Oil temp low...
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Cruising
Joined: Jul 2004
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Oil temp low...
After the car has sat for a month, I took it out today and after starting the DIC said low oil temp. It made sense since it's been cold here for a while. After the car is warmed up it never displayed any tempreature readings, just low oil temp. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 7,393
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From: Los Angeles CA
Originally Posted by 1230'sc5
After the car has sat for a month, I took it out today and after starting the DIC said low oil temp. It made sense since it's been cold here for a while. After the car is warmed up it never displayed any tempreature readings, just low oil temp. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
I had the same problem in my 98 coupe once. I drove 70 miles in 15 deg temps and it never got above 130 deg. I was very concerned and made a post when I got home.
Come to find out, if you select oil temp and monitor it. The temp that it is at when you pull it up on the DIC is the temp that it will stay at. I have never tested it on my 02 Z06 but I know it works that way in the 98!
To test it out, drive the car until the oil temp is at a low readable temp and leave it there for 30 min. Then select another function on the DIC and then go back to the oil temp and see if it reads the correct up-dated oil temp.
Bill
Come to find out, if you select oil temp and monitor it. The temp that it is at when you pull it up on the DIC is the temp that it will stay at. I have never tested it on my 02 Z06 but I know it works that way in the 98!
To test it out, drive the car until the oil temp is at a low readable temp and leave it there for 30 min. Then select another function on the DIC and then go back to the oil temp and see if it reads the correct up-dated oil temp.
Bill
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Austin TX
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05
Yes, I saw "Oil Temp: Low" on my DIC last week. It really freaked me out because I had never seen it before. And yes, it was freezing cold, about 16 degrees F. I looked through the owners manual and it said nothing about oil temp low, but there were plenty of other dic messages. I thought it may have meant oil level low, so I checked the dipstick, and the oil level was fine. Driving to work, it only said oil temp low, and I know the temp had to get over 150 before I got to the office.
Then I did a search on the forum, and there she was. Apparently it only does this when the oil is really cold, and it won't clear the oil temp low message until you turn it off, and turn it back after the oil temp has gotten above a freezing temp.
Then I did a search on the forum, and there she was. Apparently it only does this when the oil is really cold, and it won't clear the oil temp low message until you turn it off, and turn it back after the oil temp has gotten above a freezing temp.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 816
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From: peabody ma
Originally Posted by GTC
Yes, I saw "Oil Temp: Low" on my DIC last week. It really freaked me out because I had never seen it before. And yes, it was freezing cold, about 16 degrees F. I looked through the owners manual and it said nothing about oil temp low, but there were plenty of other dic messages. I thought it may have meant oil level low, so I checked the dipstick, and the oil level was fine. Driving to work, it only said oil temp low, and I know the temp had to get over 150 before I got to the office.
Then I did a search on the forum, and there she was. Apparently it only does this when the oil is really cold, and it won't clear the oil temp low message until you turn it off, and turn it back after the oil temp has gotten above a freezing temp.
Then I did a search on the forum, and there she was. Apparently it only does this when the oil is really cold, and it won't clear the oil temp low message until you turn it off, and turn it back after the oil temp has gotten above a freezing temp.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,984
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From: Central Coast CA
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
Come to find out, if you select oil temp and monitor it. The temp that it is at when you pull it up on the DIC is the temp that it will stay at. I have never tested it on my 02 Z06 but I know it works that way in the 98!
This doesn't make any sense for the temps not to change on the DIC. I've never seen what you are saying happen on my 03 Z06. I routinely run my car up to temps with the DIC displaying oil temp. I let it run and watch it until the temps get past 212 degrees for about 5 minutes (to boil off any moisture in the oil).
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
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From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Originally Posted by Shylor
This doesn't make any sense for the temps not to change on the DIC. I've never seen what you are saying happen on my 03 Z06. I routinely run my car up to temps with the DIC displaying oil temp. I let it run and watch it until the temps get past 212 degrees for about 5 minutes (to boil off any moisture in the oil).
That's when this seems to occur...and yes it is normal.
If the oil temp is below 15, you will get a DIC reading of "low" instead of a degree display. The glitch in the system is that it does not go away until the next ignition cycle. You can drive the car for an hour, it won't change....but if you drive it for 5 mins, shut it off, then restart it, the actual oil temp display will resume.
I've driven my car many times in single digit temps, and this always occurs.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,495
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From: Paducah Ky
I've gotten this message one time. When I started it up it was quite cold. I'd never seen it before so after running for a few minutes I turned it off and back on and was still there. Went ahead and drove it for a while and then made a short stop of 5 or ten minutes and then got the correct reading after restarting. I know I had let it run long enough in garage for the reading to not have been that low, but apparently has to be several minutes wait in between restarting.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
On the 98 I use to have to select something else on the DIC and then go back to the oil temp to get an accurate updated reading. POOR DESIGN! I just broke the 02 Z out of the garage to take her for a drive, bust the rust off of the rotors and wash it when I was done ( IT WAS 40 Deg here in CT today!!! 
