What is normal oil temperature?

[ccasanova22]

Trying to see if anyone has excess fuel dilution from operation where the oil does not reach 212f daily.

I’ve found on my 2022, if I do in-town drives of less than 30 miles / 30 minutes, my oil level goes up.

Problem is, there is no oil temp readout on these trucks unlike other trucks which have an oil temp gauge. On those vehicles, repeated operation under 212F results in slight oil level rise and then a bunch of oil “burning off” on a cross-country trip going from, say, Chicago to Denver.

So if we don’t have an oil temp gauge, how else can we determine if our drives are “too short”? Water in exhaust?

I’m also curious what most people feel is a “short trip” and how short is too short in freezing weather. For my 2022, even 10 miles in freezing weather there is still dripping out of the exhaust and repeated short trips leaves a nasty carbon residue on the bottom of the exhaust.

So how do we ensure we are up to 212F, or whatever oil temp is considered “normal”, to drive all this crud out?

Many Rangers I saw with less than 10k on dealer lots had black crud all over the exhaust, and mine has none.

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[Frenchy]

Do yourself a favor and go to the maintenance section of the owner's manual. It will stay to various things for what is considered extreme driving conditions. Chances are that will answer the question you need

 

[ccasanova22]

Well, most owner manuals of vehicles I’ve owned said “5 miles in above freezing weather or 10 miles below freezing” is considered severe use.

But on my Ranger, 10 miles at 40F still results in water dripping from the tail pipe when I park.

Is that the reason so many Rangers I see on dealer lots have crusty, carbon filled exhaust tips that look terrible?

At 15k, my exhaust tips look like new, but I have been doing some short <35 mile trips lately (mostly 15-16 mile) and I’m starting to see some corrosion, maybe acid buildup, until I go for a highway blast of 1 hour or more.

Normal?

 

[Frenchy]

Well, most owner manuals of vehicles I’ve owned said “5 miles in above freezing weather or 10 miles below freezing” is considered severe use.

But on my Ranger, 10 miles at 40F still results in water dripping from the tail pipe when I park.

Is that the reason so many Rangers I see on dealer lots have crusty, carbon filled exhaust tips that look terrible?

At 15k, my exhaust tips look like new, but I have been doing some short <35 mile trips lately (mostly 15-16 mile) and I’m starting to see some corrosion, maybe acid buildup, until I go for a highway blast of 1 hour or more.

Normal?

Mini vehicles will have water drip from the tailpipe. That has been going on for a long time before the 5G Ranger came to the States. Stop freaking out

 

[ccasanova22]

So the < 10k mile used Rangers on the lots with black, crusty tail pipes are normal?

Methinks those were “short trip” ones as I don’t have any water drip after a 35 mile or longer trip. My exhaust also looks like the day it came off the factory.

Same for the acid/carbon nastiness that hangs in the bottom of the tailpipe on those used ones.

Drive it a little more, it “burns” that stuff off, and the next cold start it doesn’t have any vapor like it does after a short trip.

I’m sure this is normal, but my vehicles have been either <30k per muffler (city drivers) or >150k (highway cars) so it seems as short trips ruin the muffler and exhaust components.

Like you said, may be much ado about nothing. Just hate changing parts over and over.

 

[Frenchy]

My 2019 I had that did a good mix of short and long trips had the same thing. My 1993 Nissan Pathfinder with almost 300K has the same thing and it gets a good mix of short and long trips. Black I. The tail pipe is nothing to be concerned about. What you should be concerned about is if the vehicle is running ok and if you are doing the correct maintenance.

 

[MarioCart]

so it seems as short trips ruin the muffler and exhaust components.

yes.
mostly because of the condensation which is out of your control as its a chemical reaction.

 

[ccasanova22]

yes.
mostly because of the condensation which is out of your control as its a chemical reaction.

Thank you. That explains why when I lived in a city I would often fail inspection due to the muffler "having holes in it" after only 3 winters.

I have never changed the muffler on any of my rural homed cars where the nearest city is 30-45 minutes away.

And some of these cars have 150-200k miles yet the pipes look shiny and new.

 

[airline tech]

Condensation in the exhaust is normal and natural, more noted on cooler days when engine is first started. This is the result of hot exhaust gasses flowing down a cold pipe. The exhaust pressure pushes the condensation down the pipe to the muffler, where most of the condensation will drain out of the muffler drain holes, the excess will blow out of the end of the pipe.

The Black soot is normal to an extent - if not to heavy it is the condensation pulling the carbon deposits from the inside of the pipe.
If heavy deposits, then the engine is running rich.

I know that the soot issue has been discussed here on other threads, mine is clean. Truck does not see frequent short trips.
But, with cooler weather setting in, that may change, more condensation in exhaust.

Now for your Oil Temp question.

