Z4 M Oil temp?

[GyroF-16]

Hello all,
I’ve been noticing my oil temp running slightly higher lately.
To quantify... the gauge markings are:
120 . 210 . 300
In the 5 years & 40k mi I’ve been driving this car (‘07 Z4MC), the normal oil temp has been about halfway between the lower “.” And the 210 markings, maybe a little higher.
In the last week, the needle has been coving the “2” in 210. Today in slow traffic at about 88 deg F ambient temp, the needle was right on 210, and occasionally got a needle width above that. The only time that I’ve seen the oil temp that high (until now) was coming off the track and the end of a session on a 85-90 deg day.
What’s changed? I just had my indy shop flush & fill the coolant and do a valve adjustment (no actual adjustment required), so the valve cover was off. Maybe the radiator wasn’t “burped” correctly?

I’d just like to check with the more experienced in the community here, and see what is considered a safe normal operating range. I’ve got a BMWCCA drivers school at the end of the month, and want to address anything before pushing the car too much in the heat.

Thanks in advance for your ideas and any shared experience and observations.

Gyro

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by GyroF-16

...Today in slow traffic...

Lack of airflow through the oil cooler will do that. I notice the oil temp creep up ever so often when I’m stuck in stop and go in L.A. traffic. Highest it’s ever been in traffic is about a needle’s width pst 210.

[GyroF-16]

Thanks, Hack.

I was hoping to hear from you and/or Stickmon on experience with oils temps over the long term.

I’m hoping it’s just the low airflow and high(er) ambient temps.

I’ll be taking a longer drive tomorrow, so will see what it’s like then.

[StickMon]

Yep, what Hack said.
I sit in LA traffic all the time, and get about 2 needles past 210.
Water temp gets to about 199 and then the fan kicks in and takes it down to about 195.

Just hit 175k miles yesterday on the way home from work.
I'm officially declaring it mathematically impossible for anything on my car to fail prematurely.

[Vanne]

How are you monitoring water temp? OBD2?

Mine runs a little warm too, nothing to worry about.

[RobMCoupe]

I think you have to tap into iBus. I have Intravee II can display coolant temp and other basic information.

[racerbruce]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Yep, what Hack said.
I sit in LA traffic all the time, and get about 2 needles past 210.
Water temp gets to about 199 and then the fan kicks in and takes it down to about 195.

Just hit 175k miles yesterday on the way home from work.
I'm officially declaring it mathematically impossible for anything on my car to fail prematurely.

Not wanting to jump this thread - 175K miles on an S54 is just incredible....can you briefly list the engine work completed to-date??

[pungo]

Originally Posted by RobMCoupe

I think you have to tap into iBus. I have Intravee II can display coolant temp and other basic information.

I too use my Intravee II to monitor the coolant temp. Another cool feature is it logs the max coolant temp, max rpm, max speed and max acceleration and deceleration G-forces for the last 17 trips.



I believe you can view the coolant temp using the hidden menu in the instrument cluster.


In slow traffic, the oil temp can creep a little since there's less airflow for the oil cooler.

[StickMon]

Originally Posted by racerbruce

Not wanting to jump this thread - 175K miles on an S54 is just incredible....can you briefly list the engine work completed to-date??

Vanos to camshaft bolts (of course)
Vanos exhaust hub (C300)
Rod bearings at about 127k miles
Timing chain guide
Voltage regulator
Throttle position sensor
Belt idlers

'bout it. She leaks oil like a sieve.
I'm waiting for the water pump to explode. Then I'll take her to Lang for a whole new water and oil cooling system and fix the oil leaks.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Vanos to camshaft bolts (of course)
Vanos exhaust hub (C300)
Rod bearings at about 127k miles
Timing chain guide
Voltage regulator
Throttle position sensor
Belt idlers

'bout it. She leaks oil like a sieve.
I'm waiting for the water pump to explode. Then I'll take her to Lang for a whole new water and oil cooling system and fix the oil leaks.

Hi, thanks for the maintenance list! Which of those items need to be done preventively vs at failure time? Any guidance for what mileage to address? I'm a new S54 owner and I read a lot of different information in forums in this regard.

[StickMon]

If it's a 2006, you want to do Vanos to camshaft bolts.
At some point in 2007 they came with the upgraded bolts.

Inspect the exhaust hub when you do valve adjustments and replace it when it fails.
Usually only one tab fails. Most peeps find it when they do the valve adjustment.

The timing chain guide will be pretty well frazzed by 100k miles.
Replace it with the better Beisan guide when you have the Vanos off for other reasons.

Get your used oil tested and do rod bearings when your lead goes vertical.

Everything else is pretty much run-to-fail.

[wspohn]

Oil temp usually runs a bit above coolant temp. Anything up to 250 F. is fine but if it goes higher start worrying with dino oil. Full synthetic can go all the way to 300 deg. The Ms run full synthetic, so nothing mentioned here posed any issues.

You actually want it to go a bit above 220 or so sometimes to burn off some combustion byprducts.

[GyroF-16]

Originally Posted by wspohn

Oil temp usually runs a yad above coolant temp. Anything up to 250 F. is fine but if it goes higher start worrying with dino oil. Full synthetic can go all the way to 300 deg. The Ms run full synthetic, so nothing mentioned here posed any issues.

You actually want it to go a bit above 220 or so sometimes to burn off some combustion byprducts.

Wow- that’s quite a range, and much higher than I’ve ever seen.

May I ask where those numbers come from?

I’m a professional pilot (have been all my adult life), and am accustomed to a manual with “operating limitations” in it... so I appreciate the experience of those on this forum, so I can continue to learn what is “normal.”

Thanks again!

[GyroF-16]

Originally Posted by StickMon

If it's a 2006, you want to do Vanos to camshaft bolts.
At some point in 2007 they came with the upgraded bolts.

Inspect the exhaust hub when you do valve adjustments and replace it when it fails.
Usually one one tab fails. Most peeps find it when they do the valve adjustment.

The timing chain guide will be pretty well frazzed by 100k miles.
Replace it with the better Beisan guide when you have the Vanos off for other reasons.

Get your used oil tested and do rod bearings when your lead goes vertical.

Everything else is pretty much run-to-fail.

Thanks, StickMon!

That’s about the best summary of S54 maintenance/ failure items that I’ve seen yet.

[wspohn]

Originally Posted by GyroF-16

Wow- that’s quite a range, and much higher than I’ve ever seen.

May I ask where those numbers come from?

I’m a professional pilot (have been all my adult life), and am accustomed to a manual with “operating limitations” in it... so I appreciate the experience of those on this forum, so I can continue to learn what is “normal.”

The aircraft rules are intentionally more conservative.

Thanks again!

This is an interesting video on the subject. And the limits I mentioned are common to a lot of racing authorities. Unlike many vintage racers, my old MG race car has an oil temp gauge that I followed religiously to be sure I was in the right bracket!

[wspohn]

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