Nissan 370Z Forum  

oil overheating unique to vq37vhr engine?

I was reading the latest edition of Dsport magazine where they reviewed several RWD cars. Predictably they criticized the 370z for the engine overheating its oil and shutting down after

Go Back   Nissan 370Z Forum > Nissan 370Z General Area > Nissan 370Z General Discussions


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-04-2010, 12:05 AM   #1 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Pharmacist's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 1,249
Drives: 09 370z Sport 6MT
Rep Power: 18
Pharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the rough
Default oil overheating unique to vq37vhr engine?

I was reading the latest edition of Dsport magazine where they reviewed several RWD cars. Predictably they criticized the 370z for the engine overheating its oil and shutting down after 2-3 laps on the track. They mentioned that the Genesis Coupe doesn't have this problem. This got me thinking, are there any other cars out there with a similar overheating problem other than the 370z and g37?

I know bmw's turbocharged 335i also overheats easily, but other than that, what else? Gen Coupe, Corvette, Viper, Mustang, Camaro, Cayman and 911, M3, M5, Lotus Elise/Exige, Miata, Rx 8, ferrari, lamborghini, aston martin, turbocharged cars like the STi, Evo, and even Nissan's own GT-R do not overheat and go into limp mode after 3 laps on the track. As far as I know most, if not all, of these cars do not have an oil cooler from the factory.

So the question is why do they not overheat and shut down like our cars on the track? Is it that they do not produce much heat? If so what is so different about our engines that make them overheat so much? If these cars do heat up their oil so much, why do they not go into limp mode? Are their engines not as vulnerable to hot oil as our engines? If so why? Why would the vq37vhr engine be unusually vulnerable to hot oil? Or is it simply the case that the oil in these cars does overheat like our cars and their engine also suffers excessive wear and tear as a result but the manufacturer just couldn't care to put a limp mode for engine protection.
__________________
2009 370z Sport Touring/Nismo shift Knob/Z1 motorsports 34 row oil cooler
Pharmacist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 12:38 AM   #2 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Jordo!'s Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: nirvana
Posts: 6,394
Drives: 2023 NATM
Rep Power: 418
Jordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond reputeJordo! has a reputation beyond repute
Default

Does the Genesis have a temp gauge? Maybe it should shut down, but wasn't programmed to...
__________________
Enjoy it. Destroy it.
Jordo! is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 01:25 AM   #3 (permalink)
Premium Member
 
TreeSemdyZee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Kentuck-IANA
Age: 60
Posts: 4,885
Drives: '09 370 & ‘14 Juke
Rep Power: 27408
TreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond reputeTreeSemdyZee has a reputation beyond repute
Default

Crappy air flow.

Without digging into specs, I'd guess that the high-end cars do come with oil coolers. Heck, my 2000 Celica had one.
I think it would do Nissan well if they'd look at revamping the entire cooling system, no just the oil system. Oil temps are at the end of the chain. If the engine was cooled adequately, the oil temps wouldn't be so high.
TreeSemdyZee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 01:48 AM   #4 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NoLA
Posts: 242
Drives: 2013 MBlack
Rep Power: 16
dang370z is on a distinguished road
Default

Don't know so much but I think the fact that its the most productive V6 has something to do with it... we are getting 330 from a V6 where everyone behind is getting 306 and under....
dang370z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 01:59 AM   #5 (permalink)
Track Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Socal
Posts: 914
Drives: MY09 MB 6MT
Rep Power: 375
tbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond reputetbonesteak has a reputation beyond repute
Default

Good question OP. Nobody's ever gotten down to the core about this. My s2000 never had an oil heating prob. My friend's genesis coupe 3.8 who I went to the track with a few times when i had the s never had this prob either. My buddy who drives a 335i tho.....is a different story. His cruising temps are 250+.
tbonesteak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 09:39 AM   #6 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Red__Zed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: window seat
Posts: 28,940
Drives: Mostly on two wheels
Rep Power: 120
Red__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond reputeRed__Zed has a reputation beyond repute
Default

It is kinda crazy. My s under hard driving would see almost 230...while it was an iron sleeved, closed deck stroker motor producing over 3 times the stock hp. I remember the guys that built it thinking it was a real problem to see temps that high. My mind was blown when I saw that 370s operated there.
Red__Zed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 09:43 AM   #7 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Pharmacist's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 1,249
Drives: 09 370z Sport 6MT
Rep Power: 18
Pharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the rough
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbonesteak View Post
Good question OP. Nobody's ever gotten down to the core about this. My s2000 never had an oil heating prob. My friend's genesis coupe 3.8 who I went to the track with a few times when i had the s never had this prob either. My buddy who drives a 335i tho.....is a different story. His cruising temps are 250+.
Yeah, the 335i is the only other car apart from the 370z and g37 to suffer heating problems, but that car is twin turbocharged, so at least it's somewhat understandable the amount of heat produced.

Did the 350z have an overheating problem? I'm not sure but I never heard of it. Could the reason be the VVEL in our engines? I read that there's a lot of friction going on over there, part of the reason why Nissan developed the diamond-like coating on the VVEL and recommends their ester oil. Maybe the excess friction generates too much heat?
__________________
2009 370z Sport Touring/Nismo shift Knob/Z1 motorsports 34 row oil cooler
Pharmacist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 10:10 AM   #8 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Endgame's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 1,613
Drives: Nothing Now!
Rep Power: 224
Endgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond reputeEndgame has a reputation beyond repute
Default

The RX8 would have oil temp issues and I think some of the early models did and they had an oil cooler. I had a 2006 and it had 2 oil coolers.

