Hey guys,

Hope some of the more technically knowledgeable among you can help on this. I did an oil change a few months ago to Mobil 1 0W40 and it seemed to work ok.

But the weather has gotten much hotter now and compared to before, the oil temperature frequently hits over 100 degrees centigrade, even after just a little while of driving with boost. I want to take the car on the track, but am worried it'll get far too hot if I do.

A friend of mine who builds race cars said it shouldn't be a problem if the oil temperature stays under 130 degrees. Does this sound right?

Also, as far as I understand, the main problem with oil being too hot is it looses it's viscosity. if I use another grade like 10W50 or 10W60, would that be better for when the engine really heats up?

Thanks!

 

The temps stated sound pretty accurate. I always try and make sure my temps stay under 250f.

If you really want to learn about Oil grades and properties, I would recommend checking the forums at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

There is WAY more information about motor oils there than any sane human needs to know.

 

AFAIK the oil cooler "thermostat" doesn't open till 100C anyways, 130C oil temp should be ok with good oil. But yes, it's high. If the oil cooler can't shed enough temperature, it's going to pass the load onto the coolant system too.