VW Amarok 2.0 TDI - Oil getting hot towing & Interval

Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
6
Hi,

My 2015 VW Amarok 2.0 diesel oil temperature gets to approx. 140c+ (284f+) peak when towing up a long hill. It will sit around 130c to 135c (266f to 275f).
Factory fill is Castrol EDGE 5W-30 LL. I tow regularly.

Would switching to a suitable 0W-40 or 5W-40 protect the engine better when towing? If yes, any suggestions?

Also, factory interval is 15,000km (9320 miles), should I be changing it sooner given the the temps I see?

Thanks.
 
Hi,

My 2015 VW Amarok 2.0 diesel oil temperature gets to approx. 140c+ (284f+) peak when towing up a long hill. It will sit around 130c to 135c (266f to 275f).
Factory fill is Castrol EDGE 5W-30 LL. I tow regularly.

Would switching to a suitable 0W-40 or 5W-40 protect the engine better when towing? If yes, any suggestions?

Also, factory interval is 15,000km (9320 miles), should I be changing it sooner given the the temps I see?

Thanks.
Switch to VW511.00. That is short term solution!
Only solution is radiator type oil cooler, or bigger heat exchanger.
Depending on location you could go bigger coolant radiator. If you are in colder climate, forget that. Oil cooler with thermostat at around 110c is the ONLY way.
 
Try not running with the pedal to the metal . When driving Semis running pedal to the metal would cause the coolant and oil temps to sky rocket, so I would drop a gear and use less gas pedal and the temps would drop.
 
Try not running with the pedal to the metal . When driving Semis running pedal to the metal would cause the coolant and oil temps to sky rocket, so I would drop a gear and use less gas pedal and the temps would drop.
Dropping gear means higher rpms if same or similar speed. Oil temperature is skyrocketing with rpms.
2.0 TDI, redline starts probably around 4,500-4,700 rpm. 3,000 would be optimal.
 
My 2015 VW Amarok 2.0 diesel oil temperature gets to approx. 140c+ (284f+) peak when towing up a long hill. It will sit around 130c to 135c (266f to 275f).
Factory fill is Castrol EDGE 5W-30 LL. I tow regularly.
Would switching to a suitable 0W-40 or 5W-40 protect the engine better when towing? If yes, any suggestions?
Also, factory interval is 15,000km (9320 miles), should I be changing it sooner given the the temps I see?

What location? Your oil temps of 130 - 140°C usually mean coolant temps
like 120°C or above. That's when the ECU definitely reduces power.
I'd check radiator, thermostat and water pump for issues first and if these
are ok fit a bigger radiator and heat exchanger. Even smarter maybe towing
less on hotter days!
.
 
What location? Your oil temps of 130 - 140°C usually mean coolant temps
like 120°C or above. That's when the ECU definitely reduces power.
I'd check radiator, thermostat and water pump for issues first and if these
are ok fit a bigger radiator and heat exchanger. Even smarter maybe towing
less on hotter days!
.
Fitting bigger radiator will create warming up issues and heating in winter. It is diesel, it dissipates heat fast. I would check everything, but this is oil temperature issue

Nothing that Mishimoto 10 row cooler cannot resolve.
 
I tow a 1500kg caravan with a tiny 1.5 litre 3 cylinder 122hp diesel engine in a Vauxhall Inisgnia.

On motorways I tow at 60mph. 6th gear when towing is an absolute no-go. So I have two real choices, 5th gear ~2000pm or 4th gear ~2500rpm. 5th sometimes struggles with inclines which means I have to drop into 4th anyway. So now I just leave it in 4th gear with cruise control set to 60mph and let it chug along.

What's interesting is my oil temperatures and EGT's are significantly less in 4th gear at 2500rpm than 5th at 2000rpm.

I see oil temperatures of 130-140°c on long inclines. It very quickly cools and drops to ~100°c once the road flattens out.

My engine specifies a 0w20 Dexos D oil. I use a *w30 or *w40 Dexos 2 oil in it instead.
 
OP, one thing you could immediately do is to lower coolant concentration in favor of distilled water. 30/70% instead of 50/50%.
VW engines are very finicky in terms of coolant. That and VW rated coolants are premixed. I'd see if the coolant needs to be changed out rather than top it with distilled water, and of course whether you've filled a generic coolant rather than a VW rated one.
 
VW engines are very finicky in terms of coolant. That and VW rated coolants are premixed. I'd see if the coolant needs to be changed out rather than top it with distilled water, and of course whether you've filled a generic coolant rather than a VW rated one.
Audi specifically says to use 10% coolant on track.
 
I'm running 25% myself when I go tracking or hillclimbing. I don't go lower than that as it's easier to up the concentration to useable winter levels again. I don't need to drain everything, just the expansion tank a few times.
 
I'm running 25% myself when I go tracking or hillclimbing. I don't go lower than that as it's easier to up the concentration to useable winter levels again. I don't need to drain everything, just the expansion tank a few times.
That is what I do, 20-30% for track. In the winter it is not hard to top up. I think Audi is as low as 10%.
 
25% is still protecting down to -15°C or so, and we rarely get that. I won't try it, if there's frost in the forecast I increase the concentration until may of the next year.
 
I have a question about oil temperatures if someome can explain. Most engines measure the oil temps in the sump. Can we assume that the oil reaching the moving parts of the engine is acually cooler than the temp reading on the dash if the engine is equipped with an oil to water heat exchanger?
 
I have a question about oil temperatures if someome can explain. Most engines measure the oil temps in the sump. Can we assume that the oil reaching the moving parts of the engine is acually cooler than the temp reading on the dash if the engine is equipped with an oil to water heat exchanger?

No, in a lot of scenarios the oil is colder than the coolant and the coolant is maintaining the oil temperature.

For example the engine my my Vauxhall Insignia, when cruising follows the coolant temperature almost to within 0.5°c.

Only when I really start to load the engine up (90mph up long hills, towing a caravan or generally hooning about) does the oil temp start to surpass the coolant temp.

Do most engines measure the oil temperature at the sump? I must say I've never seen a sensor on the sump.
 
Back
Top