[BMW Guy]

My car will at times reach over 250F degrees on hot days or during harder driving. I live in Florida so normal outside temps are 80, or 90+ degrees. Coolant temps never exceed 230 so can't be a bad radiator or water pump right? Just had a fresh oil change with Liquid Moly 5W-40. I do not have the oil cooler package. Mods are Downpipe, chargepipe, boost pipe, intercooler, stage 2+ MHD. Here's a log during a 3rd gear pull and you can see the temps reaching 253F. https://datazap.me/u/bmw335in55/log-...data=3-5-12-15
Keep in mind that I also will get 250+ temps in just more of a normal driving environment sometimes like highway driving and when stuck in heavy traffic.

P.S. Also, any idea why my timing is so bad? I posted a thread about this a while ago and was told by forum members here and MHD support that I needed to switch gas station. I switched to a different shell station and for a while, my timing corrections went away. Last week, I filled up at a mobile near for half and tank and then a few days later filled up the rest of the way with shell 93. The result of this can be seen in the log. The problem is I don't know if it's the shell station, the mobile one, or something completely different.
Here is a log I performed a week after switching to a new shell station https://datazap.me/u/bmw335in55/log-...og=0&data=3-15
I was running mobile 93 and 2 gallons of E85 before this fill-up if that affects anything. Thanks for any help!

Edit: Plug and coils changed 20k ago. The coils are Dinan but haven't checked the plugs. They were installed by a BMW specialist shop so I assume OEM like the coils.

[lookalikehuuh]

Ok lets talk about the temp stuff first. I actually thought all 335i's build after 2007 would come with an oil cooler because BMW quickly found out that one was desperately need to cool the car in stock tune levels when being driven hard. That was until recently when another forum member posted about his temps and his car not having the oil cooler from factory either... Anyway keep in mind you are probably making like 80-100HP above what the car's factory cooling system was designed to handle. I personally own an early 2007 335i that was also not built with the oil cooler and my car's oil temps would constantly sit at 250F. Long story short, without an oil cooler (and sometimes even with an oil cooler) 250F temps are fine according to BMW. In fact early cars like my 07 have 210F as the middle of the oil temp gauge, BMW quickly updated it to a new cluster that shows 250F oil temps as the middle. From my understanding they made that update because many consumers assume that gauges should be in the middle for proper engine safety/operation.

Personally I purchased an early version of the STETT Performance upgraded oil cooler and nowadays I average like 210-220. If I sit in traffic on a really hot day I can see like 235 since the oil cooler is not actively cooled by a fan or anything. I would strongly recommend retrofitting your car with an aftermarket oil cooler, or even getting a factory cooler setup.

Ok for the timing corrections. Spark plugs can be a big factor in those timing corrections. Just as an FYI when a car is tuned like yours is I recommend that you use the Bosch OEM spark plugs AND replace them every year. Reason for this is there is much higher stress on the plugs since you are going from like 8 PSI to probably 18-19 PSI constantly. This causes considerably more wear, I just recently violated my own recommendation and ran a set for 15K miles and there was some very noticeable wear on the set that came out.

Now... many times the biggest factor for timing corrections is poor quality fuels I strongly recommend you find a good fuel station that causes the least amount of corrections. I don't have that much experience with Mobil fuel so I cant say if they are good or not, but Shell and Chevron seem to do the best on my car. E85 usually helps boost the octane rating of your fuel so it can reduce timing corrections. If you are struggling with timing corrections after using good quality fuels and replacing your spark plugs I would then suggest throwing some Chevron Techron fuel system additive in the gas tank. I haven't done this personally but a lot of forum members swear by that additive for helping to clean up injectors that aren't atomizing fuel properly.

Another idea can also be to reduce the octane tune that you are currently running. ACN91, or 91 tunes are less aggressive so might see less corrections with one of those tunes while continuing to fill up with 93.

