in Nashville – he’s been repairing, and modifying and racing Zs in particular and Nissan’s in general for over 35 years…there are few people in the country that know more about the Z car than he and per him, if I understood him corectly, we shouldn't have to worry about oil temps until they hit the 260-280 degree range and that 220-240 is just about the range you want your oil to operate in.

<o></o>One thing that neither he nor I know is exactly “where” the onboard oil temp sensor is in the 370’s engine…if it’s in the pan, it’s going to be hotter than at other places (which is pretty normal) per him.

This pretty much puts the issue to rest for me...my feeling now is that if you are going to track your car or routinely thrash it and run it to the edge every time you are behind the wheel then get an aftermarket oil cooler installed…other than that, the oil temp should not be anything to be overly concerned about…just keep you oil changed regularly.

__________________
Robert
-My Basset Hound Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student and Barack Obama -

chubbs

That's reassuring.

__________________
.

'03 Grey >>> '06 Black >>>'10 Silver >>> '16 Grey ^

SoCal 370Z

The Oil Temperature Sender is item number 10 in the diagram below:



It gets its reading right at the oil filter engine housing mount (I suspect at the point of entry oil channel into the oil filter). The picture is rbatton's.:

__________________

( Click to show/hide )

Why I NEVER say NO to the Panda Lou Fusz!!!

travisjb

It is reassuring that the engine temps being picked up are the hottest, I agree...

But Autocross runs are usually 1 min or so... not the best to use for gauging potential to overheat IMO

Also, this one is a 7AT - most of the problems we've seen are with the 6MTs

Robert_Nash

If I understood my racer/friend correctly, temps in the oil pan will be significantly hotter; especially when racing/tracking...if the sensor is there then I don't see this as a big problem.

It would seem to me, in fact, that the EMS is being a little "over protective" if it's kicking in at the 208 range and that temp is coming from near the pan.

I'm no mechanic so I'm certainly no expert...that's why I make friends who are...just doing a little theorizing here!

I also agree, an autocross should not significantly impact oil temps...the runs just aren't long enough even on a very hot day.

__________________
Robert
-My Basset Hound Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student and Barack Obama -

alan93rsa

Robert,

As others have stated the oil can get hot in short order if pushed. My experience was 2 laps at modest speed, 2 laps in traffic and 1 hot lap to hit 275F and climbing. Out of 170 cars I was the only one that had to stop due to oil temp issues. That is pathetic.

Nissan needs to stop allowing any journalists to drive this car on anything other than a loop around town. As it stands now they offer the enticement to drive the car on a track. I believe they know this can't be done without exploring the outer edges of seriously shortened engine life.

As for your mechanic's thought on oil temp I'd buy 220 maybe 230. Over 240 and anyone driving a Porsche on the track will most likely be hitting the pits to find out what is wrong.

Speaking of Porsches I bought the Z because it 'looked' like a good alternative to a Cayman S. I'm not so sure anymore. Six Caymans were at Mid-Ohio last weekend and not one pulled off track. A friend ran four sixty minute stints on Friday in his Cayman S without a single issue. He's had this car for two years and he flogs it with regularity.

I'd suggest you take your car to a track and have someone drive it that knows the track. My guess is that you would be asking them pull off the track in a very short period of time.

If I had wanted a Hyundai I would have purchased a Hyundai! As it stands I purchased a car that needed an oil cooler but the factory didn't want to complete the job. At the least they could have included instructions on how to install one in the owner's manual, don't you think?

Or maybe a warning sticker on the speedo:

Please do not attempt to pass a Hyundai

__________________
16 Cayman GT4, Carmine Red, Buckets, PCCB etc.

travisjb

Robert, remember the displeasure isn't directed at you my friend... we just don't want anyone to read this thread and go away thinking the issue is resolved

BTW, Caymans and Boxsters notorious for overheating steering pumps... no steering pump cooler in my '02 S! I blew two of them !

Robert_Nash

I don't have any intentions of tracking my car; if I did, I'd be installing an oil cooler...I really don't see a problem.

I would think, given the price differential between a Cayman S (especially what a Cayman S can get up to) and a 370, you should have enough money left over to buy as many additional oil coolers as you could want.

If the oil temps are getting dangerously (for the engine) high for normal driving/conditions that's a problem that needs to be addressed...if, however, it's primarily an issue when tracking the car then I don't see it as something Nissan is obligated to address.

I do hope that Nissan makes additional coolers (engine oil, differential, etc) available; at least as an aftermarket product if not as a factory installed option for those who want/feel they need them.



Edit: Maybe this isn't the thread for this but a though on tracking street cars...
Most street vehicles intended for the public and for public roads; even high performance "sports cars" are not race cars. If you take a street car to the track you are engaging in an activity that the vehicle was NOT intended for (regardless of whatever hype various manufacturers like to hit us with) and it's an activity that WILL put more wear and tear on all your vehicle's components/systems than normal driving.

Tracking your car is fun...no one can deny that...who doesn't like to pretend to be a race car driver for an afternoon but a street car will never be a purpose-built race machine.

I'm sure there are some stock street vehicles out there at/near the Z's price range that may, in regards to certain components/systems, hold up/do better (when tracked) than the Z...I suspect there are other components/systems on the Z that might hold up better that those other vehicles too. A mass produced vehicle is always a collection of compromises no matter who makes it; at least that's going to be the case unless you are willing to spend lots and lots of money for your vehicle.

I'm really not trying to start an argument here or ruffle any feathers...it just seems as if there are a lot of people these days with expectations of a modestly priced sports car that just aren't very realistic...then again, maybe it's just a function of my age and how I've seen automotive product change and improve over the past forty years or so...I know first hand how far vehicles have come...how much better they are in just about any category you could name. Those who have been around a bit less time that I may think 0-60 times in under 5 seconds and top speeds in excess of 150 have always been commonplace.

Thank God they don't build them like they used to!

Ok...soapbox put away now.

__________________
Robert
-My Basset Hound Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student and Barack Obama -