Hot oil

[angelam]

Hi I'v just bough a JK unlimited rubicon 07, and took it out in the sand dunes for the first time on the weekend. Performed really well, but the hot oil light warning light came on a couple of times after climbing a couple of the harder dunes in 4L, around 4,000 revs. Is this normal/ok, or should I fit an oil cooler or something? I'm a learner 4x4 enthusiast and female so don't know a lot about engines yet, but I want to learn.

[Abraxix]

G'day angelam,

welcome to the forum, you will learn TONS here,
part 1: i don't have the answers your looking for however if you click the link below and try a search forum for hot oil i dunno something like that you might find the answers your looking for, other wise that is a jeep specific model area someone will probably be able to assist you a bit more in there.

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...play.php?f=162

from my exp on sand dunes, i dont' get warning lights, my first guess would be no it's not right but then again 4L 4000rpm how long were the dunes? i suppose it could be normal have you checked or done any oil changes or had services done since you have owned the car?

could be low on oil which is causing it to heat up quicker that when you have the normal ammount of oil in the engine?

Si!!!

[angelam]

thanks for the tips. the dunes were high soft sand hills. i went with a new nevara and 2 older landcruisers that do that terrain all the time, so when they said go for it, i did. the jeep was the only one that got to the top without recovery gear so was pretty hard going and I was proud until the warning light went on. No I haven't had it serviced since I bought it a few weeks ago, as they said they serviced it, but in saying that, it was purchased from a non-jeep dealer. Thanks, I will contact a jeep dealer to get it checked. If anyone knows of a good one in Adelaide let me know

[jtb007]

yes, get yourself an oil cooler... the light comes on wen the transmission oil gets to hot.....

did you have your esp/tc disabled? (not jsut with the button, with the hokey pokey steering dance)?

[Billnick]

Checking the oil in the tranny should be covered in the service manual in the glovebox. It's a simple job and will be a good intro into seeing what makes your jeep tick. Having the 'hot oil' light come on after a hard slog sounds normal to me but if you are going to be doing a lot of sand work an aftermarket oil cooler will keep things cooler. Don't go to a Jeep dealer, they will rip you off. A 4x4 shop will be better for advice and price. Maybe an Adelaideian from this forum could direct you to a good one.

Tranny oil, when it gets really hot goes grey milky coloured and needs changing. It should be a clear red colour.

[angelam]

Thanks I will check the tran oil to see if its cloudy and go visit a 4wd store for advice. The manual says the esp should disable in 4L under 40k, but maybe it wasn't disabled. I can see I have a lot to learn but thats all good. thanks for your help

[Macca2801]

All good advice already,but technique can also play a huge part in how hard the transmission works.

What tyre pressures where you running? What tyres are you running? What ratios? Were the wheels churning, or had they gripped? I know it sounds silly but in sand you can actually grip the sand and traverse, but too many revs and the wheels will be churning across the sand and makes the trans and engine work alot harder than needed. Backing off slightly will allow the wheels to grip and stop slipping.

All said and done, unless it was a 40deg + day and powder sand, I wouldnt expect you to get the hot oil.
Unfortunately Rubis are low geared, great for crawling but when you need a bit of speed on sand, it can be a hurdle. This all depends on what tyres pressure, ratios etc as mentioned before.

If you are not sure of the service history, if the trans is more than 50 000km old then oil change is a must. The condition of the oil is the lifeblood of the transmission, at least a service and then maybe for longterm an additonal cooler will be beneficial. Good news, its a simple fit for a Rubi.

Matt.