[BMW Guy]

Originally Posted by lookalikehuuh

Ok lets talk about the temp stuff first. I actually thought all 335i's build after 2007 would come with an oil cooler because BMW quickly found out that one was desperately need to cool the car in stock tune levels when being driven hard. That was until recently when another forum member posted about his temps and his car not having the oil cooler from factory either... Anyway keep in mind you are probably making like 80-100HP above what the car's factory cooling system was designed to handle. I personally own an early 2007 335i that was also not built with the oil cooler and my car's oil temps would constantly sit at 250F. Long story short, without an oil cooler (and sometimes even with an oil cooler) 250F temps are fine according to BMW. In fact early cars like my 07 have 210F as the middle of the oil temp gauge, BMW quickly updated it to a new cluster that shows 250F oil temps as the middle. From my understanding they made that update because many consumers assume that gauges should be in the middle for proper engine safety/operation.

Personally I purchased an early version of the STETT Performance upgraded oil cooler and nowadays I average like 210-220. If I sit in traffic on a really hot day I can see like 235 since the oil cooler is not actively cooled by a fan or anything. I would strongly recommend retrofitting your car with an aftermarket oil cooler, or even getting a factory cooler setup.

Ok for the timing corrections. Spark plugs can be a big factor in those timing corrections. Just as an FYI when a car is tuned like yours is I recommend that you use the Bosch OEM spark plugs AND replace them every year. Reason for this is there is much higher stress on the plugs since you are going from like 8 PSI to probably 18-19 PSI constantly. This causes considerably more wear, I just recently violated my own recommendation and ran a set for 15K miles and there was some very noticeable wear on the set that came out.

Now... many times the biggest factor for timing corrections is poor quality fuels I strongly recommend you find a good fuel station that causes the least amount of corrections. I don't have that much experience with Mobil fuel so I cant say if they are good or not, but Shell and Chevron seem to do the best on my car. E85 usually helps boost the octane rating of your fuel so it can reduce timing corrections. If you are struggling with timing corrections after using good quality fuels and replacing your spark plugs I would then suggest throwing some Chevron Techron fuel system additive in the gas tank. I haven't done this personally but a lot of forum members swear by that additive for helping to clean up injectors that aren't atomizing fuel properly.

Another idea can also be to reduce the octane tune that you are currently running. ACN91, or 91 tunes are less aggressive so might see less corrections with one of those tunes while continuing to fill up with 93.

Thanks for the reply. Fitting the oil cooler does look to be a pretty big job. Did you do it yourself? Do you think an upgraded radiator like the CFS one might be a better option since I never track the car, only occasional spirited driving? I think I'll try one more fill-up with Shell and then switch to Chevron if I don't see good results. Planning on doing plugs and coils at some point in the next few months. I switch to the 91oct map in the mine time to be safe.

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by BMW Guy

Thanks for the reply. Fitting the oil cooler does look to be a pretty big job. Did you do it yourself? Do you think an upgraded radiator like the CFS one might be a better option since I never track the car, only occasional spirited driving? I think I'll try one more fill-up with Shell and then switch to Chevron if I don't see good results. Planning on doing plugs and coils at some point in the next few months. I switch to the 91oct map in the mine time to be safe.

Yeah I did it myself, its not that difficult, however, I am probably a bit more technical than the average bear. I also have quite a bit of tools at my disposal so that also helps.

From what I have seen the CSF Radiator really shouldn't be used unless its a track day car because it cools way to good (yes that's a thing) can cause the engine to fail to get up to temps quickly or regularly which causes the car to throw codes thermostat and other codes, and can lead to excessive carbon build up as well due to the car failing to get up to temp properly

I guess the upside is that the CSF won't fail from the stupid plastic endcaps the OE and other radiators fail from.

[BMW Guy]

Originally Posted by lookalikehuuh

Yeah I did it myself, its not that difficult, however, I am probably a bit more technical than the average bear. I also have quite a bit of tools at my disposal so that also helps.

