I've looked in the archives, and aside from an article about
a VR6 actually overheating ... I didn't see any information
that indicates what the "normal" operating temperature range
would be ...

I was driving back from lunch today (about 85 degrees out),
cruising at 80mph with the A/C on.  Just out of curiousity,
I brought up the oil temp readout, and it was reading 230.
This seems quite high to me ... I mean I know these engines
run hot, but 230??

It seems that the fan kicks into high gear almost every time
I drive the car if I'm running the A/C (on or off the highway),
and in the past, I've noted temps in the 220's quite commonly.

FYI, my car's a 98 with 9k miles on it, so I wouldn't think
the thermostat would be gunked up already, would it?!

TIA,
-Bob Hodgeman
 '98 Black

Perfectly normal.  I'd say anything above 235 (unless racing or high speed
running) would be too high for daily driving.

On Aug 18,  7:08pm, Bob Hodgeman wrote:
> I was driving back from lunch today (about 85 degrees out),
> cruising at 80mph with the A/C on.  Just out of curiousity,
> I brought up the oil temp readout, and it was reading 230.
> This seems quite high to me ... I mean I know these engines
> run hot, but 230??

On a hot day, with A/C on, I would say that's normal.  I'm running with the
cooler fan switch and cooler thermostat in my '95 GLX, and I see temps that
high whenever I have the A/C on, it's 90+ degrees out, and I'm tooling around
in city traffic.

>From what I've gathered, the VR6 is a pretty solid engine.  It can handle the
high temps that it often is subjected to.  ...Back when I had a radiator fan
problem, my oil temp on occasion reached the 270's.  That worried me.  But,
I've not seen any detrimental effects from it.

I wouldn't worry about it, unless your water temp gauge starts creeping up.

Dave

BTW:  Since certain events transpired before this past weekend, most of the
discussion on this list has been, believe it or not, CAR-RELATED!  I think it's
quite refreshing, myself!

Bob Hodgeman wrote:
>
> I was driving back from lunch today (about 85 degrees out),
[...] 9 lines deleted

Sounds fine.

Mine hangs out at ~218 most of the time, but I've seen it as high as 225.
I almost never use the A/C though...

--
Scott Solmonson  // Technical Support \\ Resonate Inc.
                                  \|/
V: 650.967.6500 x127         scosolresonate
F: 650.967.6561                   /|\
Page me: ................. p.scosolresonate

"I'm like Jojo, the idiot circus boy with a pretty new pet."

I've seen my oil temp as high as 265. Mobil 1, highway, 95+ ambient temps,
100+ MPH.

Josh

[...]
--
Josh Tibbs
xjoshone
http://w3.one.net/~xjosh/

[...]
  For reference purposes to the guys talking about oil temps yesterday:  I did
a 1 hour freeway trip yesterday at about 75 - 80 mph, and had about 242 oil
temp. Out side temp was 87 and it was flat territory.  I think the owners
manual says reduce the load when the temp approaches 293 F.  This seems to be
a pretty good margin. I'll admit I was shocked to see it this high...but then
I remembered my old air cooler VWs running close to 300 oil temps.
 Thanks in advance for any information.   Chris,-- 89 GTI VR6, Cool White,
Bone Stock, 400 miles,

<<Date: 11 Jan 99 11:27:24 -0800
From: "JASILVA.US.ORACLE" <JASILVAus.oracle>
Subject: [gti-vr6] Oil Temp.

SNIPPAGE

I am wondering if mine is a little high now, I am usually around 208*.  What
is a normal range?  I'm in Cali. and running Mobil1 10/30.

Sincerely,
Joe Silva '98 Ginster VR6 "Bigbird">>

Joe,

My temps run in the 230-240 degree range during the summer months and hard
driving.  I have never seen my oil temp above 244.  208 is just fine, and if
you are running that under hard driving, then you must have one special VR6!

Regards,
Manny Rodrigues
Denver, Colorado
1998 Volkswagen GTI VR6: This is Black Sunshine . . .
http://members.aol.com/velodiesel/mannyweb.html

>My temps run in the 230-240 degree range during the summer months and hard
>driving.  I have never seen my oil temp above 244.  208 is just fine, and if
>you are running that under hard driving, then you must have one special VR6!

My oil temp reached a whopping 270 deg in about 100+ deg ambient temp after
doing 130 mph. Oil temp is bout 230+ after hard driving even in the winter.
208 is normal. My reaches almost 220 in normal driving in the winter.

el

---
Eric Liew
Information Technologies Manager
NKH&W, Inc.
600 Broadway, 5th Floor
Kansas City, MO 64105

Voice:	(816) 842-8881
Direct:	(816) 460-3025
Fax:		(816) 842-1156

<<Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 13:11:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jesse Witt <jhwittyahoo>
Subject: [gti-vr6] 6-Speed

SNIP I drive SF to Denver once or twice a year, which begs for extended
periods of high speed, but I get nervous when the oil temp starts shooting
up at high rpms. SNIP>>

When you say high oil temps...exactly how high do you mean?  I regularly run
in the high 240's and low 250's when zooming up mountain passes here in
Colorado during the warmer months.  I know for a fact Enrique was hitting
the low 250's when racing his GTI at the One Lap of America stop at Pike's
Peak International Raceway.  It's really nothing to worry about...