) and while I was out I monitored the oil temp! Guess what? Some engineer realized his mistake and it up-dates all by it self with out having to select something else! 
I wonder what year it was corrected?
ANYONE??
BC
) and while I was out I monitored the oil temp! Guess what? Some engineer realized his mistake and it up-dates all by it self with out having to select something else! I wonder what year it was corrected?
ANYONE??
BC
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,324
Likes: 2,079
From: Guelph, Ontario
I get this problem all the time, and it annoys me. If the oil temp is lower than -9C, it just says oil temp low, but never comes on even once the oil gets hotter. The coolant temp is the same, except when it does hit -9C it then displays.
As others have said, if you shut it off and restart it when the engine is warm, the oil temp will display again. A very poor design indeed.
As others have said, if you shut it off and restart it when the engine is warm, the oil temp will display again. A very poor design indeed.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Try cycling the display to something else like tire pressure or Avg Fuel MPG and then back to the oil temp. If it is still displaying the same thing, you have a prblem with that sensor or wiring.
BC
BC
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 288
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Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
On the 98 I use to have to select something else on the DIC and then go back to the oil temp to get an accurate updated reading. POOR DESIGN! I just broke the 02 Z out of the garage to take her for a drive, bust the rust off of the rotors and wash it when I was done ( IT WAS 40 Deg here in CT today!!! ) and while I was out I monitored the oil temp! Guess what? Some engineer realized his mistake and it up-dates all by it self with out having to select something else!
I wonder what year it was corrected?
ANYONE??
BC
) and while I was out I monitored the oil temp! Guess what? Some engineer realized his mistake and it up-dates all by it self with out having to select something else! I wonder what year it was corrected?
ANYONE??
BC
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,324
Likes: 2,079
From: Guelph, Ontario
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
Try cycling the display to something else like tire pressure or Avg Fuel MPG and then back to the oil temp. If it is still displaying the same thing, you have a prblem with that sensor or wiring.
BC
BC
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
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From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Just trying to make sure I understand this...
This only affects 98's.
The low oil temp message will come up if the temp is 15 degrees or less.
If the car is started with a low oil temp message is received, the oil temp on the DIC will not be updated until the DIC screens is changed to something else, and then switched back to the oil temp screen. Restarting the car after the oil temp comes above 15 degrees will reset the system, and it will work properly, but restarting the car is not necessary because the DIC will update the oil temp if the DIC screens are changed (like oil temp to fuel mileage and back).
If the car is started without a low oil temp message, the oil temp on the DIC will be updated.
----
Anything wrong? Anything missing?
This only affects 98's.
The low oil temp message will come up if the temp is 15 degrees or less.
If the car is started with a low oil temp message is received, the oil temp on the DIC will not be updated until the DIC screens is changed to something else, and then switched back to the oil temp screen. Restarting the car after the oil temp comes above 15 degrees will reset the system, and it will work properly, but restarting the car is not necessary because the DIC will update the oil temp if the DIC screens are changed (like oil temp to fuel mileage and back).
If the car is started without a low oil temp message, the oil temp on the DIC will be updated.
----
Anything wrong? Anything missing?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Originally Posted by leaftye
Just trying to make sure I understand this...
This only affects 98's.
This only affects 98's.
The low oil temp message will come up if the temp is 15 degrees or less.
To clarify, it does not appear automatically like a warning message...but if you select the oil temp display by scrolling the gages button, it will simply say "low" instead of showing a degree reading.
If the car is started with a low oil temp message is received, the oil temp on the DIC will not be updated until the DIC screens is changed to something else, and then switched back to the oil temp screen.
Restarting the car after the oil temp comes above 15 degrees will reset the system, and it will work properly
but restarting the car is not necessary because the DIC will update the oil temp if the DIC screens are changed (like oil temp to fuel mileage and back).
If the car is started without a low oil temp message, the oil temp on the DIC will be updated.
I think the problem BC added to this thread is not the same as the "low oil temp" problem, and tt seemed to add much confusion here. If you get an actual degree reading when viewing the oil temp display, it should update. If it doesn't, there is a problem.
If all you see is "low" when viewing the oil temp display, it will NOT update no matter what the oil temp rises to as you drive the car, until the car is restarted when the oil is warm. This is NOT a sensor or wiring problem, it is a programming flaw.
This "low oil temp" thing gets reported here every year, and most everyone who uses their car in very cold conditions has experienced this.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
I've run my 97 and my 03Z in single digit temps and have seen the low oil temp warning many times but have never noticed the syndrome you are describing. Since I had an engine oil cooler on both cars I had to monitor the oil temp before I could push the car and I never noticed it wouldn't change.
Bill
Bill