From what I have seen the CSF Radiator really shouldn't be used unless its a track day car because it cools way to good (yes that's a thing) can cause the engine to fail to get up to temps quickly or regularly which causes the car to throw codes thermostat and other codes, and can lead to excessive carbon build up as well due to the car failing to get up to temp properly

I guess the upside is that the CSF won't fail from the stupid plastic endcaps the OE and other radiators fail from.

Ok. I'm at 100k so am expecting my Radiator to fail at some point so was thinking I should go ahead and upgrade it. I was also reading the reviews saying that people were struggling to get their oil temps to warm up. Maybe I'll look at reviews of people who live in hot climates to see if their oil temp also struggles to get to the proper temp. For now, I'm going to focus on getting plugs done. Should I just use OEM plugs? What should they be gaped to? Do you think I should do coils at the same time? Appreciate you!

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by BMW Guy

Ok. I'm at 100k so am expecting my Radiator to fail at some point so was thinking I should go ahead and upgrade it. I was also reading the reviews saying that people were struggling to get their oil temps to warm up. Maybe I'll look at reviews of people who live in hot climates to see if their oil temp also struggles to get to the proper temp. For now, I'm going to focus on getting plugs done. Should I just use OEM plugs? What should they be gaped to? Do you think I should do coils at the same time? Appreciate you!

I wouldn't mess with changing out the radiator until it actually begins to fail/leak.

For the plugs I would just buy the OEM Bosch plugs, they should be pre-set on gap to .8mm but it doesn't hurt to check it.

I would assume that the Dinan coil packs should still be good with just 20K on them since they don't usually take as much of a beating as the spark plugs themselves. Maybe someone else that has more experience with the Dinan ignition coils can weigh in here?

[BMW Guy]

Originally Posted by lookalikehuuh

I wouldn't mess with changing out the radiator until it actually begins to fail/leak.

For the plugs I would just buy the OEM Bosch plugs, they should be pre-set on gap to .8mm but it doesn't hurt to check it.

I would assume that the Dinan coil packs should still be good with just 20K on them since they don't usually take as much of a beating as the spark plugs themselves. Maybe someone else that has more experience with the Dinan ignition coils can weigh in here?

Should I get a magnetic spark plug socket like this?https://burgertuning.com/collections...ug-socket-tool
or one with a rubber insert like this? https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/12-...ug-socket-14mm
The plugs are pre-gaped to .8mm https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ch-12120037580
So you don't think I need to buy a gapping tool?
Also, you don't think I should buy NGK step colder plugs even though my car is tuned, and I live in a hot climate?

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by BMW Guy

Should I get a magnetic spark plug socket like this?https://burgertuning.com/collections...ug-socket-tool
or one with a rubber insert like this? https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/12-...ug-socket-14mm
The plugs are pre-gaped to .8mm https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ch-12120037580
So you don't think I need to buy a gapping tool?
Also, you don't think I should buy NGK step colder plugs even though my car is tuned, and I live in a hot climate?

Yes pick up the magnetic socket, I actually have the Burger Tuning version for probably close to a decade now without any issues. I have also owned a few with the rubber gasket insert and inevitable all of the gaskets would come out after a short period of time

I would still get a gapping tool to ensure they are correctly set, they should be since they ship with a cardboard protector I believe.

The rule of thumb nowadays is that OE plugs are the best option until you go upgraded turbos. I run an E50 "stage 2+" map kinda pushing the original turbos to the limit and I still run the OE Bosch plugs (On my car they have 3 prongs). I also live in a hot climate location (Southern California) we just don't have the digusting humidity that florida has.

[BMW Guy]

Originally Posted by lookalikehuuh

Yes pick up the magnetic socket, I actually have the Burger Tuning version for probably close to a decade now without any issues. I have also owned a few with the rubber gasket insert and inevitable all of the gaskets would come out after a short period of time

I would still get a gapping tool to ensure they are correctly set, they should be since they ship with a cardboard protector I believe.