Are you running synthetic?  I am using Mobil 1 15W-50.  (Please don't start
an oil thread off of this one guys!)

Regards,
Manny

I need to get new lines for mine, so its off at the moment, but w/an oil
cooler my car has only gotten up to 226 once. Otherwise its stayed
around 218 in 100+ temps on highway trips.

Philip

[...] 7 lines deleted

I was running fresh Castrol GTX 20W-50 on my last
trip, and hit low 260s on the temp guage.

[...] 39 lines deleted

I got you all beat.  Following an SC400 and a Camaro across Alligator Alley
(I-75 in southern Florida) at 95-115 for about an hour, I got the oil
(Castrol Syntec 5W50) up to around 280!

JD

[...] 56 lines deleted

Blake Willis <blakewcais> wrote:
>Wow...  I've never seen my oil temp go above 240, and that was at 85 mph on
>a 100+ degree day with the AC on.  I think the Bentley sez that max oil temp
>is 260, right?  Hope you had synthetic oil in there like I do (Mobil 1 20w50
>in summer, 10w30 in winter).

I hit 260 yesterday driving across Idaho.  I was only
going 100mph, but it was uphill, at a fairly high elevation  and
against a nasty headwind.    That's the highest I've seen it.
I really want an oil cooler now.
I know the coolers out there have a bypass valve so they won't
cool the oil if it's cold.  I want to know is that bypass 100%
effective?  I drive in very very cold temps too and I don't want
something that will prevent the oil from warming up to proper operatin
temps.

BTW.. Here's another interesting picture I took yesterday.
I had to mess with the contrast because the flash almost
obliterated the gauges but the picture is legit.

http://members.home.com/frechett/spdo151-crop.jpg

	ian

i was doing 85mph this morning, A/C on -- 80 degrees out..running just
above 220.  i do not, however, have a roof rack.
when you cruise at 70, in 5th i assume, what does your tach read at?  from
memory, my 98 does 70 in 5th right at or near 3k.

perhaps the roofrack adds a lot of drag?

Konuas

Jeffrey Marotzke writes:

> I was driving today and saw my oil was at 244 degrees. I was
>  going about 70 mph on the freeway with my roof rack on and
>  the air running.  The outside temp was 70 degree. 244 seems hot.
>
> Jeff

244 does seem hot for 70 OAT indicated.  I've seen up to 250-260 with a/c on,
little car movement, and 85-90 degree days.  Anything over 250 really
requires turn off the a/c and do something different- keep your "baby" cool.
Of course, I always run and recommend synthetic (15W50 in the summertime
months).
Keeping the engine cool at sustained high speeds in a VR6 is tricky.  It's a
hot running engine with little airflow through the engine bay for high speed
usage.  One customer who does DE events on the track regularly saw 270 degree
temps.  Oil cooler helped tremendously, and I usually recommend them to all
of my southern customers.  Always (for street use) buy an oil cooler with a
thermostat.

Mark Rosenkrantz
Marker510aol

That is normal for me.  I am in the South so that may have something
to do with it.  I run 20-50 Mobile 1 and that I typically see around
226-236 at 80 mph.  If at a stop light or something like that it will
go down to around 212-220.  My coolant is always straight up.  The
manual says that as long as it is below 300 its normal (that would be
scary).

Gavin
'98 with 98k

From
Subject: Re: [gti-vr6] Over heating??
From: Boris <velshedaprodigy.mx>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 20:19:20 -0500
To: listgti-vr6

...286°F? That really must be like being in hell!! Ok thanks for replying my
question. I'll keep an eye over the thermostat, coz the fans keep running
too loud. As I mentioned before, the temp. raised from 220°F to 232-236°F in
matter of a month maybe. I don't think it is a weather problem and when i
get to a stop the temp. remains the same. For the water temp concern, it's
ok, the needle remains in the center. The coolant remains on top also and im
running Castrol GTX, by far the best oil i've tested over Quaker or Mobil 1.
I'll be looking fwd for any other comments ok?
Thanks again,
Latas

Boris

'98 Still HOT-MEX Ed.

If I am running pretty fast on a hot day, my oil temp will read around
236-240. During normal driving it will stay under 228. If you are running
Mobil 1 or another GOOD synthetic, then the high temps are no problem. The
VR6 was designed to run higher oil temps than other cars. Use good oil,
preferably synthetic, and you will have nothing to worry about.

Adrian

280°F running at the track to.....the last AARRF event i was at, 8 laps
around a 1.3 mile track, nearly all of it spend above 5000 rpms.    I
would let her cool down to 200 before i would go out again....

aaron...

I can remember as high as 278 at Kershaw and I was worried that it
might seize right then and there.  No problems and no consumption.  I
will pay attention to my temps at VIR and post them.  BTW:  I will be
driving Dragons back this weekend (pray no rain).  WWWWHHHHEEEEE