ambient temp of between 18 and 25 C.

 

However after driving for 30 mins oil temp continues to hover around 105C (RS 162 Petrol).  Just normal driving.

 

I think it's running warmer than average, what does everyone else see?

Yeah that's about right, the oil is good 130 and you'll don't get a warning till 125

My car diesel 1.6Tdi will hover around the 90°C, however at around 70-75MPH 100°C is the average. This is at a temperature of 10°C for what it's worth.

ambient temp of between 18 and 25 C.

However after driving for 30 mins oil temp continues to hover around 105C (RS 162 Petrol). Just normal driving.

I think it's running warmer than average, what does everyone else see?

Normal. Same on my rs230

Funny you should say that. Just checked my 1.4TSI under gentle country driving. Hit 90°C then dropped a few degrees when I started to go downhill on a lighter throttle .

The oil cooler is actually a heat exchanger between oil and coolant so you will get 90-100 deg in the oil pretty fast - and thats a good thing :-)

103-105 in my VRS

 

I think I topped it out at 108 after a particularly spirited drive...

Operating temps should typically be between 80-120 degrees C without an issue.

You might find that older oil heats up faster and runs higher temps than new, clean oil.

Edited 1 November, 20169 yr by James@RRGRochdale

About the same as mine. Highest I've seen it was 112c. After a "drive"

Same here on my vrs tsi.  Around town mine normally climbs and sits at 108-110C, when actually driving rather then sitting in traffic it comes down a little, motorway cruising I'd see 103-107C.

103-105 in my VRS

 

I think I topped it out at 108 after a particularly spirited drive...

 

I can say the same thing about mine.

Sits around the 105 mark and I think it hit 113 during a mountain run.

 

This is in Australia with 25-30 Celsius ambient temperature at the time.

Will be interesting to note the temp when our ambient is 30+ which it will be very soon during Summer.

The oil cooler is actually a heat exchanger between oil and coolant so you will get 90-100 deg in the oil pretty fast - and thats a good thing :-)

 

I now understand why the oil cooler is also fed by coolant - and the reason behind it.

 

As some of you would know, my new car is currently being repaired after a leak in the oil cooler - which has contaminated my coolant (but luckily, not coolant contaminating the oil).

I couldn't work out why a modern engine would possibly use engine coolant, to also cool the engine oil.... but this kind of makes sense.  It's to get the oil to operating temp quickly, because most people either A: thrash their cars before the oil is at temp, possibly causing damage, or B: don't drive their cars for long-enough to get the oil to temp.

 

BUT - this also begs the question - is it suitable on a turbo/sports version of a car, which is more likely to be driven in a "spirited manner?"

You might find that older oil heats up faster and runs higher temps than new, clean oil.

+1

 

 On my previous car for the first 5000 miles after an oil change the oil temperature would never go above 105 Celsius no matter how hard you drove, but over the next 5000 miles the maximum oil temperature would gradually rise after a spirited drive (e.g. an "Italian Tune") - the highest I ever saw was 120 Celsius (but the ambient temperature was 40 Celsius).

My VRS reached around 115deg before the last oil change. Since then it peaks at 107-108deg, so new oil definately makes a difference.

 

Regarding spinifex's issue, I would have thought water more likely to leak into the oil reservoir rather than the other way around, due to hot water being pressurised. Was there any milky residue on the dip-stick or oil cap? I also belive that air cools the water, which in turn cools the oil, which in turn cools and lubricates the engine. I am not a mechanic, so anyone with more knowledge please correct me if I am wrong.

Edited 2 November, 20169 yr by Orville

Yes the water is pressurised, but so is the oil, within 3,5 - 5 bar normally.

Wouldn't oil-pressure drop to near atmosperic once the engine (oil pump) is turned off, but water-pressure remain high until it cools down? Speaking from a position of ignorance I would prefer to lift the oil cap off immediately after a long-run than remove the water cap.

 

I know that the oil pump continues running for a minute or two after engine turn-off, so perhaps this allows sufficient time for water to cool, but at some point I imagine the water will be higher-pressurised than the oil.

I'm seeing temps of around 70-80C at 0C ambient at a steady 100km/h cruise. 

