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Oil Temperature Warning Light on Track Day

adelaide-luke

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Hi Everyone,

Just looking for some advice/peace of mind from a recent track day experience. Just for background I drive a 2012 SSV Redline wagon A6 which has had full exhaust (pacemaker headers, 100 cell cats and custom catback), VCM OTR and Dyno tune. I had it serviced by holden 2 days before.

I got through the first 15 min session but in the second (an hour later) the oil temperature warning light went off so I backed off and pulled in the pits. By the time I pulled up the light was off but the breather hose which goes from the rocker cover to the back of the VCM OTR had come out and spat a bit of oil over the engine. Now the breather hose doesn't seem long enough to go back into the hole it should and plus there is no real way to secure it. My mates mechanic secured it with a zip tie to one of the OTR hose clamps but I don't see this as a real permanent solution as it looks dodgy and unfiltered air is going into the engine and oil/vapours are able to escape. Does anyone have any experience with this and how did you fix it?

I got the car back out on track but dropped in a few slow laps to keep the temperatures down but at the end of the last session I must have pushed too hard as it briefly came back on after the lights had gone red and I was already slowing. Has anyone had this happen to them? Has this done damage already or is the light simply a warning to stop? Would the oil have been burnt/damaged? Should I change it?

I know alot of people do track days in similar cars so how do they prevent this problem? Oil coolers seem like the obvious solution to me but I don't know that much about cars. Anything else I should consider to protect from damage? I'm not really keen to destroy my car but I would still like to have some fun in it and the racetrack seems alot safer than the road.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers
 

Big-Al

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I'd be pretty happy if a warning light alerted me to a hose coming off like that. Why question it?
As for damage, doubt it unless you ran the engine dry.

An oil cooler will definitely help but make sure you get a setup with a thermostat as this will bypass the cooler when the engine is cold. This helps stop over cooling.
Also consider a better radiator like the PWR, oil also cools the engine so cooling the engine will in turn cool the oil.

I hope your brakes are up to the job.
 

UFO

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a) yes, an oil cooler would help... but what would be more useful is an oil temp guage to see exactly what its getting up to.

b) what oil were you running on the day? brand and grade. changing your selection in preparation of a track day can help as well.

c) and yes, if you've given the car a flogging I'd be changing oil. how did you go on the brakes? get any brake fade in that second session? (where the pedal goes much softer than normal and you dont get as much braking- or none at all!) if so, brake fluid change is in order as well.

track days are fun, but are really hard on your car mate.
 

blackve76

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Took my VE SS out to Mallala a few years ago, did 2 laps then a slow down lap for oil brakes had no issues.

I flogged the car but when I got home changed oil and brake pads(put in a special set with upgrade rotors).

I would be worried if you were running factory oil 5w30 very thin for track work, and being a auto probally wouldn't hurt to change the suto fluid as well as that would have got hot.

Its a fun day
 

adelaide-luke

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Thanks guys.

I have no idea what oil was put in the car but from other posts I'm led to believe it would have been in the 5-10w 30-40 group as this is reportedly standard holden dealership stuff. I'm under the impression something with a higher working number wouldn't thin out so much at higher temps, is that correct?

I definitely wouldn't say I was flogging the car. Using the manual shift around 4000 I wasn't driving much harder than I would on the street but usually that lasts a minute or 2 max before traffic or a road hazard puts a stop to it. Starting to realize how right you are about it being hard on your car! Mods may make it run hotter too. I'll look into cooling options on Monday and keep in mind all your advice. Ufo good point a oil temp gauge would have been nice. Does anyone know what temp that warning light comes on at?

Brakes didn't have any problems and were probably the part I pushed the hardest. It's got brembos on the front as standard and I got rear ones fitted which included slotted rotors, braided lines, performance pads so I thought i may as well upgrade the front while I was at it so that all worked well. Massive amounts of brake dust but I haven't checked the wear yet. Pads are about 3 months old and were about $150 a set so they better not need replacing already!

So no-one seems to think this catastrophic then? Will change oil and trans just to be safe and be better prepared before I do it again. So much fun though! :)
 

07GTS

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had a look thru my tune and cant see any adjustments or limits for oil temp warnings, the oil pressure u can change the minimum pressure v rpm for warnings which would be a good earlie warning to change since factory is set quite low, just sitting on the freeway u will have around 100 deg oil temp so track day will bring it to well over that, oil grade does help so as u thought going thicker will keep the higher temp oil at a good thickness, 10-60 works well and i also found Nulon to have very good temp resistance...
 
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