In the motor car, the oil coolant heat exchanger serves two purposes. After cold starting, the coolant warms up faster than the engine oil. In fact, in winter it can
take quite a while before the running temperature of 80° is reached. In fact, should the vehicle only be driven in urban areas, it may not, in winter, ever reach this temperature.
| Measurement of the oil temperature at the drain plug? |
One has a look at the cooling thermometer, and assumes that the much more important oil, has the same temperature. Indeed, the two have only partly anything to do with each other. In this context, the replacing of
the drain-plug with a temperature sensor must also be critically considered, because the lowest point of the oil-bath gives anything but a realistic impression of the actual oil temperature which is in circulation. All in all,
it is a good thing that the oil is pre-heated by the coolant.
If, e.g., on the motorway, the full performance of the engine is called up, the process is reversed. The engine oil becomes a great deal hotter than the coolant and can thus, pass some of the excess heat to the coolant.
An oil coolant heat exchanger is in fact, a simple component with a double use.
It has to be mounted somwhere on the oil-line, ideally, there where the oil is relatively cool. Because the oil-filter also has a cooling effect, the ideal place for it
would probably be here. Since, after leaving the filter it becomes distinctly hotter. The connection to the coolant circulation is by means of two hoses. The cut-open view (picture 2) is, in this case, vice versa, the filter is at
the top and the cooler is lower down. 03/12