 

I was interested to note that the DEFA electrical warming system is - at least for the 1.0, haven't checked the others - an oil pan warmer, rather than a block or coolant warmer. That's the first time I've seen that, but if all the cooling systems were bundled together, then it makes a lot of sense.

 

 - Bret

I was interested to note that the DEFA electrical warming system is - at least for the 1.0, haven't checked the others - an oil pan warmer, rather than a block or coolant warmer. That's the first time I've seen that, but if all the cooling systems were bundled together, then it makes a lot of sense.

 

 - Bret

 

It warms the planet more than the oil pan, I think...

Luckily I have Webasto...

It warms the planet more than the oil pan, I think...

Hyvin mahdollista

Luckily I have Webasto...

mulla myös!  

 

...and back to my first language: Yes, it's possible the solution is suboptimal, I was very surprised to see it like that. I also found the other day that the Webasto refuses to start when the fuel light is on, which was a new learning for me, but it seems very effective at pre-heating the engine. Don't know if I will spend the money on the DEFA yet.

 

 - Bret

............Regarding spinifex's issue, I would have thought water more likely to leak into the oil reservoir rather than the other way around, due to hot water being pressurised. Was there any milky residue on the dip-stick or oil cap? I also believe that air cools the water, which in turn cools the oil, which in turn cools and lubricates the engine..........

 

You're correct with most of that.  Apparently the oil is pumped at much higher pressure than the water, so the contamination has only occurred in one direction (the "safer" direction).... there was no contamination of the oil that I could identify, and the mechanics have taken samples of the oil once the car was towed there and have confirmed no contamination.  Oil looked like it had just been poured out of a fresh bottle.

 

It's odd that there isn't some sort of valve arrangement so that ambient air cools a "traditional" oil cooler, for when people drive it like they stole it...... with a separate "oil heating" circuit for warming the oil with engine coolant, when it's too cold and not at operating temp yet.  Considering the tech and engineering in today's cars, I don't think this would be TOO difficult to accomplish.... maybe it's already been done in some engines?

How is your oil consumption for mk III VRS TSI?

 

Mine has done 11,500 km (first oil change service is due at 15.000km) and had to pour 2 liters in that time, one liter two month ago and yesterday another liter as waring to check oil level came up during the drive.

 

Has anyone had to top up oil before the first service?

Just completed 10,000 km in my MK III vRS TSI and not needed to add any oil at all.

 

My engine oil temp runs at about 104C.  I'm also waiting to see what happens in South Australia when the temperature hits 40+C  in the summer

this morning, -2C ambient, 88-90C at 100km/h on the motorway. 

 

 - Bret

I'm seeing temps of around 70-80C at 0C ambient at a steady 100km/h cruise.

I was interested to note that the DEFA electrical warming system is - at least for the 1.0, haven't checked the others - an oil pan warmer, rather than a block or coolant warmer. That's the first time I've seen that, but if all the cooling systems were bundled together, then it makes a lot of sense.

- Bret

Bit off-topic, but the "official" heating element they propose is indeed the passive element that just heats the oil pan -BUT- if you ask "what about the system with the recirculation pump?", they will quote and install it for around 100€ more and that is the one to go for in case you don't have the factory fitted Webasto.

It is not the recommended option for this car but it is for instance available for the A3 and my dealer contact, even without me saying anything, started to recommend the system with pump, saying that the passive one was not that good on properly cold days.

----edit----

If anyone is interested on the part numbers, I can fetch them

Edited 3 November, 20169 yr by Jaco2k

My petrol mark 3 vrs (220bhp manual) seems to sit at around 105 degrees.  On a longer motorway drive it will drop a bit to around 102 and around town up to about 110.  When it was really hot last month, it crept to 111.  All quite normal I think.

I thought this seemed a bit high but I believe modern engines heat up quicker using thinner oil for emissions reasons, and it runs fine.  It does use a little oil but we'll within tolerance according to the handbook (8k miles, topped up about 1.5 litres).  No smoke from exhaust or leaks on the drive so I can only assume that the thinner oil is used up during normal combustion more that a thicker blend would be.

I had a mark 2 diesel vrs before and that never used oil between services, and I have no idea what the operating oil temperature was as there wasn't a readout for it.  It regenned reasonably frequently but never really went wrong in 7 Years and 80000+ miles.