High Oil Temp - Help ASAP
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
High Oil Temp - Help ASAP
High oil temp of 230 F after 8 hours of driving at 60-65 mph. Do I need to be concerned? Need help ASAP because I am driving another 20 hours in 3 days. 113,000 miles; using Castrol 20/50; 87 'vette
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
What was the outside temp during your 8 hour drive?
Did you check under the front of the car/in front of the Radiator for leaves/bags/etc?
How many miles on car since oil was changed?
what was the average oil pressure during the drive (s/b 60+/-)?
What brand oil filter (as some (mobil-1) allow more oil to flow and the oil to stay cooler and others (fram ph... ) are crap and leak dirty oil ?
How clean is the bottom of the oil pan (i.e. oil leaks?)?
Which Castrol are you using, GTX(dino) or SYNTEC (synthetic)?
suggest updating your profile and putting a location (and like mine the car year/model in the location field)...
Did you check under the front of the car/in front of the Radiator for leaves/bags/etc?
How many miles on car since oil was changed?
what was the average oil pressure during the drive (s/b 60+/-)?
What brand oil filter (as some (mobil-1) allow more oil to flow and the oil to stay cooler and others (fram ph... ) are crap and leak dirty oil ?
How clean is the bottom of the oil pan (i.e. oil leaks?)?
Which Castrol are you using, GTX(dino) or SYNTEC (synthetic)?
suggest updating your profile and putting a location (and like mine the car year/model in the location field)...
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Underbelly is clean. Water temp running 160-180. Outside temp was 80 when I noticed the high oil temp. 500 miles since last oil change. Using Purolator oil filter. Castrol GTX oil. Average oil pressure was 60+ when doing 67 mph. Oil is still clean - not dirty. What do I need to do in order to change to Mobil-1 synthetic and Mobil-1 oil? High oil temp started when I was stuck in traffic at 5 mph for 20 minutes - but then it didn't want to cool back down. Before I was stuck in traffic, the oil temp was running about 210.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 9,715
Likes: 27
From: Kempner Texas
230 F isn't "high oil temp"; not at all and there's no need to worry about it.
I've often thought one of the reasons car makers put 'idiot' lights in so many models is that 'numbers' cause unnecessary concern. Wish I had a dollar for every post I've read about temperature/pressure numbers.
Enjoy the drive; forgetting about the 230* F oil temp will make that easier.
Jake
I've often thought one of the reasons car makers put 'idiot' lights in so many models is that 'numbers' cause unnecessary concern. Wish I had a dollar for every post I've read about temperature/pressure numbers.
Enjoy the drive; forgetting about the 230* F oil temp will make that easier.
Jake
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by JAKE
230 F isn't "high oil temp"; not at all and there's no need to worry about it.
I've often thought one of the reasons car makers put 'idiot' lights in so many models is that 'numbers' cause unnecessary concern. Wish I had a dollar for every post I've read about temperature/pressure numbers.
Jake
I've often thought one of the reasons car makers put 'idiot' lights in so many models is that 'numbers' cause unnecessary concern. Wish I had a dollar for every post I've read about temperature/pressure numbers.
Jake
The only numbers I see to be concerned about are "Water temp running 160-180.". Too cold. That will make frequent oil changes a necessity.
RACE ON!!!
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
Underbelly is clean. Water temp running 160-180. Outside temp was 80 when I noticed the high oil temp. 500 miles since last oil change. Using Purolator oil filter. Castrol GTX oil. Average oil pressure was 60+ when doing 67 mph. Oil is still clean - not dirty. What do I need to do in order to change to Mobil-1 synthetic and Mobil-1 oil? High oil temp started when I was stuck in traffic at 5 mph for 20 minutes - but then it didn't want to cool back down. Before I was stuck in traffic, the oil temp was running about 210.
with CFI-EFI, water temp is low, you probably have a 160 thermostat, but with your oil temps getting up to 210+, some of the oil concern is lessened, but during colder periods, CFI-EFI is dead on.With over 100k miles on your car, changing to Mobil-1 Synthetic could be problematic (i.e. leaks, clogged oil passageways) as synthetics work so well because they leave less deposits and have more cleaning agents. Further, their chemical composition can have adverse effects on seals & gaskets not designed for them or built-up with deposits from the dino oil.
The oil your using is good, as is the filter, though the oil temp is a bit high for dino and the reason Corvettes went to synthetic, as long as you change it regularly, it should be ok to continue to use it (I used 10/40 winter and 20/50 summer in my 85 Supra and had 333k miles when I sold it, engine was still super clean inside).
You could consider using either 20/40 or 10/30 to reduce the amount of viscosity builders needed and available for burn-off and deposits in the engine.
Suggest looking at your coolant system and try and get the coolant temps down (R&R anti-freeze and flush if older than 2 yrs, clean radiator fins and A/C condensor if so equiped, debris between A/C condensor and radiator, fan operation, etc).
Last edited by theadmiral94; Oct 11, 2007 at 05:41 PM.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by theadmiral94
with CFI-EFI, water temp is low, you probably have a 160 thermostat, but with your oil temps getting up to 210+, some of the oil concern is lessened, but during colder periods, CFI-EFI is dead on.Suggest looking at your coolant system and try and get the coolant temps down (R&R anti-freeze and flush if older than 2 yrs, clean radiator fins and A/C condensor if so equiped, debris between A/C condensor and radiator, fan operation, etc).
Down from "Water temp running 160-180."??? Early in your post, you agreed with me that the coolant was too cool. Why the 180° U turn from one end of the post to the other?
?????????????????
RACE ON!!!
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
my oops
Your right, I somehow thought I read his water temp was at 210 (it was his oil temp before it climbed).
Please excuse the error and disregard the suggestion of getting the coolant temp down...
Thanks CFI-EFI for catching my error...
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Orlando Fl
20w50 is way too thick for that engine unless it is seriously wornout and eats a quart every 500 miles.
You will decrease your oil temps 10-20 degrees by using a thinner oil.
if you want to use something thicker than a 30 weight (a good option would be maxlife) Use any Diesel oil 15w40 - A more robust oil than the 20w50 and will run cooler
You will decrease your oil temps 10-20 degrees by using a thinner oil.
if you want to use something thicker than a 30 weight (a good option would be maxlife) Use any Diesel oil 15w40 - A more robust oil than the 20w50 and will run cooler
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by theadmiral94
CFI-EFI,
Please excuse the error and disregard the suggestion of getting the coolant temp down...
Thanks CFI-EFI for catching my error...
Please excuse the error and disregard the suggestion of getting the coolant temp down...
Thanks CFI-EFI for catching my error...
RACE ON!!!