No, the Ranger does not use Oil Temp as a PID, but the PCM uses a inferred temp algorithm, by using the ECT and if needed CHT.

So, if you reference the latest published SSM, that has not been updated to cover the 22/23.
It still covers this issue, so oil temp- full operating temp = full engine operating temp.

So, this would be when the thermostat:
Starts to Open @ 197.6 Deg
Full Open @ 222.8 Deg

Note: My 22, being checked regularly the first few months of ownership and 1 a month or so thereafter, the oil level has never risen, and no fuel smell ever noted.
It's had 1 oil change and getting ready to do the 2nd @ 10k, currently nearing 9K on the OD.

and this note from the manual on oil, Fords determined short trip note.

Sorry, can't get it any clearer but:
Short Trip = 10 miles or less

 

[ccasanova22]

Thank you airline tech,

I did some driving around in friends’ cars just to see what results I got.

10 miles in Camaro SS, 6 speed manual: 160–170F (halfway point on oil temp gauge is 210F)

Asked a buddy with a BMW 528xi, 10 miles it barely moved and was left of center (halfway point on oil temp gauge is 250F, bottom of gauge is 140F). Maybe 150F.

C5 Vette. 10 miles and barely 176F, and that required some harder pulls to get to there. I believe 198-220F is “stable” after an hour drive after it’s warmed up says the owner.

So I guess it depends, to get the BMW to 220-240F it takes over an hour, the Camaro needs to be run on the highway at least 35-40 miles to get to 210F, and the Vette won’t ever get to 210F unless you’re romping on it.

The BMW owner is frustrated with the reliability, the Camaro driver is on a 2nd engine, and the Vette owner has done cats & O2 sensors.

They are all normally “short trip” drivers…

 

[Blmpkn]

Thank you airline tech,

I did some driving around in friends’ cars just to see what results I got.

10 miles in Camaro SS, 6 speed manual: 160–170F (halfway point on oil temp gauge is 210F)

Asked a buddy with a BMW 528xi, 10 miles it barely moved and was left of center (halfway point on oil temp gauge is 250F, bottom of gauge is 140F). Maybe 150F.

C5 Vette. 10 miles and barely 176F, and that required some harder pulls to get to there. I believe 198-220F is “stable” after an hour drive after it’s warmed up says the owner.

So I guess it depends, to get the BMW to 220-240F it takes over an hour, the Camaro needs to be run on the highway at least 35-40 miles to get to 210F, and the Vette won’t ever get to 210F unless you’re romping on it.

The BMW owner is frustrated with the reliability, the Camaro driver is on a 2nd engine, and the Vette owner has done cats & O2 sensors.

They are all normally “short trip” drivers…

The c5 isn't a good sample here. Things at least 20 years old.. meaning it's o2s should have been replaced 2x by this point. The chemicals that the sensors use to detect oxygen deplete over time.. 100k/10 years-ish and they're smoked.

To add to that.. bad o2s clog cats.

 

[Frenchy]

Thank you airline tech,

I did some driving around in friends’ cars just to see what results I got.

10 miles in Camaro SS, 6 speed manual: 160–170F (halfway point on oil temp gauge is 210F)

Asked a buddy with a BMW 528xi, 10 miles it barely moved and was left of center (halfway point on oil temp gauge is 250F, bottom of gauge is 140F). Maybe 150F.

C5 Vette. 10 miles and barely 176F, and that required some harder pulls to get to there. I believe 198-220F is “stable” after an hour drive after it’s warmed up says the owner.

So I guess it depends, to get the BMW to 220-240F it takes over an hour, the Camaro needs to be run on the highway at least 35-40 miles to get to 210F, and the Vette won’t ever get to 210F unless you’re romping on it.

The BMW owner is frustrated with the reliability, the Camaro driver is on a 2nd engine, and the Vette owner has done cats & O2 sensors.

They are all normally “short trip” drivers…

Engine oil temp will be different for every vehicle for many reasons. Some vehicles will run a hot oil temp but require a full synthetic to help the oil from shearing from the high temp. Some like GM will use the synthetic oil just to lower the oil temperature and that is what GM did for the Corvette and a few others. Some manufacturers will have a factory oil cooler. It just depends on what the manufacturer noticed and whether or not the temps were in a OK range or not

 

[mtsoxfan]

Well, it appears I have a lemon on my hands...
Tailpipe has black residue and I see water dripping. Damn, Ford screws us again...

 

[MarioCart]

Well, it appears I have a lemon on my hands...
Tailpipe has black residue and I see water dripping. Damn, Ford screws us again...

should be easy, just file the paperwork and in two weeks they'll pay you more than its worth.

 

[Msfitoy]

I haven't seen an output for oil temp but safe to assume it's the same or close to engine temp since they're reading off the same heat source...the engine...I do have PID reading from transmission and that is closely tied to coolant temp as well...

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