I just bought my C5 so I'm still learning the nuances.

It was in the teens last night and prob around 20 degrees when I left for work this morning.

I let the car warm up for ten mins before driving off. The DIC read oil temp: low for the entire 1/2 drive.

According to the gauge I was around 180-200 degrees during the drive. The heat blew hot.

Is this normal and ok in these conditions? I'm guessing yes but want some peace of mind.

 

I believe that is normal operating temperature.

 

I don't think you need to warm it up for 10 minutes. Maybe a minute, and drive gently until it warms up the rest of the way. There was an article about this recently, if you want to Google.

 

Typically I'll let my cars warm up for two or three mins. Today just happened to be ten.

 

You are fine, no worries. Take care!

 

Your Good.

 

With respect to oil temp, my C-5 takes 10-15 miles of driving, before the oil gets up around 180*.

 

I'm not sure why the DIC continued to read 'oil temp low' for that amount of time, but the temps displayed are normal.

 

Oil temp low for the entire drive, but was that 1/2 hour or 1/2 mile, or? If it read low for a half mile that could be normal, but if it was low for a half hour it is not normal and should have been giving a reading instead of low.

I agree with leadfoot4 that it can take 10 or 15 miles for the oil to get up to 180 temp.

Is this engine coolant temperature? If so that is normal.

 

It read low for the half hour drive to work.

 

What about today?
My standard practice is to wait and see if it happens again.

 

I'll have to check it tomorrow.

 

Be Careful who you listen to.

The C5 uses a thermostat to control how cold an engine will get. Typically 190F. The stat closes to ensure the engine does not get any colder. So if the engine is running at 190 F, and the internal combustion temp is 3500F. once the state opens the engine should never see temps below 190F, normally engine oil should be at 190F minimum . The LSX motor has a sweet spot, 190F to 200f for coolant and 200F to 210F oil.. Running coolant and oil at sub 190 F will cause shear, the oil will break down , specifically the oil additive package. The OIL Life monitor logs cold starts, as one of the 7 discriminators to calculate the remaining oil life .
Cold engines are a killer especially to this motor. While tuners will tell you , run a 160 stat, that won't give your motor the engine life is was designed to give you. It will allow a tuner to add spark advance, so you will be happy with the numbers they produce, they never tell you what the trade off is. As a GM engineer involved in this car, I can tell you you can choose HP or engine life, you can't have both. This motor will do 400K if you take car of it,, running a cold engine and a cold stat will give you more HP, when tuned at those temps but dramatically impact the engines longevity. both in lubricity, and in the breakdown of the additive package that actually protects the engine.

Run a 160 stat in the winter where outside temps can be 10*F and you will run the motor right into the ground.. Remember I said a stat controls how cold your motor gets, we saw sustained 160F, in Michigan with a 160 stat in the winter when doing 60 mph on the test track.

People think cold is good because tuners promote it.. Dave Hill wanted a 200,000 mile certified motor and in order to get there we had to increase the engine temp.

Peop[le live in the past where typically engine designs promoted a 180 stat and am idea heat transfer location for the radiator 2 feet from the road surface, not 6 inches like with the Y body.

OK this is about the 50th time in 16 years that Ive posted something like this... Its your choice a little more HP or a lot more longevity.

If you notice this motor was designed to run hot... DESIGNED to run HOT !.

Bill aka ET

 

BTW, you do not have to sit and allow your car to warm up. Using the proper oil, the design was meant to keep you from wasting gas sitting , in a prolonged standing warm up.

 

I want my engine to last forever. So....

 

IM not putting down HP and tuners, Most real go fast guys are willi9ng to sacrifice engine longevity for Horse power. Some real racer s have rebuild after just a few serious events.

The reason why I post what I do is for the guy who buys a orvette, and reads all this go fast stuff and want to go fast too, but you never read about what it cost to go fast. IM not talking about building a motor, I'm talking about what it does to the motor. Lots of innocent members of this forum only get half the story. IM here to provide the other half, the down side of any trade off.
I often say,
1) I cant afford to buy anything too cheap. ( it cost too much money )
2) Be careful who you listen to on this forum.
3) Everything is a trade off.

Just a few
Bill aka ET

 

My boy racer days are behind me. And when I need a real speed fix, I hop on the Ducati.

I'm plenty happy with 345 hp and I don't even beat on it. I am much more concerned with reliability and longevity which is why I posed my question in the first place.

 

I don't think anyone really is answering the question.

When you start the car and it says "oil temp low" it will not read the correct temperature for half an hour. After 10 minutes your oil will likely be up to temp, the message just doesn't reset itself for like 30 minutes for some reason.

 

low oil temp on start up is a computer glitch. Should reset in the diag at start up. Some times happens with O2 sensors as well.

 

good to know