Oil Temperature Range

[valleyman]

I'm was about to order an Autometer oil temp guage and noticed that they come in two different temperature ranges, 100-250 or 140-300 degrees. Which one is more appropriate for our cars? Anybody know what the acceptable oil temperature range is for our motors when they're warmed-up?

[Amsoil_Dealer]

I'm was about to order an Autometer oil temp guage and noticed that they come in two different temperature ranges, 100-250 or 140-300 degrees. Which one is more appropriate for our cars? Anybody know what the acceptable oil temperature range is for our motors when they're warmed-up?


140-300F would be the best range for the gauge. You don't want to be getting on it before 140F and if it gets to 300F you want to back off.

Normal operating oil termp should be 180-220F and it with the semi synthetic oil and good cooling systems these cars have it really should be quite a challenge to get it to 220F or above.

Don

[Amsoil_Dealer]

I'm was about to order an Autometer oil temp guage and noticed that they come in two different temperature ranges, 100-250 or 140-300 degrees. Which one is more appropriate for our cars? Anybody know what the acceptable oil temperature range is for our motors when they're warmed-up?


140-300F would be the best range for the gauge. You don't want to be getting on it before 140F and if it gets to 300F you want to back off.

Normal operating oil termp should be 180-220F and it with the semi synthetic oil and good cooling systems these cars have it really should be quite a challenge to get it to 220F or above.

Don

[Logan]

I run a 100-250... Both are just as appropriate as they both cover the entire spectrum of temps for our motors... If you have a motor with 300 degree temps, it ain't no marauder, and if it is, it's going some serious problems...

[valleyman]

I run a 100-250... Both are just as appropriate as they both cover the entire spectrum of temps for our motors... If you have a motor with 300 degree temps, it ain't no marauder, and if it is, it's going some serious problems...

Logan - I take it you're happy with the 100-250. Ever wish you'd gone with the 140-300 instead?

[Logan]

Naw, All my temp guages are 100-250, so it didn't make sense to run a 140-300. Temps will NEVER go that high in our cars, so why bother.

I figure I just get to watch my car warm up too, seems silly but, the 100-250 guages have a more functional range IMO...

[Sactown]

valleyman, where are you going to put the gauge?

[Smokie]

How do you determine what is a normal oil temp ? Can your coolant gauge and oil temp gauge disagree ? and if so which one do you pay attention to ?

Example: Coolant gauge is normal, oil temp reads too high or too low ( whatever that may be ), is there a problem ?

Does oil temp fluctuate ? or does it remain constant, the way my coolant gauge does; goes to 20 mph and sits there and never moves until car is turned off.

[MitchB]

How do you determine what is a normal oil temp?

180-220 is a good range.


Can your coolant gauge and oil temp gauge disagree ? and if so which one do you pay attention to?

Oil temp is largely a function of engine coolant temp, engine load and engine speed. You could find your stabilized oil temp on a winter day driving at low speeds at 160. Conversely, driving at a sustained 100 in the summer might give 220+. All at the same stabilized coolant temp of 190-200. So the two will not always be the same.

Mitch

[MitchB]

I run a 100-250... Both are just as appropriate as they both cover the entire spectrum of temps for our motors... If you have a motor with 300 degree temps, it ain't no marauder, and if it is, it's going some serious problems...

If you have an oil temp gauge in your Marauder, what temps do you typically see?

Mitch

[valleyman]

valleyman, where are you going to put the gauge?

Haven't decided. For aesthetic reasons I want it to be close to the dashboard guages and the A-pillar location seems a little high to me: the guage faces just don't "tie in together" the way I want. The guages near the shifter have all been replaced with digital guages so they're not an issue. So, I'll figure out something -- column pod, sawing a hole somewhere in the dash, I'm just not sure yet.

[Logan]

Mine usually run between 205-220. Naturally aspirated, it used to run 195-210

[David Morton]

I would use the 100-240 for engine oil temp and the 140-300 for transmission fluid temp. ATF can get higher than 240 and still not be an indication of a problem, whereas engine oil at that temp is a red alert.

[Amsoil_Dealer]

How do you determine what is a normal oil temp ? Can your coolant gauge and oil temp gauge disagree ? and if so which one do you pay attention to ?

Example: Coolant gauge is normal, oil temp reads too high or too low ( whatever that may be ), is there a problem ?

Does oil temp fluctuate ? or does it remain constant, the way my coolant gauge does; goes to 20 mph and sits there and never moves until car is turned off.

Oil temperature is usually fairly stable and usually relative to water temperature under normal conditions. However, it does take oil considerably longer to get to steady state temperature though than water so it is wise to have an oil temp gauge and make sure the oil is up to temp before getting on it. Plus, the oil temp will rise under heavy loads while the water temp usually stays fairly level.

Oil temp gauges are fun and only truly required if you are racing the car. I also strongly recommend them for forced induction cars. I have seen oil temp in a race car at 260F-280F while the factory water temp.
gauge was "straight up". High oil temp with normal water temp does happen occasionally under racing conditions but almost never in a mechanically sound street car.

Don

[MICA Racing]

Oil temperature is a reliable way to see what's going on inside your engine, and on a racing application is absolutely essential. That said, Don is right - you don't necissarily need an oil temp gauge on a relatively stock or mildly driven car. If you spend much time running the engine hard, it would be very worthwhile insurance to install one. Proper peak oil temps vary from car to car - we liked to see 190-210 on the coolant and up to 230 on the oil temp. The other nice thing about the oil temp gauge is that it lets you know when the engine is truly warmed up - your coolant will reach operating temp quicker than the oil does, and the oil temp is what you're concerned with. We would start the F2000 car and set a high idle of around 1500 rpms, then not touch the throttle until the oil temp reached at least 140 deg F. It's well noted that most wear occurs in a cold engine before oil gets up to temp, so knowing where you're at can help extend the life of your engine.

