http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...mp-survey.html

Actually, in the oil temp survey thread, we did find a lot of respondents claiming they hit limp mode with only street driving... scroll down the thread linked above and look at the table... hope it's clear

Yeah but come on, there's even a data point there where someone claimed to drive "conservatively" and hit limp mode. I don't think anybody has posted here in their own words and claimed limp mode from street driving, at least not that I've seen.

I guess I'm missing something. In the table I find 12 people responded that they went into the dreaded limp mode. OTOH, I don't see where I can find out whether some or all of them experienced this on the street.

The only time I've noticed the temp going over 210 F is when I'm running over 4K for extended periods of time and never close to the 280. I think 240 is as high as I've seen it. Spirited driving has to be high RPMs for extended periods to get over temp conditions not just passing cars or driving fast....

I was driving around the city at 10-20mph stop and go and keeping it in first gear with revs between 2500 and 4000 (exhaust sounds sweet in this range). Ambient temp was 71F. Looked at the oil gauge and it was at 240F.

As I related in my thread here: http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...ther-road.html

I just completed a 4,200+ mile trip which included temps in the tipple digits and desert and mountain driving...while I wasn't driving near the vehicle's performance edge or flogging it in any way, I certainly do drive "spiritedly" (which is one of the reasons I have a Z in the first place)...I'm happy to say that even under the most demanding conditions, the Z never faltered and the engine oil temps only once went near the 250 range (and only then after an extended trip up a mountain range which involved an elevation change of several thousand feet) - in all other occasions throughout the trip the temps hung around the 200-220 range.

I'm not saying this "proves" anything but I can say that any concerns I had about the "engine oil temp" issue have been pretty well answered for me unless I want to track my car (which I don't plan to do).

Just as the dreaded 'oil consumption issue' only affected some MY06 revup engines in the 350Z, is it possible that the dreaded 'oil overheating issue' is only affecting some engines in the MY09 370Z?

I think it's more likely that there's a ton of variance in driving condition and driving style, both of which are difficult to accurately describe and change the outcome dramatically.

My car runs hot very easily. Today I was driving on the expressway, not excellerating hard at any time during the drive. I was doing 60 in 5th gear and the oil temp was 240. My car gets to 240 very easily and it is normally in the 225 to 245 range and has been as high as 255. I don't like this, it seems to me that this is hard on the oil as well as the engine. It spoils the fun of driving it. I'm very dissapointed in Nissan.

Less than 2000 miles on the Z with regular oil?

Just an observation. I switched over to Redline 5W-30 and have yet to go over 230F even with aggressive driving. Ambient temps are about 83F.

My car has the sport pkg., with 6 speed manual. It is stock except for a stillen exhaust. I have been using Penzoil 5w30. It has almost 7000 miles on it and I will very soon change to a high quality synthetic. It has been running hot, in my opinion, from day one. I've changed the oil twice.

Question, a few years back I didn't buy a new Z because of front end problems that from what I understand were never fixed by Nissan and lots of Z owners were hung out to dry. Do any of you feel this oil temp issue is worth not buying a new Z? I was at the dealer this morning and they look great but this oil heat issue has me worried. What is your spin on buying a new Z?

I can only speak for myself (but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my biases) but I believe that the “oil temperature issue” isn’t much of a problem and is about 90% a matter of perception.

The only 370s which will likely have a true oil temperature problem are those that are tracked - the 370; like the 350 before it and, frankly, like most consumer/street vehicles not purpose built with track use in mind, are always going to need an engine oil cooler…that really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

While there are plenty of anecdotal stories; there seems to be little consistency with who is and who isn’t experiencing a problem and all the stories that do exist are just that, stories filtered through each story teller’s frame of reference. I’m not in any way suggesting people are lying; just that “aggressive/very aggressive” driving on a “hot” day can mean vastly different things from person to person. What is truly needed and what hasn’t happened yet, at least as far as I know, is a scientific study under controlled conditions to establish how hot the engine oil gets and under what precise circumstances.

That brings up another point. While there are many, many opinions and feeling about “how hot is too hot”; other than opinions and feelings, I’ve yet to see anyone demonstrate that temperatures, in this engine, and with today’s oils, 220 or 230 or 240 or even up to 260 degree oil temps are truly causing any harm to the engine/engine life. Again, what is really needed is an objective and unemotional study to look at all the factors.

Let’s also remember that Nissan has a solution (or at least a feature) in place to preserve the engine for temps in the 280 and above range in that it limits engine revs until the temp lowers (the “limp” feature). Some feel that could be a safety concern but I’m not so sure; the available power from the 370 at, say, revs limited to 5K still probably gives more performance (acceleration/passing ability, etc.) than many, many vehicles on the road today at 100% of their power so I’m not quite so sure that a decrease in available engine power is really a safety concern. I’ll grant you it’s inconvenient and not fun but I don’t think it’s quite the issue some fell it is.<o></o>

Finally, I leave you with my owe story…I’ve got over 12K miles on my 370Z which has included mountain roads; deserts, many runs down the Tail of the Dragon, stop-and-go interstate traffic and autocrossing and have done it all in Winter, Spring and Summer temps with many days exceeding 100 degrees) and I’m a fairly aggressive driver (although I am not an out of control idiot on public roads)…through all that, I’ve seen my oil temps as high as the 240ish but have never see temps as high as reported by some nor have ever gotten close to limp mode.<o></o>

All that so say, while I’d feel better if my temps never went above 220; I don’t think the “engine oil temperature problem” is really that much of a problem nor do I think someone “shouldn’t” buy a 370 because of it. Also, we know that if oil temps are truly that much of a concern, spending a few hundred more dollars completely fixes the problem; real or otherwise.

So…does any of the above help you? I don’t know…I just offer it an observation after 12K miles and almost 7 months of having my 370.

Robert, I can appreciate what you say about your car, but it's not fair to assume that all 370-Z's run at the same temps as yours, from what you have said about yours, I know mine does not. Discounting everybody elses experience based on your car is very frustrating to those of us that truly do have an overheating problem.