Oil Temps
- Thread starter SN8CHMR
- Start date
…for, sorry. I was driving this weekend, in Texas, ambient air temp mid 90’s. Gen III ‘03, 40k miles. While freeway cruising and at idle my oil temps reached just under 220 f, and remained there steady. Coolant temp remained at roughly 200. Is this normal? It seems a bit too high.
GTS Dean
Enthusiast
Ideally, you want oil temps a little over 212F so that any condensed moisture in the sump will boil out. The oil cooler is water-jacketed.
220 does feel just a touch high to me. I think mine usually runs right even with the water temp around 210 once everything is all up and warm. A/C on might make that a little different I suppose, but if you're on the highway cruising I'd expect it to stay a little lower than you're seeing. Do you know if the oil has been changed recently? As silly as it might sound, sometimes I think old oil runs different temps than new.
GTS Dean - Copy that on the oil temps around 212 to boil any condensation off.
Owned the car about 4 months now. The thing that’s throwing me off is the coolant and oil temps have previously consistently been 200. It was much cooler weather through the previous 4 months. Water/coolant temp stayed steady at 200, even as the oil temps got north of 200.
MOPARMAP - I’m about 1k miles from an oil change. A/C was on. I was planning to do the oil change this weekend. Also was going to check the coolant level.
I am assuming a 50/50 blend anti-freeze if the coolant is low. Is there a specific brand or color you guys run?
Thanks for all the help and knowledge guys! I go through A LOT of cars, but this one I have fallen in love with, don’t think I’ll ever sell it. Y’all have a good day, and let me know what I should run for coolant. Thanks again!
Owned the car about 4 months now. The thing that’s throwing me off is the coolant and oil temps have previously consistently been 200. It was much cooler weather through the previous 4 months. Water/coolant temp stayed steady at 200, even as the oil temps got north of 200.
MOPARMAP - I’m about 1k miles from an oil change. A/C was on. I was planning to do the oil change this weekend. Also was going to check the coolant level.
I am assuming a 50/50 blend anti-freeze if the coolant is low. Is there a specific brand or color you guys run?
Thanks for all the help and knowledge guys! I go through A LOT of cars, but this one I have fallen in love with, don’t think I’ll ever sell it. Y’all have a good day, and let me know what I should run for coolant. Thanks again!
Goggles Pizano
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Coolant depends on your climate for it to be 50/50 and it's climate in storage.
TexasViper35
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Mopar sells the coolant at the dealership. It’s red. They have both the straight coolant and the premixed 50/50 blend, in gallon jugs.
Old School
Enthusiast
Your fans are programed to come on at 207F. Another thing to keep in mind is that your oil temp sensor is after the cooler, so the oil is actually warmer in the pan.
I have read in the past that the Mopar coolant is just rebranded/redyed Zerex G05. Whether that is true or not I can't say, but I did put G05 back in my car after a rebuild. It's more of a gold color out of the bottle, but I was doing a full system fill, so it didn't matter as much. I've been happy enough with it though.
As for temps, I tend to see close to what you used to at just around 200 on both coolant and oil most of the time. Hotter days or A/C on I might see closer to 210, but I think the only time I've seen it much hotter than that was when I was on the track in the middle of summer. The gen 3 fan is on all the time and PWM controlled, so temps tend to hold pretty steady. It's not like electric fan cars that will cycle up and down as much.
Come to think of it, when my power steering hydraulic system was having issues I would see slightly elevated temps as well. You might double check and make sure your power steering fluid level is good and not foamy when warm or anything like that. Could be an indication the fan isn't working as well as it could/should.
It’s funny you said that about the power steering pump. Power steering pump “works”, doesn’t squeal, but I definitely have a leak. I have to top off power steering fluid every 3rd-ish time I drive it. Been meaning to change that, lol. I work 2 jobs though, one at United Airlines during the day, and I teach at the local aviation school at night.
Update: Changed the oil, checked coolant all good. Took the car for a spin, oil temps got up to 210-212 F. I guess that is just what the car wants to operate at in the Texas heat. No worries.
Side note - That clutch birdcage bushing decided to “exit” during some spirited driving. Thankfully I was walking distance from an auto parts store. Quick check of this forum and I was good to go. Lol, if it ain’t one thing, it’s another.
Side note - That clutch birdcage bushing decided to “exit” during some spirited driving. Thankfully I was walking distance from an auto parts store. Quick check of this forum and I was good to go. Lol, if it ain’t one thing, it’s another.
Goggles Pizano
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@SN8CHMR Post the part numbers and links.
Old School
Enthusiast
If that Dorman kit is not metal, I'd switch to the Chrysler setup for a more permanent fix.
04581512AA Clip
04446361 Bushing
Tom and Vipers
Enthusiast
I was driving in Death Valley @ 100*F on my cross country drive back to PA. My temp gauge was getting higher than I ever saw it and even though remember reading that it was capable of very high temps and not being a problem, I was not going to risk on a 2500 mile drive. So I was windows down, no A/C and driving slower up grades keeping HP levels low. I gave up on BnB and slept in car. Without daily LUV showers, I would have become a puddle of protoplasm. (LUV showers are like the Taj Mahal complete with big screen TV - I could live in one since as big as a small efficiency - one might say they are like a hotel room w/o a bed.)
So in cases like this, I would think higher viscosity oil would be desirable. like ...w40
So in cases like this, I would think higher viscosity oil would be desirable. like ...w40
GTS Dean
Enthusiast
100F ambient is really not very hot. 235F coolant is not unreasonable in those conditions. If the temp warning light comes on, then it's time to ease off and rest it.
Yeah, it seems a little odd that you'd have temp issues, though maybe the earlier years weren't quite as capable? I know I've thrashed my 04 around a track for 20 minute sessions in 90-100 degree temps and the oil and coolant temps hardly got over normal running values, maybe 220-230 at the highest. One cooldown lap and they were right back to the normal 200-210.
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