Oil temperature
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,488
Likes: 27
From: Long Island NY
One hot afternoon heading back home through Montana on a super straight desolate backroad, I was able to run at a solid 95 mph for a few hours straight… and it was 95+ degrees F outside. Oil temp never got above 232 F, and hung out at around 230 F almost the whole time. Can't remember the rpms at speed in 6th, not too high, but the engine was still breaking a little sweat there. Oh yeah, I have a Z51 for whatever that's worth.
On the street, I don't think too many people break the 240 F mark... on the track it's a different story.
On the street, I don't think too many people break the 240 F mark... on the track it's a different story.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,324
Likes: 0
From: MN
My 2006 A6 has a Vortech supercharger on it, and I drove it for about 2 hours straight at around 130-140 through the Kansas Turnpike back in September (great - no cops at all, nice and flat, no traffic) - oil topped out at 234 degrees and never went higher.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,633
Likes: 2
From: Evans Colorado
It's not so much power, and speed that heats the oil.
For the most part the oil is seperated from the combustion process and thus not subject to the amounts of heat that the coolant is.
The big cause of oil heat comes from the friction created by the motor turning.
Even at 140mph in 6th gear the engine isn't turning incredible rpms.
Even a 751 car will run upper 200's for oil temp out on track for any length of time where the engine is subjected to rpms above 4000 constantly without a break.
For the most part the oil is seperated from the combustion process and thus not subject to the amounts of heat that the coolant is.
The big cause of oil heat comes from the friction created by the motor turning.
Even at 140mph in 6th gear the engine isn't turning incredible rpms.
Even a 751 car will run upper 200's for oil temp out on track for any length of time where the engine is subjected to rpms above 4000 constantly without a break.
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
An oil temperature of 234 after hard driving isn't anything to worry about.
You drove for 2 hours at 130-140 mph on a public highway. You're lucky your car isn't still in Kansas. 
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,489
Likes: 1
From: Livermore California
~270+ on the track (F55 . . . i.e., no oil cooler). Cruising at the speed limit on a cool day (40s and 50s) I'll only see around 200, plus or minus a few. In summer (90s and 100s ambient) I routinely see the 220s under the same conditions. Water temps were initially fairly stable at around 200.
I was worried about high oil temps prior to taking it to the track last summer. I was seeing as high as 240 on the highway with a little spirited driving. But at the suggestion of a local tuner, I switched to 10W30 and put in a 160 deg TStat. Of course, the tuner changed the fan. I now see lower coolant temps (though it bounces around a bit more) and around a 10 degree drop in average oil temps. Track days have not been a problem either . . . so far. I would only recommend the oil change if you're in a more moderate climate, however. My car probably never sees start-up conditions below 50 deg.
FM
I was worried about high oil temps prior to taking it to the track last summer. I was seeing as high as 240 on the highway with a little spirited driving. But at the suggestion of a local tuner, I switched to 10W30 and put in a 160 deg TStat. Of course, the tuner changed the fan. I now see lower coolant temps (though it bounces around a bit more) and around a 10 degree drop in average oil temps. Track days have not been a problem either . . . so far. I would only recommend the oil change if you're in a more moderate climate, however. My car probably never sees start-up conditions below 50 deg.
FM
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 67
From: USA
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,488
Likes: 27
From: Long Island NY
I just figured that, at least when ambient temps are hot, that a continuous high speed run would be a condition that would still heat up the oil... the rpms may not be too high in that situation, but there is decent load at over 95 mph... and especially over 130 mph. Ambient temps will certainly play a part.
Overall I was pretty impressed that my oil would not climb above 232 F after about 2 solid hours of 95 mph. That's a pretty long time to apply a continuous fairly heavy load... in 95 F degrees.
I wonder how it would have performed without the Z51 cooler? Some feel the cooler makes little difference until you start getting way up there in terms of temp, like with heavy track use.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,633
Likes: 2
From: Evans Colorado
The load at 95mph cruising on a flat and level road in 6th gear is probably negligable over doing the same at 75mph. It may actually be less as your more in to the engine's efficiany range.
As an example, a simple reduction of about 1000-1500 rpm when out on track will be sufficient enough to cool my oil temp down to about 285 in just a couple laps.
So even at WOT full load, simply by shifting at 5000rpm instead of 6500 I can cool the oil nearly 20 degrees.
Load certainly does play a bit of a part because it heats the combustion chambers and all surrounding areas more, which will transfer some heat to the oil. But again the majority of the heat is going to come from the friction generated by the rotating assembly and the pumping of the oil through the oiling system.
As an example, a simple reduction of about 1000-1500 rpm when out on track will be sufficient enough to cool my oil temp down to about 285 in just a couple laps.
So even at WOT full load, simply by shifting at 5000rpm instead of 6500 I can cool the oil nearly 20 degrees.
Load certainly does play a bit of a part because it heats the combustion chambers and all surrounding areas more, which will transfer some heat to the oil. But again the majority of the heat is going to come from the friction generated by the rotating assembly and the pumping of the oil through the oiling system.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,324
Likes: 0
From: MN
Once you get onto that Kansas Turnpike, it is nothing but flat land and no cops at all. Nice.
