Grades for high ambient temperature locations

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: steve20
the digital oil temps in my cars will run 207 in the winter to 230 in the summer. I maxed out at 235 on summer day. Average is 212. When it's 20 degrees out, it takes about 20 minutes of driving (non-highway) to get it up to even 198 degrees

Steve


Digital oil temps? From a programmer/OBDII interface or?

Curious what car/truck it would be? We don't get too many people quoting oil temps (something I watch religiously on my F150) so I am always looking to add more context to the readings given by those who do. I.E. small sump or large sump? Small, high output engine or big lazy V8? Truck or car, etc?

 

[SteveSRT8]

Shoot, That's not hot.

My digitally provided oil temps as displayed in the EVIC dash display run from a normal of 205 to a high of 275 on the street. But it requires some serious real estate to develop the higher readings.

Big lazy V-8. That's a good one.

 

[GC617289]

Thanks to all for your comments and welcome(s) to BITOG!

I'm something of a ringer; I have two automotive clients and see the tensions between engineers and marketing on a regular basis. The recommended specifications in the Owner's Manual are heavily biased towards new car owners and, in particular, the window stickers that give Government-mandated data. This is particularly true of predicted fuel economy and its relationship to oil viscosity.

Auto companies know that gasoline prices are going to rise ... significantly ... and consumers of new cars are sensitive to the fuel economy data displayed on new cars' window stickers. No Government (I believe) actually tests vehicles over prescribed routes to measure the actual predicted fuel economy. Instead, they use a relatively complex formula; the recommended engine oil viscosity has a secondary, but noticeable, affect of the fuel economy "answer".

The result is a conflict between R&Ds' desire for long-term performance plus reliability and Marketing's desire for the best possible predicted fuel economy data on the window sticker! In fact, Marketing's interest in the "owner experience" rapidly dissipates when the manufacturer's warranty expires ... and appropriately, too. Hence the "tensions" mentioned above.

I was able to talk to a specialist at one client who referred me to an individual at Mobil. The bottom line: 0W-30 AFE is their stand-out oil for most owners. I shall be using it in both our cars together with the appropriate Mobil1 filter and changing every 10,000 miles.

BTW ... one car has an oil temperature gauge and it runs "cooler" on Mobil1 than non-synthetic (factory fill) oil. The other car has no oil gauge of any kind ... just cold and hot dashboard icons.

 

[45ACP]

Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Actually most engine won't even see oil temp's of 212F.
Normal is a broad range from 180F to 235F or so.


Ive had two vehicles that both live at over 212 degrees of oil temp. May not have been much more over 212, which is the boiling point of water, but the preferred course of action back in the yesterday was to go to a grade of oil not less than 10W-40.

However, oil of today seems to be so much better than those SF-grade oils that 5w30 can get you through?

I had asked if 5W-20 was ok in my car, and the response was "stick with 5w30." Your vehicle seems to follow the same thing. Perhaps your car is the same? Or are you racing the car?

 

[Ken2]

GC,
I kind'a agree with you. In your climate I'd go up one viscosity grade...syn 5W-40 would work very well, as would syn 0W-40 or a syn 10W-40, or 15W-40 in summer.

There's no point being married to Mobil 1. Fine oil, but not the only fine oil. Kendall syn 5W-40 is tops as are others.

The comments above about "engine temperature" are missing the mark. Most relate to the temperature of the coolant in the heads. That is just one point of engine temperature. You could also list oil sump temp, oil in the heads temp, and others.

If the engine has an oil cooler that is water cooled, the original oil viscosity might be OK. If the engine doesn't, and the oil is cooled by air passing over the pan and past the block, and heat transferred through the metal into the cooling water, a higher viscosity oil in very hot weather might be wise.

Humidity in Virginia doesn't count. Machinery doesn't recognize humidity (except to rust faster). It just recognizes temperature, and while hot & humid weather is uncomfortable to us, it isn't as absolutely hot as the dry desert regions. Some of the metro desert areas, like Phoenix, can be much hotter than advertised in places like inches off pavement in semi-enclosed highway settings.

 

[A_Harman]

I don't get worried about oil temperature until it exceeds 240F in the main oil gallery (after the cooler if one is present), or 280F in the pan. Most engines never get to these kinds of oil temperatures.

 

[steve20]

Jim
One is a 95 Corvette LT-1 and the other is an 02 Z06 with the LS6. The 95 has 2 oil temp gauges-analog and digital, and is the hotter running engine of the two-probably due ot being an iron block

Steve