I recently made a round trip from Denver to Dallas in my Mazda CX5 turbo. We drove 12/13 hours straight through (only gas and potty stops) It was hot both ways and exceeded 100 degrees for almost the whole trip. We saw 107 in western Texas panhandle on the return trip. It was over 100 everyday while in Dallas. I started the trip with a fresh oil change (5w30 QS full syn.). Total mileage for the trip was just under 2000 miles. I was wondering if 75 to 80 mph in these conditions may call for an early oil change. Under normal conditions I use a 5000 mile oil change interval. I may be repeating the trip in early Oct. but don't expect those temps......thankfully.
Heat impacts
- Thread starter GaryMX5
- Start date
No, it’s fine.
Driving in Denver is taxing the cooling system more than driving in Texas because of altitude.
Also, you are driving on an open road, where the load on the engine is really not that high. On I25, traffic in 95f weather is worse than in Death Valley.
Nope. Us here in TX deal with the blazing heat every year. Early changes because of it are not necessary.
Two thoughts -
First, it’s the oil temperature that matters, not the ambient, for your oil change, and I bet it was fine.
Second, steady state highway is easier on your engine and oil than any other use pattern.
You’re good.
First, it’s the oil temperature that matters, not the ambient, for your oil change, and I bet it was fine.
Second, steady state highway is easier on your engine and oil than any other use pattern.
You’re good.
No problems. High air temperatures and decent highway speeds. No stress
For the oil. Dangerous for us people but the vehicles are fine.
For the oil. Dangerous for us people but the vehicles are fine.
Thanks for the responses. I switched the dash display so I could keep and eye on the coolant temp. (no oil temp on this model) and it stayed pegged in the middle of the range so I wasn't too worried about that. I was just concerned about how much abuse (if any) the oil takes under those conditions. I had never driven under such temp extremes for an extended period of time before. The trip out was 100% interstate (Colo, Kan, Ok, TX) where I was doing about 80 mph. The return trip was US 287 thru western Texas, then into New Mexico and on up to Colorado. Speeds vary this route but on 287 where the speed limit is 75 and you do that you get run over by semi's! The return route was the hottest by far. I can say that the turbo does not seem to like the hot air. I'm guessing the intercooler is not big enough as my gas mileage plummeted the hotter it got outside. Made this same trip last April and got 28/29 mpg (my normal road trip mileage) and only 25/26 this time. Thanks again and I'll stick with my 5K oci.
The hotter it gets, the harder the AC has to work, and that uses fuel. Intercooler size shouldn't be an issue on the interstate, you would have limited, if any, boost in a gas engine.
We purchased a slightly used (36k) Tiguan, which we still have, in 2013. I flew from San Diego to Charlottesville, VA, to pick it up. Drove back to San Diego. In Arizona, they had a heat wave, and on the dash, it showed 127f in Phoenix (take bit away bcs. concrete, etc.) and some 119f on I8 between Phoenix and Yuma. On that stretch, there was no one except rattlesnakes and occasional semi. I was like, an excellent opportunity to test the engine. So I hit 130mph, and stayed there a bit. That is where speed limiter activates. The coolant temperature stayed in the dead center. 2.0 turbo.
Fast forward a few years, we moved to Colorado Springs, and I took some friends up the Pikes Peak. At the top, the temperature was maybe 43-45f. When I got there, at those 14,112ft, the coolant needle was 3/4 on gauge instead of regular 1/2 or middle. I turned on heat to full to cool it off, and left it idle for 5min like that.
If you purchase some OBD, you might be able to access oil temperature.
Best thing you can do for your oil is to drive the hell out of it on a long trip.
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2024
- Messages
- 54
Unnecessary. It's just a car, not a racing car
Similar threads
