Oil temps: Summer vs Winter

[Snagglefoot]

For all you lucky Bitoggers who have oil temp gages can you give us an idea of what oil temps you get when the ambient temps are freezing vs when they are hot. Just curious since many of us will go up a grade in the summer and back down in the winter. My next change will be 5w30 after having 5w40 in my truck this past summer. Thanks.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Back when I had my A4 (1.8T engine), I would see oil temp around 200F during summer and around 175F during winter, when ambient temps were near freezing point. In wife's Q5, I really don't notice much difference between seasons - it seems to hover around 190-200F all year long, from what I've observed. It just takes longer to get to those temps during winter. Similar story in the Charger, although I don't drive it much during winter.

 

[OilUzer]

Also depends on where the sensor is located. But I recall 10-20°F difference. Have to check my excel sheets. Combination of higher viscosity in the summer, the ambient temp and more load ...

 

[JLTD]

Higher in summer, lower in winter. Oil coolers tend to mitigate. Stop and go traffic make it worse. Nothing surprising.

 

[Audios]

My 97 1.8t also had one, I remember consistent 205 with syn, and 225 or so with conventional 15/40 (circa 2001 oils) It would maybe drop 5-10 degrees when cold, and hung there a bit but usually got up to normal operating temp in time. I dont really recall 2 separate temps though, it was almost always in the 205 area, probably from the oil cooler warming. The E46 M3 used to run safely below the 210 mid mark on the gauge, probably 200 or so in the winters when I used to drive it then, and 210 in summer. The M5 will always be dead center or a little over 210, tons of heat in the engine bay. The oil temp gauge is my favorite in the clusters, I feel its a more accurate display of engine temps when you can see the slight fluctuations when slowing down to traffic from highway speeds, or in traffic. Edit: I also remember the Caravans we rented a few years ago showed between 195-200 on the oil temp on our trips.

 

[barryh]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

For all you lucky Bitoggers who have oil temp gages can you give us an idea of what oil temps you get when the ambient temps are freezing vs when they are hot. Just curious since many of us will go up a grade in the summer and back down in the winter. My next change will be 5w30 after having 5w40 in my truck this past summer. Thanks.

I was surprised when I did the comparison for Helix Ultra 5W30 vs 5W40 If the 5W30 runs only 7 Deg F cooler it's the same kinematic viscosity at typical operating temperatures. The 5W30 would run cooler anyway without taking ambient temperature into account.

 

[RamFan]

I don't have a gauge with temps, but I'm the Spring/Summer I'll be at 4 bars which is the halfway point. In Fall/Winter the gauge stops as 3 bars. Typically if it's 50*F outside or less it's 3 bars tops.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

With modern oil coolers that are water cooled instead of air, the difference between summer and winter is not much. Maybe 5 degrees C.

 

[TiGeo]

Over the winter (ambient around freezing) at full operating temp on the highway, 219. Summer (ambient temp in the mid-90s) will see up to 225. 2018 VW Golf Sportwagen 1.8, stage 1 tuned.

 

[Touring5]

Interesting information that confirms something I've suspected. I've often seen people talk about why they need a "stouter" oil because live in a hot summer climate, yet it would seem that there's little difference in say summer in Arizona versus summer in Maine as far as oil stress goes.

 

[PimTac]

Running summer and winter grades of oil is a throwback to the straight grade days. That was 50 years ago or more. There is no need to change these days.

 

[Touring5]

Originally Posted by PimTac

Running summer and winter grades of oil is a throwback to the straight grade days. That was 50 years ago or more. There is no need to change these days.

I was referring to the argument that one needs a Xw40 oil over a Xw30 one because it's so hotter than another part of the country.

 

[FA_WRX]

Ive seen a 10 or so degree change summer to winter temps. Summer is warmer for sure.

 

[jongies3]

My Buick has a coolant temp gauge in the info menu. It runs about 180 on cool mornings on my 70 mile drive to work, and if it's a hot day when I head home, it fluctuates between 190 and 201. I imagine oil temp is about 20 degrees hotter at any given time, that's how it is according to the gauge in my semi, a 2013 Kenworth T800 that has both a oil and water temp gauge.

 

[Skippy722]

The 300 seems to keep its oil around 185-190, coolant runs 195-200. The van is always around 195-200 for oil and coolant.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

Originally Posted by Touring5

Originally Posted by PimTac

Running summer and winter grades of oil is a throwback to the straight grade days. That was 50 years ago or more. There is no need to change these days.

I was referring to the argument that one needs a Xw40 oil over a Xw30 one because it's so hotter than another part of the country.

That's the question he answered. You haven't needed to change grades for winter/summer in 40+ years. Nor does someone in Phoenix need a 40 grade while someone in Portland needs a 30 grade.

 

[Vaca]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot

For all you lucky Bitoggers who have oil temp gages can you give us an idea of what oil temps you get when the ambient temps are freezing vs when they are hot. Just curious since many of us will go up a grade in the summer and back down in the winter. My next change will be 5w30 after having 5w40 in my truck this past summer. Thanks.

My 2016 VW Passat 1.8t (EA888 gen 3) runs oil temps of ~205 maximum during the warmest summer months and I'd say significantly lower during the winter at ~185 to ~190. I'm in Pennsylvania most of the time so the typical low temps during the winter are 10F to 30F. The car is stock with an oil-to-coolant heat exchanger and also an oil temperature readout on the dash. The ~20F difference between hot summer and cold winter certainly affects the viscosity of the oil in the bearings and the rest of the engine at least to a certain degree. Though I doubt it matters much. I use the same oil year round, but I'd think changing viscosities from summer to winter might not be quite as crazy as some on this board might believe.

 

[Benzadmiral]

My late BMW 328i had an oil temp gauge, but I never saw freezing temps while I owned that car. Seems to me the summer heat would send the gauge to about 210-220.

 

[burla]

Originally Posted by PimTac

Running summer and winter grades of oil is a throwback to the straight grade days. That was 50 years ago or more. There is no need to change these days.

That's linear thinking right there, as in your only consideration is having to move thinner for winter. But plenty of people want to run a thicker oil in summer because oils are getting so thin and with heat of summer the oil is even thinner. So unless you already run a little thicker then these jokes of epa fuel mileage oils, then there is a real reason to consider going thicker for summer protection. Some people run thin, some people run thick, some people run thick in summer thin in winter, and to each their own is all I have to say on the subject.