Had my first autocross with the local PCA today. It was Hot at 100 degrees F and 45% humidity. I was the last in line to run my lap (around 65 seconds with speeds up to 110 mph) and while I waited in the paddock my oil temp climbed to 220 degress over a 10 min wait. Ran the first lap and the oil temp got to 225. Then waited another 10 mins while others ran their laps and rose to around 235-240. Minimum climb while actually racing the car but the temps continued to rise with each successive lap and wait. At the beginning of the 4th and final lap in the first heat the oil temp was up to around 255 but never climbed past this. Same thing happened in the second heat. I don't remember my temps being this high in my 07 GT3. My car has 600 miles and was broken in the way the head mechanic at the dealer told me for the first 500 miles. Car has 0w-40 and has not been changed since new. Water temp never rose greater than 180 degrees and the Car ran great. On the drive home the oil temp started out about 255 and cooled to 225 over a 15 mile hyway only drive.

My questions are:
1) Are these temps excessive?
2) Anything I can do to keep temps from rising in the paddock? I assume turning the the car off and repeatedly starting to advance in line would be worse on the engine.
3) Should I definately have the oil Changed asap? Have a track day the end of july on Hallett Motor speedway where I'll be running 20 minute session without a wait in the paddock.
4) Should I change oil viscosity? The car maintained oil pressure thoughout the event.


Sorry if this is a repeat: Did a search and didn't find the answers to my questions.

Thanks,
B-

 

Oil temp on new RS seem to run a little higher than my 2007 GT3. BTW, what was your mechanics advice on the first 500 mile break in.

 

His advice was to drive the first 500 miles varying the Revs nearly constantly both up and down by accelerating and decelerating and shifting to higher and lower gears. This is to first seat the rings and to break in the rest of the car: trans, diff, brakes, tires, ect. Like I said most of the heat up took place in the paddock while idleing without flow over the oil cooler(s).

255 seems excessive though!

 

I have driven the car several more times since my original post. Oil temp running from 200-220 depending on how hard I'm driving but I haven't been idleing in the heat.

Any more opinions on if this is excessive or my other questions?

 

Also the mechanic told me to keep it under 6500 RPMs. I followed his direction to the letter and rarely reved past 5500. Actually rarely more than 1/4 throttle.

Any thoughts?

 

That seems high, however there is a simple answer I think. Not sure on your first run but each consecutive run maid the oil temp rise because the oil cooler and temp sensor area is heat soaked. You go out and make a hard run in the heat, then come in and stop the motor or sit and idle the engine with no air flowing over the coolers (heat soaking).

This process builds on it's self each run depending on how soon your next run is.

Anyway, JMO


-Troy

 

Sounds about right with no airflow after race and hot ambient. Personally I wont take the gt3 to the Autocross. The long hot idle and short runs are terrible conditions to endure.

 

Seem plausible given the conditions. Consider running Mobil 1 5w-50 instead for better wear protection at those levels. The latter weight is the viscosity of the oil measured @ 210 degrees which is normal operating temp.

 

I would even consider running 15W-50 on a driving event in 100 degree air.

 

Paticipated in an open track day today at Hallett motor speedway. Four 15 min sessions. Oil temp between 240-245. Oil would cool to 225 after one 1.8 mile cool down lap. Ambient temp was 100F 68% humidiy, heat index of 115F. Does this sound too hot or okay?

 

I always see temps around 250 in summertime. I just make sure that I do a nice cool down lap (without AC) and get the temps back to around 225. I have 25K miles on the RS now

 

Thanks Erik for the reply. Probably gets pretty Hot down in Florida as well. I'm going to quit worrying about temps that high and enjoy the ride.

 

Just change oil every 2-3 events. I was at Road Atlanta last week and it was 100-105 all weekend. I personally use 0-40 Mobile

 

FWIW, same here both GT3 MKI and MKIIRS. I did put in water wetter instead of coolant mostly so I can't spin on my own coolant, but it should get the temps down a bit over regular coolant.
Change engine oil 0-40 Mobil every 3 events and trans oil, water wetter every 6 events.

 

When I stop, I usually keep the engine running and open the rear lid to help with heat escape. Such temperatures are not unusual in the summer.
Best, w