Hot oil!

[Tyler Tremble]

Ok. I know this topic is beat to death but the threads I've read never show the cure or outcome of the repairs/mods. My 2014 2500 cummins oil temp gets over 230 while towing uphill. At this point I back off the throttle but the temp never recovers on the hill; just stays there until I top out and descend. Driving on the freeway without the trailer I'm at 203. The trailer is around 10k and I'm going 65 on a relatively tame interstate incline. Some threads post that this is normal? Some say have it checked. I'm taking it in on Monday to have it looked at as my towing season kicks off next month. So what's the skinny? Maybe bad temp sender? Add an oil cooler? Does that even make a difference on a hill? All that power and I can't use it for what I bought the truck for kinda blows. Thanks, Tyler in San Diego

 

[Burla]

Load man, what you report is absolutely zero problem, not even close. Most guys towing heavy up grade get a lot hotter then that. It takes a lot longer for oil to dissipate heat then coolant. That is why the thermostat goes into coolant and not the oil.

 

[Fast69Mopar]

Ok. I know this topic is beat to death but the threads I've read never show the cure or outcome of the repairs/mods. My 2014 2500 cummins oil temp gets over 230 while towing uphill. At this point I back off the throttle but the temp never recovers on the hill; just stays there until I top out and descend. Driving on the freeway without the trailer I'm at 203. The trailer is around 10k and I'm going 65 on a relatively tame interstate incline. Some threads post that this is normal? Some say have it checked. I'm taking it in on Monday to have it looked at as my towing season kicks off next month. So what's the skinny? Maybe bad temp sender? Add an oil cooler? Does that even make a difference on a hill? All that power and I can't use it for what I bought the truck for kinda blows. Thanks, Tyler in San Diego

Totally agree here with @Burla and his assessment. These temps are perfectly fine and normal. Your oil takes a lot longer to dissipate heat so that's why the temps do not recover quickly like coolant in the radiator with a fan and airflow across them.

You could add an external oil cooler but you already have one on the right side of the block behind the oil filter adapter and it works quite well. The tubes for the oil to pass through the cooler are pretty big and the cooling brick is about 2" in thickness.

Don't worry about having to baby the truck. Drive it like you want and let the engine do it's work.

 

[RamFP620]

I have a 5.7 Hemi and my normal tow temps are in the 230's. Any type of extended uphill will make the temps hit 240+. It took me a while to get comfortable that these temps are normal....with the help of this forum.

 

[Tyler Tremble]

That's crazy. But I gotta listen to the people that know more than me (everybody). If thats normal I wonder if adding another cooler would upset the balance the engineers intended. Suppose I'll listen to you guys yet again! Thanks!

 

[RedSRT4Me]

When you start getting past 275° F is when your oil is breaking down.

 

[crash68]

My 2014 2500 cummins oil temp gets over 230 while towing uphill. At this point I back off the throttle but the temp never recovers on the hill; just stays there until I top out and descend. Driving on the freeway without the trailer I'm at 203.

That's the temperature the computer has calculated, it is not the actual temperature as the Cummins in the Ram does not have an oil temperature sensor.
The same goes for oil pressure, there is no pressure transducer only an low oil pressure switch. Yeah you read that correctly and it's well conversed on many forums.
Your 10K trailer isn't even making the CTD sweat, unless the coolant temperature goes ballistic just keep driving and don't forget you have a trailer behind you.

 

[Burla]

That's crazy. But I gotta listen to the people that know more than me (everybody). If thats normal I wonder if adding another cooler would upset the balance the engineers intended. Suppose I'll listen to you guys yet again! Thanks!

You don't want to operate at the temps permanent, as you see continuous ranges below, but going up a hill you can expect it. Furthermore, the risk is thinning of the oil, it would take a lot for oil degradation past shearing some viscosity which isn't a terrible deal. Even if you were 230f a shorter oil change interval would likely be all you need. Now, the thing is if it gets hotter then that, like 250f, then see below info for an option. Most oils are the top line below (mineral oil), if you are worried then a high performance oil like redline 5w30 is lines 2 and 5 below (pao/esters), so that oil is barely getting warmed up at 230f. You see the green range, that is continuous use w/o the heat degrading the base oil.

 

[Tyler Tremble]

Very cool info Burla. Thanks a lot.

 

[dstrohfus]

I have a 2015 RAM 1500 with the 5.7 HEMI and 8 speed transmission. Towing capacity is 10,150 according to the charts for the 3.92 rear end. I purchased a travel trailer under 6000 pounds, so figure with gear I'm likely around 6500 - 7000 pounds.

