Oil Temp Sensor Install
Joined: Jun 2009
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Originally Posted by C63AMG' timestamp='1377026725' post='22735288
Up from the dead.
Has anyone measured oil temp from the drain plug area then switched to the lower AC compressor mount hole?
I relocated mine, ditched the OE cooler and also shielded/insulated the sensor bung with tubing to try and insulate erroneous readings from air flow cooling the sensor body.
With all these changes my temps are reading 10-20°C (50-68°F) higher now. I highly doubt that's just from removing the OE cooler. I'm thinking it's a lot more accurate now since it's reading the temp closer to the centre of the oil pool. I'm willing to guess reading from the drain plug area, being closer to the pan housing, is slightly affected by thermal cooling.
Has anyone measured oil temp from the drain plug area then switched to the lower AC compressor mount hole?
I relocated mine, ditched the OE cooler and also shielded/insulated the sensor bung with tubing to try and insulate erroneous readings from air flow cooling the sensor body.
With all these changes my temps are reading 10-20°C (50-68°F) higher now. I highly doubt that's just from removing the OE cooler. I'm thinking it's a lot more accurate now since it's reading the temp closer to the centre of the oil pool. I'm willing to guess reading from the drain plug area, being closer to the pan housing, is slightly affected by thermal cooling.
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,689
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Maybe the max oil temp didn't rise after ditching the OE oil cooler because at max temp situations the oil cooler is overwhelmed, but does cool effectively at lower temps.
Joined: Mar 2010
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davidc1,
After monitoring temps some more, there's clearly an oil temp drop under low load/cruising situations at 50+ mph. After a track day I think I'll have a better idea what's going on, but I'm thinking that under low load/cruising on the highway perhaps there isn't that much heat generated and the oil actually is cooled by the OEM pan. I haven't been watching temps carefully, but I think they are ~170 degrees fahrenheit when cruising on the highway. They climb to ~200F pretty quick when driving slow or in stop and go traffic.
The logic goes if you're seeing high temps on the track, then the temp sensor obviously works and isn't inaccurate, since you're often times at 60+mph. The difference is on the street that you're under a low load situation while cruising on the highway and perhaps the oil temp is in fact cooled. If ambient air around the pan threw off the reading of the oil temp sensor on the street, then it'd do so on the track as well..
After monitoring temps some more, there's clearly an oil temp drop under low load/cruising situations at 50+ mph. After a track day I think I'll have a better idea what's going on, but I'm thinking that under low load/cruising on the highway perhaps there isn't that much heat generated and the oil actually is cooled by the OEM pan. I haven't been watching temps carefully, but I think they are ~170 degrees fahrenheit when cruising on the highway. They climb to ~200F pretty quick when driving slow or in stop and go traffic.
The logic goes if you're seeing high temps on the track, then the temp sensor obviously works and isn't inaccurate, since you're often times at 60+mph. The difference is on the street that you're under a low load situation while cruising on the highway and perhaps the oil temp is in fact cooled. If ambient air around the pan threw off the reading of the oil temp sensor on the street, then it'd do so on the track as well..
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Kitchener, ON
Yup, I think the close proximity of the sensor to the pan wall and it being low enough for airflow affects the reading under light load with high airflow.
It is true the OE cooler does warm the oil when it's cooler out but this specific observation is unrelated to that.
It is true the OE cooler does warm the oil when it's cooler out but this specific observation is unrelated to that.
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,742
Likes: 211
It seems much more likely that the OEM pan and low load situation on the street w/ airflow results in cooler oil. The OEM pan has a lot of surface area with fins, which should act as a cooler of sorts.
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