GM 3.6L LGZ - Ideal Oil Temperature?

[AdmiralYoda]

I have a 2021 GMC Canyon with the 3.6L LGZ engine. This engine is almost identical to the 3.6L LGX used in a variety of GM vehicles. My oil doesn't seem to get as hot as I would expect. My OBD bluetooth scanner only reads about 185F and that is after some spirited driving. Normally it is around 170F. The coolant temps usually hover around 185F.

These both seem a little low to me. I'm not worried but I'd expect those temps to be higher for efficiency and to prevent moisture buildup in the oil. Any thoughts?

 

[buster]

I have a 2021 GMC Canyon with the 3.6L LGZ engine. This engine is almost identical to the 3.6L LGX used in a variety of GM vehicles. My oil doesn't seem to get as hot as I would expect. My OBD bluetooth scanner only reads about 185F and that is after some spirited driving. Normally it is around 170F. The coolant temps usually hover around 185F.

These both seem a little low to me. I'm not worried but I'd expect those temps to be higher for efficiency and to prevent moisture buildup in the oil. Any thoughts?

I've been wondering what the oil temp is in the LGZ. I have a 22 Colorado with the same engine.

Some are showing higher numbers.

Oil Temperature

I wish our trucks had an oil temp readout. Not that you need, but just to see it. What Is the Optimum Engine Oil Temperature? (motortrend.com)

www.coloradofans.com

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Interesting. Looks like I'm barely taxing the engine then. I haven't towed with it yet in hot temps but I am curious as to what the oil temps will be when during the winter.

The transmission is another story...even in 90F heat I barely crack 135F after driving for an hour. I'll be adding a thermostatic bypass valve to help warm up times and it will allow the fluid to go to the radiator when it reaches 165F.

 

[buster]

Interesting. Looks like I'm barely taxing the engine then. I haven't towed with it yet in hot temps but I am curious as to what the oil temps will be when during the winter.

The transmission is another story...even in 90F heat I barely crack 135F after driving for an hour. I'll be adding a thermostatic bypass valve to help warm up times and it will allow the fluid to go to the radiator when it reaches 165F.

When I go off-road my trans temps will hit 165F.

When I'm driving 75-80mph my rpms are only at 2k.

No noticeable oil loss either.

 

[MrHorspwer]

LGZ doesn't have an engine oil temperature sensor.

You're monitoring calculated engine oil temperature, which is what the ECM reports to your generic scan tool in Mode $22.

 

[JavierH19]

Are you sure that isn't the trans temp sensor. I don't believe it has an oil temp sensor.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

@MrHorspwer Thanks for that!
@JavierH19 After looking a bit more into it, MrHorspwer is right. GM (and other manufacturers) use an EOT...Estimated Oil Temperature. It is somehow based on lab testing by correlating coolant temp, engine load, and other factors. This PID is available using generic and more expensive scan tools.

Probably pretty accurate.

 

[JavierH19]

@MrHorspwer Thanks for that!
@JavierH19 After looking a bit more into it, MrHorspwer is right. GM (and other manufacturers) use an EOT...Estimated Oil Temperature. It is somehow based on lab testing by correlating coolant temp, engine load, and other factors.

Probably pretty accurate.

I'm sure they programmed everything close enough, can't see it being notably off. At any rate those are good temps. Using a 20 grade at 170-185 temps would be like using a 40 grade at 210 thereabouts. So using thin 0w-20 oil wouldn't be an issue unless towing where the engine is actually taxed.

A member just posted about his 3.6L jeep hitting 239 towing a sub 4000lb camper. Only then would a thicker oil with more hths and flash point make sense. As for moisture that's not concern, It'll still flash any water out.

All in all if you're not taxing it keep using that thinner 20 grade. Do you remember what the max oil temp was during peak winter. These are your summer temps, but how do the winter temps differ.

 

[buster]

I'm sure they programmed everything close enough, can't see it being notably off. At any rate those are good temps. Using a 20 grade at 170-185 temps would be like using a 40 grade at 210 thereabouts. So using thin 0w-20 oil wouldn't be an issue unless towing where the engine is actually taxed.

A member just posted about his 3.6L jeep hitting 239 towing a sub 4000lb camper. Only then would a thicker oil with more hths and flash point make sense. As for moisture that's not concern, It'll still flash any water out.

All in all if you're not taxing it keep using that thinner 20 grade. Do you remember what the max oil temp was during peak winter. These are your summer temps, but how do the winter temps differ.

