M3 is running hot

[badbimmer]

On hot days my oil temp needle is close to the dot between 210 and 300 degrees which is approx. 245-250 degrees.

My car is at the dealer right now and they say it is normal for spirited driving. Is it? Seems to me 245-250 degrees is very hot and not good for the engine.

[ThunderMoose]

It has been 100 degrees here in Texas last several days and my gauge has stayed at 210. I did a 2-day DE this past weekend and it got up to 240 during the sessions.

[heart_doctor]

Mine never goes above 210 ... its been hot up here, 90+ degrees F ....

[badbimmer]

Originally Posted by ThunderMoose

It has been 100 degrees here in Texas last several days and my gauge has stayed at 210. I did a 2-day DE this past weekend and it got up to 240 during the sessions.

How fast were you going and for how long?

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by badbimmer

How fast were you going and for how long?

20 minute sessions - I hit 140 through the front straight most laps. Maybe 110 in the back straight. Rest of it was pretty tame.

[sameh]

Mine gets above 210 every day during my 30 miles "spirited" commute to work. Mostly on the way back when it's 95F outside. Never went to the next mark though. If you keep RPM above 4K most of the time in 95F weather, it has to climb above 210. I think

[arter]

Mine is 210 around town and will hit 240 on the track.

Never seen it above 240 yet...

[GT3 Tim]

Seems a bit hot to me....hopefully the dealer will look into it some more for you. As others have said, the "normal" temp is about 210 and 240 under heavy load/track duty.

Although it is actually a good thing to get the oil over 212 occasionally to boil off any water condensation, your temp seems a bit higher than most have reported. Keep on eye on it and keep complaining....have them give it a good once over too. Something doesn't seem right.

edit: I am curious how you are driving when you see this temp spike. Are you in traffic a lot or running it hard? I noticed my oil temps go up pretty quickly in traffic on hot days.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by heart_doctor

Mine never goes above 210 ... its been hot up here, 90+ degrees F ....

you don't ride her hard enough lol




That was as I was doing my cool down lap

Was above the that 2nd to last mark during the hot laps

[kmarei]

Originally Posted by persian54

you don't ride her hard enough lol

not with my TPMS error on like that

[GT3 Tim]

Prolly has track wheels on...no TPMS (my guess).

[geneatals]

Originally Posted by GT3 Tim

Prolly has track wheels on...no TPMS (my guess).

[badbimmer]

This is about where I was at but I was not tracking my car.

parameters:

94 degrees
80-85 MPH
No A/C

I was stuck in traffic about 10 minutes before needle rose

Dealer says normal.

Originally Posted by persian54

you don't ride her hard enough lol




That was as I was doing my cool down lap

Was above the that 2nd to last mark during the hot laps

[shendrick]

After 20K miles of off track driving with some of the same charateristics as you describe, I've never seen oil temps that exceeded 215-220 F. If your car didn't use to do this then there is something wrong. Check for blockage of oil cooler.

[JCtx]

My car reached almost between the 210 mark and the dot in normal, relaxed driving, something it had never done before. Not a problem so far, but will keep an eye on the temp needle more often.

By the way, the most logical problem is the thermostat. Once they start getting 'lazy', they take longer to open, resulting in hotter engine temperatures. If my car doesn't sell, will do a coolant change along with my 2nd annual oil change and see if that helps. Sounds weird having thermostat problems with only 2 years and 8K miles, but it's possible. The question is if I should replace thermostat at the same time as coolant . Need to find out how easy is to do that. Good day.

[GT3 Tim]

You said you were in traffic for 10 minutes before the temp started to rise? Well then i would say it is normal too. If it cools back off once you are underway, I would not worry about it at all, especially if the ambient temps were above 90....

[mp59mm]

I had the same problem. I fixed it by bleeding the cooling system.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...-check/Hq5CpsJ

Important!
The following venting procedure is necessary e.g. when a part is replaced in the cooling system or when the cooling system is refilled.

Only when filling!

• Perform filling operation slowly.
• Set heater to maximum temperature and turn fan down to lowest speed.
• Start engine and run at idle speed.
• Fill coolant expansion tank with 250 ml above max. (250 ml correspond to A=18 mm).
• Run engine for 15 mins.
• Cooling system vents itself.
• Coolant level must drop to marking.
• If necessary, correct coolant level.
• Close cap on expansion tank.

After I was done, the float showed the system had too much coolant. I removed the excess coolant with a large automotive syringe. About 8 oz total of coolant was removed.

My oil temps went back to 210 after warmed up, driving on the highway at 85 mph, outside air temp was 110. I"m in AZ. And, when i park, my cooling fan does not kick on.

Before, I bled the system, oil temps were 220 in the same conditions and my cooling fan would kick when i parked the car and turned the engine off.

The lesson I learned here is, try the simplest and easiest thing first.
Yes, I could have a bad thermostat, failing water pump, clogged radiator or even a stuck oil thermostat (located in the oil filler housing). But before investing all the time and money try the easy stuff first.

[pbonsalb]

I thought the cooling system was self bleeding due to the high mount expansion tank — just loosen the cap to let the air out.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Running too hot (can be) a symptom of extreme bearing wear ...
Regarding the S65 bearings and high oil temperatures ,over the years I saw this issue more than once !

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Running too hot (can be) a symptom of extreme bearing wear ...
Regarding the S65 bearings and high oil temperatures ,over the years I saw this issue more than once !

Hi Phil, surely once the bearings has started to heat up the oil that much it can only be a matter of (short) time before the go..?

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Hi Phil, surely once the bearings has started to heat up the oil that much it can only be a matter of (short) time before the go..?

Yeah Nick .*If* the bearings are the cause of the high oil temperatures. You can bet on it ! => https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1464716


That's why the list from the blown engines is still growing , today I added 2 failures for the list => # 2415+2416 https://www.m3post.com/forums/showth...86615&page=110

[mapster37]

has anyone thought about replacing the engine oil cooler thermostat??