The rule of thumb nowadays is that OE plugs are the best option until you go upgraded turbos. I run an E50 "stage 2+" map kinda pushing the original turbos to the limit and I still run the OE Bosch plugs (On my car they have 3 prongs). I also live in a hot climate location (Southern California) we just don't have the digusting humidity that florida has.

Alright. OE plugs it is.

[BMW Guy]

Update! I installed my new plugs today. After a lot of research, I decided to try out the NGK plugs to see if they improved my timing over the original plugs that I believed were bosch. I gapped the new plugs to 0.022. After pulling out the first plug, I was shocked to see that they were NGK too! The gap on them was set a lot higher than 0.022. I now kinda wish I would have bought the Bosch one's so I could have compared them to the NGK that I had been running unknowingly for the past 3k miles I had owned the car. Maybe next time. Anyway, I got the new plugs in and the car is running fine besides the occasional jump in RPM when reversing but from what I've read, that happens when you install a catless DP on the n55 motor. The coils looked fine so I'll probably wait for another 10k before replacing them. Quick questions: I didn't have a 3/8 torque wrench with me so I just got the plug's hand tight and then did like a couple-inch pull with a ratchet. Should I go out and buy a 3/8 torque wrench and go back in and torque the plugs up or will they be fine?

[3PedalJake]

Originally Posted by BMW Guy

Update! I installed my new plugs today. After a lot of research, I decided to try out the NGK plugs to see if they improved my timing over the original plugs that I believed were bosch. I gapped the new plugs to 0.022. After pulling out the first plug, I was shocked to see that they were NGK too! The gap on them was set a lot higher than 0.022. I now kinda wish I would have bought the Bosch one's so I could have compared them to the NGK that I had been running unknowingly for the past 3k miles I had owned the car. Maybe next time. Anyway, I got the new plugs in and the car is running fine besides the occasional jump in RPM when reversing but from what I've read, that happens when you install a catless DP on the n55 motor. The coils looked fine so I'll probably wait for another 10k before replacing them. Quick questions: I didn't have a 3/8 torque wrench with me so I just got the plug's hand tight and then did like a couple-inch pull with a ratchet. Should I go out and buy a 3/8 torque wrench and go back in and torque the plugs up or will they be fine?

Glad it's running well. IMO never put a torque wrench on spark plugs, they don't hold anything on, not like the engine will fall out if you don't torque them. All they have to be is tight enough not to leak, tighten them till they hit the gasket then some more until the hard stop as the gasket is compressed then stop. You're much more likely to strip the threads trying to get them to "spec".

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by BMW Guy

Ok. I'm at 100k so am expecting my Radiator to fail at some point so was thinking I should go ahead and upgrade it. I was also reading the reviews saying that people were struggling to get their oil temps to warm up. Maybe I'll look at reviews of people who live in hot climates to see if their oil temp also struggles to get to the proper temp. For now, I'm going to focus on getting plugs done. Should I just use OEM plugs? What should they be gaped to? Do you think I should do coils at the same time? Appreciate you!

Radiators tend to give a LOT of warning before they go. Basically the plastic around where the upper hose connects starts getting porous. Coolant will start oozing through it and it will be quite obvious. The other way it fails is if you try to pull the hose off. It'll literally just pull out of the radiator wall. The little nub for the overflow that leads to the expansion tank will break off as well. So long/short, unless you have these problems, don't worry about it for now. But when you need to do it, plan on doing all of the above at the same time.

[BMW Guy]

Thanks for the reply guys. I'm going to go do some logs in a couple of days to see if my timing has improved. Since this thread was originally about oil temps, would you guys mind checking out my Blackstone oil analysis, which I just got in? This oil was a little over 3k miles old. They seem to think everything is good. Do you guys think so? I know oil analysis can't really tell about potential rod-bearing issues, but do you think I'm good for now?
Thanks!