Towing with Skoda 2L diesel
I purchased new Skoda Octavia 2L diesel 18 months ago to tow Bailey Ranger 500/5 (MTPLM 1180 kgs). Tows really well with exception that oil temperature gauge shows oil exceeding 125 degrees Centigrade on 12% incline. Unfortunately Skoda Octavia users manual says it should not exceed 110 degrees. This oil temperature was recorded in uk when ambient temperature was only 20 degrees C. The Sales literature against which I purchased the car said it was capable of pulling a 1600 kgs caravan up a 12% incline.
After 18 months of protracted discussions with Skoda UK they have no solution and they do not offer an alternative oil cooler for towing. After some investigation with other Volkswagon Group 2L diesel engines and all Skoda 2L diesel engines the overheating of the oil is common throughout the range when towing caravans.
I discussed the problem with Castrol oil company whoSE oil the VAG group recommend. They said it should not exceed 110 degrees centigrade otherwise engine bearing wear will occur.
So if you are towing with 2L Skoda, Volkswagon, Audi, Seat engines you are likely to experience overheating of the engine oil when towing in ambient temperatures above 20 degrees centigrade.
The sad thing is that I towed the same caravan for 5 years with my old Skoda Octavia 2L diesel which did not have an oil temperature gauge. I don't know if the oil overheated or not, although the oil cooler was larger and different design.
Comments
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Not come across this before and there are plenty of people on here towing with various VW Group cars with that engine, me included. Do any of the Skoda or VW forums shed any light on this - or a solution? Lats summer we were towing into Europe with ambient temperatures in the high 30's and the coolant temperature rose on some long uphill autobahn sections, however it also rapidly dropped when going down hill again.
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Do you know which oil is being used? Without going into nerdy detail VAG do have different specifications and viscosities which could be used in that engine - one is 5/30 and one is 5/40. The thicker 5/40 will be a better oil to use for towing/motorway work etc, the 5/30 better for short distances, quicker warm up.
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Reducing the speed hills are climbed will reduce the power needed and with it the engine oil temperatures reached.
As generally will holding lower gears so the power is developed at lower torque, so lower piston temperatures, improved scavenging cooling, better piston oil cooling and better heat dissipation.
I am surprised that the oil company grab to panic with a temperature of 125 C, it is quite high but should be for [hopefully] a synthetic well below oil oxidation temperatures; I worked some military units up to 140 C knowing it was just an encounter and not held for long; that really does eat into oil life.
In your case knowing things get hot on a long uphill drag I would simply ease off a little and use more revs for the few periods it is encountered. If worried still, then change the engine oil more regularly and whatever you do buy high quality oils.
Domestic cars are not primarily designed for the massive overloads of towing caravans; if using them for that we need to be sympathetic to the extra stresses it causes.
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I have a Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDi 4x4 (2012) I did tow 1,230kg (now towing 1,318kg), never had any problem at all even when outside temp has been 30c on German / Czech motorways and on some long hills. I am on a 2 year / 20,000 mile service using oil to VW 507 00 spec. Cannot find any reference to oil temp in my handbook
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I have a Yeti 2.0L 109BHP, 110k Miles. I always have raised oil temp when towing, but around 110degrees is the max I have seen, usually less. I change oil/filter every 10k and use Eurocarparts Triple QX 5w-30 VAG. I used what I thought was a "better" oil last year, and found rattles and poorer performance??? I do 30k per year so oil change is regular for me! Have you tried a flushing oil?
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I don't think our Audi has an oil temperature guage, just water.
We've towed 650 miles with it over 10 months and all I can recall is the cooling fan coming on after towing for about 35 miles down to Wells. Having said that, the same thing has happened over Christmas when it was very cold and it had just been driven for a few miles to the Supermarket!
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Hi,towed in Spain with a 2013 140 tdi Passat estate and noticed the the water temp remained normal but the oil temp on hill climbs and a high of 25 c outside the oil reached 120 there seemed to be no detrimental after .A good engine for towing and I found even better after the diesel gate fix !
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I have a Skoda Superb 170 PS 4x4 DSG and when towing recently at 27 deg C ambient the oil temperature read out was at 105 deg C on the M5 motorway and went up to 112 deg C on some of the sharp A30 inclines. I use VAG/Mobil Longlife 5-30 oil and will change it every 10000 miles or annually whichever come first. The coolant temperature never changes from mid point on the gauge.
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I had an overheating warning on my 18 month old Focus whilst going over the Alps. It turned out that the main processor software had a fault that prevented it from switching on the cooling fan. The processor was changed under warranty.
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110bhp 2.0l Yeti diesel, post fix, towing a 1200kg eriba to south of France. After 300 miles towing at speed, outside temp ranging from 10 to mid 20's due to altitude, approaching Millau bridge at 1100m altitudet hit a stop start traffic jamb on a 8% uphill gradient for 45 minutes. Followed this with 50 miles across country at up to 1300m altitude, hairpin bends galore in 2nd and 3rd for nearly 2hrs. Oil temp did rise to 115c. Fuel consumption down from usual high speed fully laden of 36mpg to a miserable 30mpg.
Colin
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One of the great things about the low profile eriba pop-top caravans is how good they are to tow. At UK legal speeds I have returned over 40mpg several times and they tow so well. A down side is the high cost to buy, but then again they hold there value. I'm on my 4th, the previous 3 each sold for more than I paid for them. Once you get your head around what they are about your are addicted.
Colin
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in fact I've yet to own a car with such a gauge. You're lucky these days to even get coolant temp gauge, I have one, but I've to search for it 
