High Oil Temperature-A2

Oil temperature is running very high (280-300F) on 1985 Jetta GLI, although the water temperature remains normal. Oil consumption and appearance is normal. The sending unit was changed, with no effect on lowering the temperature shown on the multi-function computer display.

Failed to mention the GLI 1.8L engine is equipped with a factory oil cooler.

Thanks,

Wayne

Check the engine oil cooler...IIRC the GLI is just a Jetta version of the Golf GTI, with the 10.0:1 CR 1.8L

This doesn't answer the original question, but where is the "Multifunction computer display" in the A2 GTI ? In the instrument cluster where the upshift arrow would be on the base model ? or is it a completely different instrument cluster ?

I'm wondering if one could be fitted to my '85 base-model Jetta.

- FM -

See photo at

The MFA isat the bottom center of the cluster. I doubt very much that you can retrofit just the MFA section, but you could replace the whole instrument cluster with one that has the MFA. You would need to also install the oil temperature sender (I believe it sits on the oil filter flange), the outside air temperature sender and the replacement windshield wiper stalk with the MFA control buttons on it. The MFA relies on engine vacuum to calculate gas mileage. If you have the upshift indicator or the fuel economy display, then you probably have the vacuum line pulled up to the cluster also. The MFA also needs the tachometer signal. Not sure if it is pre-wired for it in cars without a tach or MFA, but it wouldn't surprise me.

The MFA relies on engine vacuum and the tachometer signal to calculate gas mileage. The MFA is calibrated for each particular engine type, so if you install an MFA from a different model it may not be accurate in your car.

Finally, if you do put in a cluster with MFA, you could transplant your old odometer into the new cluster to keep the old odometer reading. But then, your old odometer probably stopped working at around 120 k miles like so many others...

It would be a big pain. I believe in your model that the shift indicator is above the row of 'idiot' lights", and below the idiot lights is the water temp gauge? Well, its where the water temp gauge is at, since in the GTI/GLI models the tach has a water temp gauge in the bottom of it. I'm pretty sure you would need the entire instrument panel, plus the sending units, plus a new turn signal stalk, since the end of the stalk has teh mfa button plus a slider to reset and switch between the display modes.

My bad, of course its the windshield wiper stalk, and NOT the turn signal stalk like I erroneously posted b4.

Thanks to everyone for their input. The 85 Jetta GLI does have a multi-function display and the vacuum triggered up/downshift indicators. However, I can't swear the instrument panel is 100% like the one pictured. By the way, the odometer is still working at 161,000 miles. Also have an 87

16V GTI with 224,00 miles on a working odometer, but I may have fixed the split hub on the odometer gear.

The oil and filter was changed on Monday after the car was home this past weekend after being driven for 8 hours on Sunday. At 4,000 miles, the oil looked normal and partially clear. Monday afternoon, the Jetta was driven for 4 hours at interstate speeds and only for the last hour did the oil temperature begin to increase above the 230F range to 280F. I have asked the owner to notice the outside temperature gauge when the oil temperature starts to spike, but it will be 3 weeks before the car is driven for more than a 1/2 hour at one time.

Regards, Wayne

in article SuNuc.15861$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, Biz at snipped-for-privacy@att.net wrote on 5/31/04 4:31 PM:

I had an 86 GLI (with oil cooler and MFA). I don't remember the numbers, but I do remember that when I pushed the car hard the oil temp went up considerably without the coolant showing much rise (but 280 does seem high). I do miss that car .

Install new thermostat/temp senders? Worked for me. Frankly, it freaked me out the first time I drove it afterward....

kelly

-+-

'86 Jetta GLI, 302K and counting

Think I can keep up with this:

147°C/297F after keeping it floored for just 20minutes - and at just 5°C/41F outside temperature. That was on my 85 Jetta TD, measured with a thermocouple stuck through the dipstick funnel into the oil pan. After this experience I backed off a bit until I had a "real" oil cooler (read: radiator) on it.

Ingo

A good friend and former owner of an '86 Jetta GLi told me that many A2's had the wrong oil temperature sensor installed from the factory. These would read much lower than true oil temperature. My brother ('87 GTi) seldom sees more than 170°F for oil temperature on his MFA, but it can't be correct. If the oil really was that "cool", the oil cooler would be *heating* the oil when the engine is warm enough to turn on the radiator fan.

I'm guess>

Floored in my GTI would be about 115mph, which is not really obtainable anywhere in the US without severe implications if caught

Well, in my TD it's just about 100mph which is frequently obtainable over here were there are stretches of road with no speed limit. And to tell you the truth, it is even obtainable were there _is_ a speed limit, didn't have had any severe implications yet - apart from being on the

4th engine with my 85. But then again two of these were before the oil cooler. And then one factory rebuilt one did just make a short visit in my engine bay for the 8000km. The shop took this long to recognize they could not really figure out the oil leak at the main bearing. Two new clutch assemblies in just 8000km, and still always a tendency to slipping...

Ingo

Try it without an oil cooler (heat exchanger at the filter flange).

I've seen 150 degrees C (over 300 in quaint measure) indicated on mine; which is prime motivation for using fully-synthetic oil.

OK, why would I take the oil cooler off?

I do use full-synthetic, have since about 1990 in that car..

You still have this vehicle? What oil cooler did you use? One that fits with an adapter onto the oil filter?

Of course. I'm at 440 000km at the moment.

I used an generic oil cooler and the adapter on the block (with built in thermostate) from an A1 GTI plus new hoses - the ones from the A1 were to short to get around the wide diesel radiator. The adapter from the A1 GTI is a direct replacement for the oil filter flange on 827 blocks. Adapter is discontinued from VW and used ones are rather pricey over here, but the stack of the large diesel oil filter, an aftermarket sandwich-adapter for the hoses and the facotry oil-to-water-cooler would be to high under the stock filter flange on my diesel and the filter would hit the cross-member.

Ingo

Strange that you would need an oil cooler. I thought diesels run cooler than gas engines and so I didn't think there was an oil cooler option. Now I know. :-)

Tnx