Hi

I rarely look at the aux gauges because they are too low and out of the way but I know normally the oil temp never moved, state between 90 - 100.

Today, from the moment I drove away in a cold car, the thing was sitting at 150, then bouncing up and down depending between 100 and 150. Cruise steady an it would go up to 150. Bounce the car faster of slower with gas or brakes and it would go down.

Sounds like a loose wire to me and the oil was changed about 200 miles ago.

It does not look like the real temperature as the is no way physically possible for the temperature to flunctuate to such a degree in 1/2 sec.

Any thoughts?

 

Loose wire, bad sending unit are the highest probability items. Bad guage? Possibly, but check the wire first, then sending unit, then the guage.

 

The temp sender replaces the oil drain plug on the MINI aux gauge set. The wire needs to be removed when the sender is removed to drain the oil. Most likely the wire was not plugged in securely. It's a simple matter to get under the car and check this wire if you dont want to take it to the dealer.

 

Which is why I suggested checking the wire first (there might be some road grime that is causing an intermittent failure of the connection). Also check the length of the wire, not just the part that is near the sensor - the tech that changed the oil might have done something to the wire by mistake.... If everything appears to be o.k. with the wire/connection, then you are going to have to check the sensor (quick remove and replace with the oil fill cap closed should minimize the oil loss). If you still have the intermittent reading problem, then the guage becomes suspect.

 

Simple to get under the car? Hmm, not without ramps. Lets see if I can squeeze under there!

THANKS!