23 TRX Engine Oil Temp concerns

[SpenceDuke]

This is the first vehicle where I've actually paid attention to the internals, and want to take care of it all. I've seen that the optimal range is somewhere between 180-220f, but I've never seen mine go that high. I wanted to know:

1. In winter months, without a block heater, how long do you idle after a cold start before driving?
2. What temperature do you wait to see, if at all?
3. What temps constitute a problem?

5 minutes of idling after start up, and my oil temp is 64f when its ~55f outside.
7 minutes of driving after that, without really pushing hard at all, and its at 129f
45 minutes on the highway, we get to 188f, the highest ive seen on it

From the other threads ive found, people had said they wait a few minutes for it to get up to ~140/160f before pushing it.
From what I think I understand, as long as I'm not WOT in these low temp ranges, there's nothing to worry about.
I'm also concerned about repeated cold starts as it starts getting colder and colder, causing wear. Is a northern Virginia winter (20-40f) low enough to warrant an engine block heater?

 

[Eighty]

I'm also concerned about repeated cold starts as it starts getting colder and colder, causing wear. Is a northern Virginia winter (20-40f) low enough to warrant an engine block heater?

I can't weigh in on the technical need, but I can tell you some facts about where the engine block heaters are being sold.
Canada - out of 3,614 TRX's built, all but 3 of them have engine block heaters. So it would appear that they're pretty necessary in Canada.

In the US, a couple of statistics:
Alaska - 72% have it
North Dakota - 47.5% have it
Wyoming - 38% have it
...
Virginia - 7% have it
...
Alabama - 2.2% have it

 

[Shaneacr]

I wouldn't worry about a block heater. I don't even plug my ecodiesel in unless it's going to be in the teens over night.

I usually wait for the coolant temp to rise above 100 and then go. Of course, have a light right foot until the temps get about 150-160

 

[slivoman]

I wouldn't worry about a block heater. I don't even plug my ecodiesel in unless it's going to be in the teens over night.

I usually wait for the coolant temp to rise above 100 and then go. Of course, have a light right foot until the temps get about 150-160

This is what I do as well and I also wait till the trans temp gets over 120 before I give it any beans

 

[OnTheReel]

I fire it up, wait for the idle to drop and then hit the road. Nothing is coming up to temp sitting in the driveway. All you’d be doing is dumping fuel and moisture into the oil. I don’t give her the beans until the engine is fully up to temp (~200) and the oil is at least warm enough to see the pressure drop at idle. Usually around 150 or so.

 

[TheMadDutchDude]

I fire it up, wait for the idle to drop and then hit the road. Nothing is coming up to temp sitting in the driveway. All you’d be doing is dumping fuel and moisture into the oil. I don’t give her the beans until the engine is fully up to temp (~200) and the oil is at least warm enough to see the pressure drop at idle. Usually around 150 or so.

Same here! Driving it gently, staying below 3000 RPM until it’s warm is generally my rule of thumb. Once she’s up to temp… better make sure there’s enough runway in front of me.

 

[Two]

1. In winter months, without a block heater, how long do you idle after a cold start before driving?

From what I think I understand, as long as I'm not WOT in these low temp ranges, there's nothing to worry about.
I'm also concerned about repeated cold starts as it starts getting colder and colder, causing wear. Is a northern Virginia winter (20-40f) low enough to warrant an engine block heater?

Idling isn't good for any engine, in any temperature. Start driving as soon as you start the engine, going easy on it, and it'll warm up quicker and be far happier.

I do have a block heater but haven't used it yet since it hasn't been less than -10 so far. At -20 I'll consider it.

Once the oil temp starts showing on the gauge (over 160) I'll give it enough throttle to pass another vehicle, but won't floor it until the oil is up to temp.

Cold starts are bad for engines, and repeated ones are obviously worse. When mine gets started it also gets driven until everything is up to temp. That's generally at least 20 miles, usually 100+.

 

[MASSTRX]

This is the only engine I have ever had that runs 220-225 regularly without driving it hard. Just cruising around, the oil temps get hot. The Durango Hellcats that I had were the same way and my Charger red eye is the same as well. I just change the oil out very often to make sure the engine is always protected with fresh clean oil. The hot sustained temps can’t be easy on the oil.

 

[Two]

This is the only engine I have ever had that runs 220-225 regularly without driving it hard. Just cruising around, the oil temps get hot. The Durango Hellcats that I had were the same way and my Charger red eye is the same as well.

I know it can get warm in L.A., but it rarely gets hot, right? Ironically, here I have the opposite problem - it's hard to get the oil up to temp, especially with the Challenger. To the point that I'll make a block-off plate for the cooler.

For now I use a 3,000-foot and relatively short climb on a nearby road to get that one warm Did end up in stop and go traffic once, and that sure helped heat it up.

Don't know if it's less efficient cooling, the extra mass, more wind resistance, or a combination of all three, but the TRX warms up quicker. Seeing 220 would be nice, I think, but it doesn't quite want to get there.

And speaking of not knowing, do the 6.2s have actual oil temp sensors or is it algorithms like in Ram diesels?
If it's math based, my temps may not be as low as I think, and yours not as high.

 

[TXRedPilled]

I idle until oil reaches 100F and then drive under 3k RPM until oil reaches 160. I do not give it the sauce until oil is at a minimum of 190. I apply this to both my Hellcat and TRX.

The oil in my Hellcat does get a little warm under normal driving conditions in the summer, especially in traffic sometimes hitting 220F. Usually its between 199F and 210F. I don't start to get nervous unless it hits 225 under normal driving. When that happens I usually try to drive gently around 55mph to make sure its getting cooling air, and the temps have always come back down near 200F within a few minutes. My friends wonder why I always have the gauge screens up showing all my temps, this is why.

 

[Two]

I think your engine would thank you if you started driving instead of letting it idle. It'll also warm up quicker that way.

Having the gauges up on the screen is standard procedure for me, too. Wish the performance pages would come up a lot quicker than they do.

 

[OnTheReel]

And speaking of not knowing, do the 6.2s have actual oil temp sensors or is it algorithms like in Ram diesels?
If it's math based, my temps may not be as low as I think, and yours not as high.

There is indeed a sensor at the front of the block. Buried behind the vacuum pump if I recall correctly.

I generally see 190-200 cruising down the highway. Cold weather might struggle to get beyond 175. I’m good with these figures as a bulk temperature. Bearing surfaces, piston cooling jets, etc will see temperatures much higher.

The immediate risk with any oil if it gets hot enough is that you can find yourself with inadequate viscosity to support the loads, and some of this isn’t recovered even after it cools. I suspect the higher than average sustained oil temperatures is one contributor to the permanent breakdown of the VIIs they use in the factory fill Pennzoil. After all, we have seen it drop well out of grade time and time again, and it is mostly isolated to the Hellcat and not more pedestrian applications.

 

[Two]

I generally see 190-200 cruising down the highway. Cold weather might struggle to get beyond 175.

Cold weather is a relative thing, I guess. Thankfully it usually doesn't get up to 80 around here, and with temp swings of 50 degrees being somewhat common, that can mean taking off at 30 degrees in the morning.

Good thing that my Cummins warms up quickly (or so the gauge claims) since it gets to head out at -10 every now and then. Of course, it's always pulling something which surely helps.