[MENINBLK]

I would use the 100-240 for engine oil temp and the 140-300 for transmission fluid temp. ATF can get higher than 240 and still not be an indication of a problem, whereas engine oil at that temp is a red alert.

ATX Oil should NEVER get higher than 210 deg F if your ATX is cooled properly.
If it gets higher than this, then you HAVE a problem !!!

Transmission Oil Temperature Gauges are SPECIFIC and
do not come in ranges like other Oil Temp gauges.
An ATX Oil Temp Gauge will usually read from 100 deg - 250 deg.
The median temp on these gauges is 180 deg F.

[David Morton]

ATX Oil should NEVER get higher than 210 deg F if your ATX is cooled properly.
If it gets higher than this, then you HAVE a problem !!!

Transmission Oil Temperature Gauges are SPECIFIC and
do not come in ranges like other Oil Temp gauges.
An ATX Oil Temp Gauge will usually read from 100 deg - 250 deg.
The median temp on these gauges is 180 deg F.I don't know what temp the Marauder ATF is running, but I can tell you from experience and Advanced Automatic Transmission Training at General Motors Training Center in Atlanta that ATF is capable of handling temperatures way in excess of 250 degrees and still not be burned. Try driving on a hot summer day in the mountains around Denver and then tell me the thing won't get over 210. I know the Marauder uses external cooling not inside the radiator but for years I've worked on and experienced the temperatures of cars and trucks that did have those types of coolers and they were cooling the fluid down to 210 from much higher temperatures. TCC being off under heavy loads will heat up ATF very fast, I've watched a demonstration you can try in another car that uses a radiator type cooler, we cranked up a cold engine and timed warm-up to 190. Next day, same car, cranked up, dropped into gear and stalled the convertor...warm-up to 190 in one third of the previous time.

Tell you what, yugo get one for your car and then tell me what she runs when you're hotdogging it around town on a hot day. As for me, knowing what I know, I won't be wasting my money on this type stuff unless I plan on towing something with it, which isn't likely. Brake caliper temperature sensors make more sense to me. Oh, and while I'm at it, consider how much wear you put on your cold engine, by letting it sit idling while you wait for it to warm-up.

Just drive the car, boys. It's not an F-18.

I swear one of these days I'm gonna see some aftermarket company offer a Driver's Heads Up Display like they had on that silly Bonneville some years back only with fifteen inputs.

I can see the thread now. "I just got my DHUD, only $1500! What a bargain!" :rolleyes:

[MENINBLK]

Dave,

I am not questioning your expertise here. I welcome it, if anything.

I had an ATX Oil Temp Gauge installed on a 1998 Contour SE Sport
with a Duratec V6 engine and a CD4E ATX OD Transaxle.
I also added an external ATX Air-to-oil cooler on the return line of the oil cooler circuit.
During days where the temps got up to 100+ deg F , I never saw the ATX Oil Temp gauge go higher than 190 deg F.
During the winter months, the gauge would peak at 100 deg F.
This reading was taken at the point in the circuit just between the CD4E transaxle and the radiator cooler.

Dave,

We are talking FORD here, not General Motors.

If everything we all drove had a General Motors label on it,
we'd probably just be sitting back, kickin back a few brewskies
and not even worrying about this kind of stuff.

But in the REAL WORLD, the stuff that FORD makes today,
can't even hold a candle to what they built 20 years ago.
This is why there is so much concern.

Things aren't going to stay so peachie keen for General Motors either.

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal two weeks ago about how the Auto Manufacturers,
are looking to cut costs any way they can.
But since the UAW has job security as #1 in the US,
the labor isn't going overseas to built the final product.
But the vehicle manufacturers are going to their PARTS SUPPLIERS
and telling them to manufacture the parts they make for GM, FORD and Chrysler
for the same $$$ as they can get them for overseas,
OR ELSE they will take their contracts overseas...

This is forcing the vehicle parts manufacturers to take up shop overseas,
in order to keep their business alive, and built 2nd grade quality parts
at overseas prices and ship them to the us to build the vehicles, we drive.
This is the ONLY way they can cut cost on vehicles for now.

So when you really take a close look at your GM vehicle,
and the label on the clutches inside your Automatic Transmission
say 'MADE IN CHINA', how do you feel about the quality INSIDE your tranny ???

Does it make you think TWICE about how you SERVICE it ???

The local news here in Yonkers, aired a meeting that took place here in NY between HYDROMATIC, General Motors, and FORD.
It seems that GM and FORD both want HYDROMATIC to go OVERSEAS and build transmissions for both vehicle fleets !!!
So at least there is a HYDROMATIC in FORD's future.

I'm just afraid of what's INSIDE it... :eek:

I also start my car, drop it in gear, and go.
The price of gas here is too high to let the engine warm up.

I am also the Transaxle Forum Moderator for www.Contour.org,
and an ASE Certified Technician.

[David Morton]

Agreed Pete. But I don't too much worry about a bearing or a clutch plate that's knocked off on a machine somewhere overseas. Not a whole lot of expertise or craftsmanship involved in making those parts. Manufacturers here will do what's best for their bottom line, it's not a matter of morals or patriotism but money and that's just the way it is. The problems begin when our policymakers here lose sight of the American workers. Education, re-training, and a decent wage are things that lift the entire economy here. Let's give them a tax break to do those things. More people working at good paying jobs means more people buying cars, houses and everything else that makes our the highest standard of living in history. Giving Ford and GM a tax break to import parts isn't helping, it only gives them incentive to lay off our people. Giving overseas companies a tax break or greasing the skids for them to sell their stuff here isn't just counter-productive, it borders on treason. Oh, and by the way, I'm union all the way.