Help with oil temp gauge

[Manny]

I had an Auto Meter Sport Comp II oil temp gauge (electric) installed and I am not sure it is working right. If I am driving the needle doesn't move from the lowest point on the scale, 140 F. If I stop and let the engine idle it slowly moves up; start driving and it goes back to 140 F. Is this normal? What should I see as the normal operating temp while driving? Thanks in advance.

 

[Charlie Sheen]

Where did they put the sender?

 

[Manny]

I was told that the sender was put at the same place where the OE sender is.
They put a new connection so as not to interfere with the signal going to the
car computer.

 

[Charlie Sheen]

The OE oil pressure sensor location? 140 does seem low for oil temp.

 

[Manny]

That is all I know. It was connected in the same place where the oil temp sensor that goes to the car computer is located. Same place where they connected the oil pressure gauge which seems to be working fine.

 

[Manny]

According to this web page:

http://books.google.com/books?id=qW...ts=kUKwG_Q-G4&sig=wtP9VlCdMC6PfTOb6UvC4_gNOpU

the normal range is 220 to 240 F.

 

[don_w]

I'm no expert, but I was under the impression that oil temp needed to exceed 212 degrees to ensure that any moisture in the oil would evaporate out. Acids can begin to form in water remaining in the oil, which can damage bearings if allowed to sit for long periods of time.

 

[Manny]

Yes, that is what the web page I referenced says. Thanks.

 

[don_w]

haha... I didn't even see that post/link. oh well...

 

[Charlie Sheen]

Does the stock S197/4.6L 3V measure oil temp somewhere?

 

[MikeVistaBlue06]

Just venturing a guess here, but the oil pan would be the best place for the sending unit.

Mike

 

[G.T]

do you have a pic of where the sender is installed?
perhaps you could check it with a voltmeter... start the car up and read the voltage output from the sensor.
if the output remains constant after the engine warms up, then the sensor is faulty
if the output changes.. check the wiring to the gauge.. and if that checks out, change the gauge!

 

[MikeVistaBlue06]

It sounds to me like the sending unit is mounted in a "tee" with the oil pressure sensor. They may have thought it was an oil pressure gauge If so, the oil temp gauge will behave funny like you are seeing.

When you are driving, air is running over the tee and cooling it and it ain't representative of your oil temp whatsoever.

When you stop, the tee starts to heat up from conducting heat out of the engine block and there is no air to cool it, so your oil temp starts to rise.

I think that sending unit needs to be mounted in the oil pan myself.

Of course, I could be wrong!

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

[MikeVistaBlue06]

I was told that the sender was put at the same place where the OE sender is.

There is no OEM oil temp sensor. The only sensors that measure temp on our cars are as follows:

1. IAT (intake air temp) sensor
2. coolant temperature senstor (CTS)
3. outdoor temperature.

This is why I think they have your sensor mounted with the oil pressure sensor!

Mike

Mike

 

[G.T]

3. outdoor temperature.

not to go off-topic, but where did you find this one?
i've looked all around trying to figure out where the PCM reads the ambient temperature from.. found nothing

 

[Herknav]

To add to the confusion...

My OE oil temp gauge reads the same as long as the engine is running... no matter how cold the car is...

 

[don_w]

To add to the confusion...

My OE oil temp gauge reads the same as long as the engine is running... no matter how cold the car is...

Huh? Where did you get an OE oil temp gauge?? All I have is oil pressure, water temp, fuel level, and alternator.

 

[Herknav]

Huh? Where did you get an OE oil temp gauge?? All I have is oil pressure, water temp, fuel level, and alternator.

er... so thats a pressure gauge... guess that esplains that Lucy!

 

[Manny]

It sounds to me like the sending unit is mounted in a "tee" with the oil pressure sensor. They may have thought it was an oil pressure gauge If so, the oil temp gauge will behave funny like you are seeing.

When you are driving, air is running over the tee and cooling it and it ain't representative of your oil temp whatsoever.

When you stop, the tee starts to heat up from conducting heat out of the engine block and there is no air to cool it, so your oil temp starts to rise.

I think that sending unit needs to be mounted in the oil pan myself.

Of course, I could be wrong!

Hope this helps.

Mike

Mike,
I think you are right. Today I connected my SCT2 to the car and my laptop and ran Live Link. I monitored the coolant temperature and that behaved properly. When I tried to monitor the oil temperature it said there was no signal. I think that as you said they mounted it on a tee to the oil pressue.

 

[G.T]

your wont be able to datalog the Oil Temperature with Live Link or any other OBD scantool, simply because the oil temp sensor isn't on the CAN bus, but is a standalone sensor for the autometer gauge..