My M3 Project Will Never Run Hot Again Thanks to This Gigantic Oil Cooler

Last summer I picked up an E46-generation BMW M3 with over 280,000 miles on the clock. Though it looked nice on the surface, most of the suspension was shot, while several other items were in desperate need of replacement. I’ve since improved a whole bunch of stuff, and the car drives a lot better than it used to. But one thing was still nagging me: the oil temps.

Anytime I drove this car in warm weather, the oil temperature gauge would read past the middle 210-degree marking. Under normal cruising it would never run hot enough to become an issue, but it still irked me. Even more worrisome, the temps would spike to 250-plus degrees if I made multiple trips to redline. It was the reason I decided to call it quits early during the car’s first autocross. This past weekend I finally installed a solution.

FCP Euro was nice enough to send over one of its track-ready solutions for the E46 M3’s oil cooling problems: A high-performance aluminum oil cooler made by CSF. It can hold twice as much oil as the OEM unit, and bolts right into the car without any additional modifications needed. It’s the go-to upgrade for track rats who push their M3s to the limit, and the easiest solution for my pesky temperature spikes.