Oil temperature question.

[kimtiki]

Hi,

When oil temperature increases more than half guage, how should I cool down the engine?? What would be the consequences if it happens though??

Should I keep the engine running and open the hood?
or
Stop the engine and open the hood?

TK

[chachacha28]

I usually just slow down and drive normal (if it happens when im tearing up back roads) or cruise with the slow traffic (if im hauling ass on the autobahn). Ive never had it get to the half way point unless i was really pushing it. I would think the car would go into limp mode if things got too bad, but its never happened to me.

I do really want an oil cooler though, slowing down is a huge buzzkill.

[Mutilator]

I believe from what I've seen on here the oil thermostat will open at 240F to let oil into the oil cooler to help cool it back down/limit how much hotter it gets. After that I think the car goes into limp mode when the oil temp goes over 270F or so. Don't quote me on this though - I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I would imagine just driving around casually and limiting the boost would be the best way to cool it back down, at least things are getting cooler air over them that way instead of just sitting there baking until they cool like they would if you just turned it off. But obviously you should always drive around like this after you've run the car hard... don't just shut it down immediately after a spirited drive.

[IGoFast1589]

When the engine temperature goes up to high it can increase your risk of detonation and if it's bad enough it can lead to engine failure. The oil temp gauge that BMW kindly gave us can be very useful. If your oil temperature goes up, say you are racing at the track, then it could mean that you aren't using a thick enough oil because it thinned out too much from heat and it's ability to lubricate well decreases. It may also mean that you are low on oil because the smaller amount of oil that is circulating through the system is being overwhelmed with heat thereby again making it a less effective lubricator. The oil cooler is genius, but if you can't get your oil up to a good temperature then it may also be a bad thing. For example, adding an oil cooler to a street driven car that spends its entire life in cold temperatures may hinder you from being able to get your oil up to normal operating temperatures. Same thing goes for if you buy a racing thermostat that doesn't open up until a certain temperature. It's a balance that needs to be achieved. If you find your cars oil temperature shooting up then you just need to back of and cruise around and let it progressively cool down.