I'm also worried about the oil temps while towing in the mountains - steep grades at high elevation. I live in Colorado, so mountain passes regularly surpass 10,000 feet. This weekend I towed through the Eisenhower tunnel (11,000+ ft.) and over Vail Pass (10,600+ ft). I hit oil temps of 264-266 both directions on both passes and was only able to maintain about 40 mph. I also topped 260 on steep grades around 8000 ft. No warning lights alerted me, but I watched the temps and the bar very closely. I was probably 80% up the bar indicator on oil temp. I set my own limit at 266 and kept backing off to ensure I didn't pass that temp. Temps all dropped pretty quickly into the mid 230s after cresting the summits and traveling downhill.

Other posts talked about coolant temp and transmission temp. My coolant temps didn't pass 224, and the transmission temp was just below that.

Other guys in half ton trucks tell me I should still be able to comfortably pull at 65 mph reasonably at these elevations without overly taxing the engine.

I need some suggestions on what to explore with this without having to explore buying an HD vehicle.

 

[Burla]

I have a 2015 RAM 1500 with the 5.7 HEMI and 8 speed transmission. Towing capacity is 10,150 according to the charts for the 3.92 rear end. I purchased a travel trailer under 6000 pounds, so figure with gear I'm likely around 6500 - 7000 pounds.

I'm also worried about the oil temps while towing in the mountains - steep grades at high elevation. I live in Colorado, so mountain passes regularly surpass 10,000 feet. This weekend I towed through the Eisenhower tunnel (11,000+ ft.) and over Vail Pass (10,600+ ft). I hit oil temps of 264-266 both directions on both passes and was only able to maintain about 40 mph. I also topped 260 on steep grades around 8000 ft. No warning lights alerted me, but I watched the temps and the bar very closely. I was probably 80% up the bar indicator on oil temp. I set my own limit at 266 and kept backing off to ensure I didn't pass that temp. Temps all dropped pretty quickly into the mid 230s after cresting the summits and traveling downhill.

Other posts talked about coolant temp and transmission temp. My coolant temps didn't pass 224, and the transmission temp was just below that.

Other guys in half ton trucks tell me I should still be able to comfortably pull at 65 mph reasonably at these elevations without overly taxing the engine.

I need some suggestions on what to explore with this without having to explore buying an HD vehicle.

Towing up the Ike, taking breaks for a few minutes is your friend, when your engine oil hits 250f, take a few minutes on side of road, dont turn off engine. They have temperature deletes for your transmission, definitely do that if you want it to last, no joke. I am familiar with the rfe temp deletes. not so much with the 8 speed, maybe rick (aka wildone) or some others will chime in. In a cold place like that, never just turn off engine if the engine is hotter then normal 204f coolant, 212f oil, 185f trans, you can end up replacing stuff if you do, happens all the time here, watch that transmission temp just as much as engine, do not let that climb to 250f. Trans should rotate fluid in neutral, so if you are flat enough ground, put truck in N and not P, but maybe 8 speed also rotates fluid in P, I just don't have that info for sure, research that.

Buying a 2500 wont fix this either, they have same concerns towing up the ike.

 

[crackerjack1957]

Step grades, high elevation, towing.......not much you can do......if not a 4x4 you could change gear without much expense......otherwise you would need forced induction to help boost power at high Da.

Shutter delete could help some with temps......Caulk's 8-speed mod would help with trans temps.
Gears & or FI only solution for more power for elevation.

 

[Burla]

i"ve posted this so many times, I can't believe I didnt post it here, just for general info and why it is so important to avoid hot oil. Viscosity is simply a measurement of a fluid versus a given temp, so we understand 5w20 is about 9 cSt operating viscosity and 5w30 is about 12, but that is only at 212f engine temps, in the extremes hot or cold those viscosities are vastly different. So at 120c which is close to 250f, you see what those same viscosities would be... So look at the viscosity of even 5w30 at that 250, it is no longer viscosity 12, more like 7, so thinner then even 5w20 at operating temps, and the hotter you get the thinner the oil gets nothing you can do about it. Trucks that tow should be minimum 5w30 imo, I would leave 5w20 on the shelf personally.

 

[Scottly]

View attachment 470597

This has got to be the FIRST time in the history of the interwebs that I have witnessed a gentleman post information about oil that wasn't some bull****zky claim about how good Amsoil/**** oil/yo' mama's cooking oil is for everything and how everything else sucks. I commend you, sir. PS: The only place oil threads are worse is on gun forums...geez, the stupidity runs deep there.

 

[seabrook]

yea last year i drove the continental divide and my oil temps got high for a little while