Vet

Looks like I will be breaking in my new Z51 during the winter. I am concerned about cold starts and the ability of the oil (engine and tranny oil specifically) to heat up fast. I know the Z51 package comes with oil coolers for engine and tranny. Does the engine oil cooler have a thermostat? Some oil cooling systems DO have thermostats to allow the oil to heat up fast on cold starts before the oil starts flowing through the cooler.

Also, WHERE exactly are the Z51 engine and tranny oil coolers located? I am guessing somewhere near the main radiator in the front? Or are the coolers PART of the main radiator (like on traditional auto tranny cars)?

Thanks.

haljensen

Vet; From looking at the car and attempting to decipher the manual I would say there is no thermostat on the engine oil cooler. The manual shows an optional temp sender for the trans cooler.

Both coolers appear to be part of the radiator.

Vet

Thanks!

If indeed the tranny oil cooler is in the main radiator, that is probably a good thing on cold days. The tranny oil cooler will probably act as an oil "heater" initially since the radiator coolant will heat up faster than the tranny oil. This would probably promote slighty better shifting during the period prior to the entire car being 100% warmed up.

I really hate the idea of breaking in a car in cold weather... will try to make as few cold starts as possible. Plan will be to do 100 - 200 miles each time the car is started until she gets up to 1000 miles... then an oil change.

I wonder how warm manual tranny fluid (and/or transaxle fluid) actually gets on a 20 degree F day under normal light-duty driving? The nearby exhaust pipes probably help warm it up a little. But when starting out, the casing is 20 degrees F through and through... probably does not warm up that quick.

VET4LES

The steering cooler is a separate cooler between the radiator and the block.