My tsi normally sits with its oil temperature in the range 103C to 106C, but a few times recently I've noticed it above that a degree or 2 and been surprised as I've neither been driving hard, nor was the ambient temperature high.

 

 I've just driven through London, Crystal Palace to Euston and back, was in a bit of a rush on the way and driving a bit hard but nothing nuts, just hard acceleration away from lights and so on, as the fiancee had a train to catch.  However I was sedate again on the way home, yet 30 minutes in to the homeward journey the oil temperature was at 110C and there it stayed until I was home.  Ambient temperature was 14C and it was (is) raining moderately hard.  Water temperature was sat at 90C, where it always does.  Should I be worried about the warmer than normal oil temperature?

 

doubt its related, but I think I may have a tiny coolant leak.  I've never seen spots on the garage floor but I had to top the coolant up again recently as it had dropped half way down between min and max in the header tank.  I topped it up twice in the first moth of ownership as it dropped, I presumed as it got little airlocks out, but the car is now almost 11 months old so the recent top up has me thinking there is a tiny leak.  I intend to tell the dealer when it goes for its first service shortly, and am checking regularly in the meantime.

 

So, should I mention the oil temps to the dealer too?

oh yes, and it has shell vpower nitro +, as usual.

Doesn't sound excessive to me but i have an oil burner. Other tsi owners will undoubtedly shed some light on it

Snet with speeling mistkaes from my phoen

Sounds normal to me, especially if you were giving it a bit more than normal.

 

Don't forget it's not just the oil that heats up that little bit more, so does the engine block, turbo etc and all that heat soak has to go somewhere. The slightly higher temp shows the oil is doing it's job by removing additional heat as well as lubricating.

yes maybe, but according to the manual 110C is the highest it should be (top of normal range...page 26  Oil temperature If the engine oil temperature is in the range 80-110 °C, the engine operating temperature is reached. If the temperature lies below 80 °C or above 110 °C, avoid high engine revs, full throttle and high engine loads).  I know I was in a rush to get to a train station, and driving harder than normal for a bit, but not that hard....its central london, stop start traffic, speed cameras, pedestrians, cyclists, other cars and ....the SWMBO spped limiter sat next to me  .  So all in all, I'm surprised to see it at 110C.  I guess I'll just keep an eye on it but shan't bother saying anything to the dealer for now.

Less oil will run hoter than more oil, have you checked the dipstick, if its coming up fo service its possibly running slightly low with London traffic.

Yep thought of that.  I check the oil regularly.  Its dropped ever so slightly from when it got its post run in oil and filter change at 2K miles, but not much.  It was maybe 1/5 down from the top mark when last checked a few weeks ago.  However I popped the bonnet before reversing the car into the garage (that passenger door open/bonnet release thing is a pain) and I'll check again in the morning, when cold.  Had a quick peek at the coolant too...on the top mark...but that is a warm reading, need to check that again in the morning too, think it may have lost a few ml again.

In popping the bonnet before reversing in to the garage I also discovered a 'Simply clever feature'  the windscreen wipers won't wipe if the bonnet is not fully shut...makes sense I guess, given where the wipers park

110deg is normal, and the oil will safely run up to 140 without degrading.

The coolant leak (if pink) is likely a faulty water pump seal. I had mine replaced 3 weeks after new. If your leak persists take it to the Dealers.

Once again, 110 is normal operating temp for the 2l TSI engine. I have seen mine go up to 114 and have no concerns.

Edited 5 May, 201511 yr by Orville

Thanks Orville, yes I remember you had your water pump changed for a leak, that is my guess too.  I'll get it checked/pressure tested when in for its service and let the delears hunt it out though.  The leak is tiny, but I'm pretty sure it's there.  Checked coolant this morning when cold and it's down a mm below Max so it's dropped ever so slightly since I topped it up a month and ~1000 miles ago.

 

Thanks for the oil temp reassurance too.  I wonder if it's slightly hotter now the engine is run in, or now the oil has a few more miles under its belt.  It also occurred to me that I don't normally check oil temp, once up to >80C, when driving around town.  My belief it normally sits 102 to 106 is mainly from motorway driving when I check it more.  I guess slower town driving equals less cooling air flow and might be the cause of a few degrees difference.

What Orville said , I used to worry about high oil temps but then I heard that the Aston Martin Le Mans cars run at over 140 degrees for the entire race