This just may be my ignorance, but I do not buy the whole 'the VQ is a high performing engine, that is why it runs hot' notion. Do not most engines have similar setups?? I know it is an inline 6, but did the E46 M3 have overheating issues??? Same type power was produced from it.

I think that is the VQ37's issue is that it does not have oil coolers. I would like to see a Stangs or a Genesis oil temps. To the earlier point, do they even know what temps their oil is reaching?
Endgame is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 10:33 AM   #9 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: miami,fl
Posts: 171
Drives: 09' 370z nismo
Rep Power: 16
xfrgtr is on a distinguished road
Default

OOOOOOOOld news
xfrgtr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 08:59 PM   #10 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
sonic370's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Orange Texas
Posts: 1,574
Drives: 09 370Z Sports PGK
Rep Power: 18
sonic370 will become famous soon enoughsonic370 will become famous soon enough
Send a message via MSN to sonic370
Default

very oooooold news. news flash if you track your car or dog the crap out of it
get an oil cooler. if you drive the car so hard it goes into safe mode doesn't that tell you something. should nissan included oil coolers with these cars? yes
but they didn't to keep cost down. everyone knows going in how they are going to drive their cars before they buy them do your homework first. i'm not on a soap box,but under normal conditions these car and sometimes not so normal these cars still kick -ss. sorry to ramble oil temp threads do that to me.
sonic370 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 09:02 PM   #11 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
red6spd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 3,277
Drives: 2010 Z Coupe M6 SPT
Rep Power: 21
red6spd is a jewel in the roughred6spd is a jewel in the roughred6spd is a jewel in the roughred6spd is a jewel in the rough
Default

I remember hearing the New Evo's with that fancy auto tranny was overheating the transmissions. Just figured it was kind of the same.
__________________
2010 Base+Sport 6spd: Stillen G3, FI Non-Resonated CBE, FI Non-Resonated Test Pipes, UpRev Tuned, Custom 24R Oil Cooler, JDM Rear Fog-OEM Harness.
???Whp ???WTQ (Will find out come spring time)
red6spd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 10:50 PM   #12 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Pharmacist's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 1,249
Drives: 09 370z Sport 6MT
Rep Power: 18
Pharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the rough
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sonic370 View Post
very oooooold news. news flash if you track your car or dog the crap out of it
get an oil cooler. if you drive the car so hard it goes into safe mode doesn't that tell you something. should nissan included oil coolers with these cars? yes
but they didn't to keep cost down. everyone knows going in how they are going to drive their cars before they buy them do your homework first. i'm not on a soap box,but under normal conditions these car and sometimes not so normal these cars still kick -ss. sorry to ramble oil temp threads do that to me.



seriously, did you even read the original post? i know the vq37 has an overheating problem. the entire universe knows it. and yes, i already got myself a huge *** 34 row oil cooler a long time ago, thanks for the advice

the point of the discussion was to find out what exactly is unique or different about the vq37 compared to other high performance engines that makes it produce so much heat and go into limp mode so quickly while other cars keep going without the need for an aftermarket oil cooler.
__________________
2009 370z Sport Touring/Nismo shift Knob/Z1 motorsports 34 row oil cooler
Pharmacist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 10:52 PM   #13 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
Pharmacist's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 1,249
Drives: 09 370z Sport 6MT
Rep Power: 18
Pharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the roughPharmacist is a jewel in the rough
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by red6spd View Post
I remember hearing the New Evo's with that fancy auto tranny was overheating the transmissions. Just figured it was kind of the same.
that's true, actually many automated manual transmissions do overheat and require an oil cooler. i think it could be due to the higher pressures they used compared to slushbox autos. also, don't forget most of these transmissions have wet clutches, so the oil is used to cool down the clutch.
__________________
2009 370z Sport Touring/Nismo shift Knob/Z1 motorsports 34 row oil cooler
Pharmacist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2010, 11:04 PM   #14 (permalink)
Base Member
 
pauley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Md
Posts: 103
Drives: 09 370Z + 07 G35S
Rep Power: 15
pauley is on a distinguished road
Default

I wish i knew what it was and how to correct it without voiding my warranty. The highest oil temp i've had is 220-224 in 90+ degree heat, so not bad. It's always in the back of my mind that dreaded oil temp. It's a uncomfortable feeling
__________________
2009 370Z Blk/Blk Touring/Sport + 2007 G35SModified
pauley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2010, 09:31 AM   #15 (permalink)
Track Member
 
atx370z's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 637
Drives: 10 370Z T/S M6
Rep Power: 16
atx370z will become famous soon enough
Default

My oil temp gets to 230 pretty easily here in Texas. (Freeway driving.)

The real question is.... what temperature is "too high" and when should i be worried?

Ill be getting an oil cooler within the next few weeks.
atx370z is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
FS: VQ37VHR engine - Norcal infamousAXEL Parts for sale (Private Classifieds) 13 01-07-2011 06:23 PM
370Z Engine Oil Overheating Issue I.I.IX Canada 16 09-10-2009 12:07 AM
VQ37VHR Engine Dimensions roddyalan Engine & Drivetrain 0 05-06-2009 04:04 AM
VQ37VHR 2008 10 best Engine of the Year AK370Z Engine & Drivetrain 14 02-04-2009 01:04 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:35 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2