new car, oil temp problem ??

KN21283

I have a 2012 too and it would run around 195-220. When pushed it saw 230.

Spooler

Yeap, sounds normal to hit 220. If you get over 230, then it should be in high heat/spirited driving conditions.

evil370z

i had a 2013 touring sports automatic in the summer and my temps never went to 220 unless aggressively diving, now i have a 2014 touring sports 6mt and its winter time so you sound about right. it heats up quicker.

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evil370z

thanks guys, i guess it is normal, i just got paranoid that something was up with my car. when the car is rolling the temp goes down, so it sounds about right. 25 row oil cooler should be good ? i live in ny. its my daily driver except blizzards. i don't track / no intention of force induction at all. i drive regularly and sometimes aggressively i mean who dosent with a Z lol.

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SouthArk370Z

For what you are describing, a cooler shouldn't be necessary. As long as you keep your oil temp below 240-250 F you will be OK. Most oils nowadays are good up to ~300, short-term, but they break down faster at higher temps. If you spend much time above 240, you may want to change your oil a little more often.

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evil370z

never been above 220 when i drive aggressively , went to 200 then back down. only 220 when car is standing still for a long period of time and you guys are right, oil gets hot and when car is rolling it cools back down.

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PaulZ370

I have a 19 row Stillen Oil cooler, and I live in Louisiana where summer ambient temps reach 100F easily. However, I found that I had to block off all but the top 3 rows in order to keep my oil temps at 180F in the winter when ambient temps run in the lower40'sF, and in the summer, even with the blocking plate still in place, I run max temps of 230F under moderately aggressive driving with an ambient of 100F.

Moral of the story is that you need a minimum of an oil cooling system if you are not planning on aggressive or track driving. Oil temps have to reach 220F or thereabouts when entering the oil cooler so that any water condensation scavenged by the oil from the internal combustion reaction when the engine is cold can evaporate out of the oil otherwise it will remain as a contaminant which reduces the lubrication and protection effectiveness of the oil . Given that the z's engine is a high revving engine, this reduced effectiveness can and will cause damage.

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Jordo!

Normal. Your (pressurized) coolant temp is probably around 220 - 250* F when fully warmed up. Modern oils can run quite a bit hotter than that without shearing.

Add some cool fins to the bottom of the oil pan by ARC to drop temps about 10-15 degrees if you wish -- search, it does actually work as promised.

Unless you start seeing temps creeping up over 240* F in normal driving, I wouldn't be concerned. Over 300 F* at sustained high load is risky (but no guarantee of failure), and the car goes into "limp mode" at 260*, so really, unless you are tracking it, it is highly unlikely you need to purchase an oil cooler.

So I'm told, the ECU does pull a bit of timing over 205*F, but 220* F is hardly anything to lose sleep over.

A good rule of thumb is not to flog the car hard at all until between 160 - 175* F, and take it easy over 280*, a value the ECU will not allow you to reach at full tilt. Both these values mean less and less and modern synthetics become better engineered to provide excellent lubrication within a wide temperature range.

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Zerocool

Normal.. Mine usually stays around 210-220 after being on the expressway for a bit

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ShutokuZ

I have a 13 with the stock oil cooler. I hit 220 everyday and have been since I got it in Oct 2012. I live in Los Angeles, and see the same temps in the city, wether it is summer or winter. Nothing to worry about, and no adverse effects on performance. Just drive it and enjoy it for the beauty that the car is.

Spooler

In the summer, if I am in stop and go it get's over 230. If I am driving down the interstate or back road I am at 220. This is just normal driving, nothing spirited at all.

Jordo!

Actually, since the oil cooler probably shares coolant lines with the radiator, the oil probably gets up to optimal temps about as quickly as the water does, and then hovers close to or below water temps in normal driving.

It probably is only nominal at best for the track (probably more of an oil warmer than a cooler under those circumstances), but for a DD it sounds like its doing its job perfectly

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ShutokuZ

That it is. I only DD my car and do the occasional on/off ramp freeway pulls (with full tank of gas ofcorse ) and never see above 220, so like you said, it is doing fine for a DD

nis350

Does the factory oil cooler for the later model actually help with the temp? I am also in LA with an early model w/o oil cooler and it is always around 210 -220 also.

kenchan

from the read, yes.

but then again, my 09 uses no oil cooler and my temps dont get that high at all from my spirited driving.