The spec viscosity is a 5w30. Most 5w30's have a HT/HS of 3.0-3.2 these days. You probably could run a stout 20 grade with no issues but it would be a risk under warranty.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

I'm sure they programmed everything close enough, can't see it being notably off. At any rate those are good temps. Using a 20 grade at 170-185 temps would be like using a 40 grade at 210 thereabouts. So using thin 0w-20 oil wouldn't be an issue unless towing where the engine is actually taxed.

A member just posted about his 3.6L jeep hitting 239 towing a sub 4000lb camper. Only then would a thicker oil with more hths and flash point make sense. As for moisture that's not concern, It'll still flash any water out.

All in all if you're not taxing it keep using that thinner 20 grade. Do you remember what the max oil temp was during peak winter. These are your summer temps, but how do the winter temps differ.

The truck is new to me...still learning it so I don't have any winter data yet. Typical calculated oil temp is 175F on the highway at 70mph @ 75F temps. Pushing it a little hard when it was 90F out it got up to 195F.

These engines call for 5W-30 which is what I'm using for now. M1 Extended Performance.

 

[nascarnation]

Shoot the oil pan with your laser temp gun after it's been run a while. The oil pan is aluminum, so it's probably a good indicator of actual oil temp. FWIW I've got that engine in my new Traverse with the 9 speed auto. It's a beautiful powertrain.

 

[GMBoy]

Interesting. Looks like I'm barely taxing the engine then. I haven't towed with it yet in hot temps but I am curious as to what the oil temps will be when during the winter.

The transmission is another story...even in 90F heat I barely crack 135F after driving for an hour. I'll be adding a thermostatic bypass valve to help warm up times and it will allow the fluid to go to the radiator when it reaches 165F.

I would not tamper with what the engineers have set up - low trans temps are good.

 

[Nick814]

I would not tamper with what the engineers have set up - low trans temps are good.

Agreed

 

[JRHAWK9]

FWIW I've got that engine in my new Traverse with the 9 speed auto. It's a beautiful powertrain.

You should also have a spin-on filter, correct? We have a '21 Acadia Denali with the same power train. It has a spin-on.

Last summer we took it on a 1,236 mile road trip. We averaged 26.6 MPG over the entire trip...actual. Very happy with that. One of the tanks we had a good couple of hours of basically idling through a 2 track in “off-road” mode in AWD to reach -PARTRIDGE FALLS- . Nothing too crazy, just narrow and bumpy with a couple wash-outs I had to straddle.

Here are the tank computed MPG with what the vehicle’s computer said in parenthesis.

Tank 1: 296 miles/11.429 gallons……25.9 MPG (28.4)

Tank 2: 373 miles/13.84 gallons……..26.9 MPG (28.1)

Tank 3: 241 miles/10.381 gallons……..23.2 MPG (24.0) (this is when we went off road)

Tank 4: 326 miles/10.758 gallons…….30.3 MPG (30.2) (this was on the way home. Filled up when we got home. Still had ½ tank left and was showing 330 miles till empty!).

Then just last weekend we used it to tow a couple ATV's (~3,000 lbs) and a full vehicle (us as well as two golden retrievers) ~400 miles round trip. In trailer/haul mode it uses AWD and really raises the shift points. It also runs higher RPM's on the highway. Oil temps, according to the gauge, were in the 220°-230° area in 90° ambient on the interstate. Typically they are under 200°. Tranny temps ran completely normal the whole trip.

 

[nascarnation]

You should also have a spin-on filter, correct? We have a '21 Acadia Denali with the same power train. It has a spin-on.

This trans (9T65) has two internal filters but no external spin-on that I'm aware of.

 

[JRHAWK9]

This trans (9T65) has two internal filters but no external spin-on that I'm aware of.

I was referring to the engine oil filter.

 

[nascarnation]

Yes, the engine oil filter is a spin on PF63.
The original version of the GM 3.6 V6 engine two decades ago (I had one in a Cadillac SRX) used a cartridge filter in a cast aluminum housing.

 

[GMBoy]

Yes, the engine oil filter is a spin on PF63.
The original version of the GM 3.6 V6 engine two decades ago (I had one in a Cadillac SRX) used a cartridge filter in a cast aluminum housing.

I actually prefer the cartridge style oil filter. I felt that they went backwards with that change.

 

[nascarnation]

I actually prefer the cartridge style oil filter. I felt that they went backwards with that change.

At one point a couple decades ago, GM was heading in the direction of having all their engine oil filters as the cartridge type. I was told that was due to recycling mandates in Europe. The 3.6 V6, the Ecotec 2.2, 1.4 4cyls, etc. But somebody changed direction and now they're going to spin-ons again.