Our family has owned our 2012 550 GT since December of 2015. I'd say ever since the May timeframe I've noticed that the oil temp gauge has been close to the middle, right around 240*F as pictured. However, since we've owned this car it's almost always been between at the 1/4 and 1/2 mark. Should I be worried?
Normal Oil Temperature?
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I don't think you need to be worried. Mine seems to take a while to creep up and then hovers at the same place (a little under the mid-point) as yours indicates.
If I'm driving a little more enthusiastically it usually rises a little to sit dead center.
Those temp indicators are anyway not that exact in the mid-range. Just start to worry if it creeps over the 3/4 mark.
If I'm driving a little more enthusiastically it usually rises a little to sit dead center.
Those temp indicators are anyway not that exact in the mid-range. Just start to worry if it creeps over the 3/4 mark.
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BMW chose to use oil temp verses coolant temp because it responds much quicker to the load conditions than the coolant. Because it is closer to the piston and the combustion process, it gets hotter than the coolant normally would. One reason why BMW specifies synthetic oil is that it does not break down like conventional oil at higher temperatures. That shouldn't be an issue. If you did a short stop after a long haul, then restarted after a short delay, you'd probably see the oil temp spike even higher for a moment until it can circulate and run through the oil cooler a few times.
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