Author Topic: Oil temps? (Read 2664 times)

Genious · « **on:** December 27, 2006, 08:25:40 pm »

What oil temps are most of you running on the highways?

Most of the posts I have searched through talk about oil temps in relation to the stock oil guage. Since I don't have a stock guage this doesn't help me. I need numbers.

I have a 1.6TD out of a 85 Jetta that is in my Suzuki Samurai. I removed the stock oil cooler/heat exchanger and put a perma cool air to oil cooler in front of my radiator. On the highway I am runnig coolant temps around 200F and EGT temps (post turbo) around 880F. My oil temps after about 15 miles gets up to 230-235F. Are these temps in the "normal" range or should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Jim

Genious · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2006, 10:39:03 pm »

Where's the luv guys? Does my breath stink, or is it that we just don't have many numerical temp guages out there? :?

tbro · « **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2006, 11:51:50 pm »

Jim, I can only talk from limited experience, but 230 degree F is the upper limit I was always told by more knowledgeable people than me. My air cooled VW's in the past would run 190-220 and had no issues at that temp. Diesels may run hotter, but I think anything above 230 for an extended period of time would eventually take its toll on lubrication of bearings.

hillfolk'r · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2006, 01:07:10 am »

im runnin a stock vw oil temp guage
it reads in C
the most ive seen on a 100 deg.f. day was like 115c maybe 120 at the most when beating on it
most of the time it stays around 95-105c
i stil l want to add an aux cooler though

Genious · « **Reply #4 on:** December 29, 2006, 07:02:32 am »

Thanks guys. Now it is time to start searching for a bigger oil cooler.

therabbittree · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2006, 06:37:49 pm »

If you remove the factory water to oil cooler it will run that hot and even hotter..i had seen 250! i had my td running with out it years ago and i put it back on quick. if you are running synthetic too..that will help ALOT. get the water to oil cooler on and use thermostatic sandwich to attach your air oil cooler.
Later
Deo

jtanguay · « **Reply #6 on:** December 31, 2006, 08:41:47 am »

i personally love the oil/coolant exchanger... i've had mine go south on me but thats alright... it really helps the motor get up to temperature quick, and probably prolongs the life of the turbo by doing so. yet on the highway my coolant temps get pretty high...

i've been looking for a sandwich plate that would work with the stock cooler, and have come up with none

anyone know a setup that will work with the stock setup???

speedy · « **Reply #7 on:** December 31, 2006, 11:34:25 am »

Oil temps are one of those subjects that can lead to a religious war. I have not had any experience with oil temps in VW diesels, yet... but in other cars I have run with oil temps that make many people cringe. I regularly saw 250 in my air-cooled VW bus with no issues whatsoever. In my Mustang, with a 347 stroker V-8 going 10/10ths around a road course in south Texas in the summertime, I regularly see over 300 degrees despite a large AL radiator and oil-water cooler. Once I even saw 320 but generally I start to back off the gas a bit when the temp goes over 280. At or below 280, it's pedal-to-the-metal. I have verified my temp senders as accurate within 5 degrees using boiling water and an IR pyrometer. I use only Mobil One - I would not run these temps without a good full-synthetic oil.

So to answer your question, assuming you are running synthetic oil, I would not have any problem with 230 degrees, or even 250 degrees sustained. Above that, with a turbo I might err on the side of caution and take steps to lower the temp below 250. Of course, make sure your gauge is accurate before you do anything else.

-David

Powjetta · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2007, 12:17:52 pm »

I installed a sandwich plate on my 1.6 NA over the weekend and a temp sensor in the side with no cooler on yet to monitor oil temps. As I suspected the oil was getting warm. I didn't calibrate the sensor, it was all VDO stuff from Eguages and the oil seemed to run steady state at 220 - 230 degrees F on the highway. Pulling long hills wide open raised it to 245 deg and my coolant stayed at 190 most of the time.
This explained why after getting off the freeway and stopping at the light my coolant temp would start to climb while stopped or with a light load. I will be installing the cooler, I got one of those plate B&M types and monitoring the effectiveness. These temps are with outside air at mid forties. I hate to think what was going on last summer when it was hot.
How many engines are like mine with no cooler? I am running the chevron delo 400 15w40 as the car is garaged and doesn't see low temps at all.

jtanguay · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2007, 01:20:52 pm »

n/a's don't really need the cooler... unless they've been modded and its still pretty iffy..

if you think those temps are hot, you can just imagine what the turbo does to the oil