Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 2014, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 13 May 2014 10:01:16 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: A tiny overfill of oil -- enough to worry about?
Comments: To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <1Hb71o00l24RlQU01Hb7Hv>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Well, is the "waterboxer" a "modern" engine? In my 1997 Honda Accord and in my 2006 Toyota Prius I run 5W30 oil as recommended by the manufacturer year round. Neither vehicle has an oil pressure gauge, but the idiot light has never lit in either.

In the camper, I switch to a lighter oil as listed in the owners handbook provided by VW according to expected ambient temperatures. I added a supplemental oil cooler after observing for quite a while that the oil pressure dropped below my comfort zone (not enough to trigger warnings) when the van was driven at highway speed for hours when the ambient got up over about 98 F. I made the decision to add the supplemental cooler after a trip through New Mexico and Colorado that included wildly fluctuating ambient temperatures. Driving from Clayton, NM to Raton, NM in ambient temperatures around 105, the oil pressure gauge showed its usual drop to under 20 psi (and when I stopped for gas just east of Raton, as I dropped to idle speed, psi dropped to around 6). As I moved on to Raton Pass, the outside air temperature remained above 100 F, and the gauge read about 20 psi. All through this, the coolant gauge never varied, always dead on the red bulb in the gauge while driving. As I climbed Raton Pass, a thunderstorm with violent rain and hail ensued. The air temperature dropped into the forties. The temperature gauge on the dash never varied. I climbed the pass with the oil gauge reading at 40 psi, and it dropped to that immediately upon hitting the thunderstorm. It remained at 40 psi as we drove across the level area at the top of the pass and down into Colorado, but when we got into hotter terrain, the oil pressure dropped again. Throughout the rest of the drive, I observed a correlation between external air temperature and oil pressure, dropping below my comfort level when the air temperature was high and rising with lower external temperature.

After adding the supplemental cooler, I have never experienced that phenomenon. I continue to follow VW recommendations of running 20W50 when high ambient temperatures are expected, and 10W40 for lower ones. Seems to work. I thought VW engineers knew what oils to use for their engines. I know, oil technology has changed, and thinner oils are available and recommended for newer cars. The waterboxer engine has not changed, and I suppose the meaning of the numbers on the oil container has not changed (SAE has never said the meaning has changed).

mcneely

---- OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net> wrote: > Certainly there are NorthernStates like Montana, N.Dakota, Minnesota, Vermont, NewHampshire & Maine > > (& of course during the past winter Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio & Pennsylvania) where people > > with Vehicles with old Engines might want to consider using an Oil that is formulated to perform better in > > ExtremeCold WinterTemps ~ & Certainly there are SouthWesternState Areas like SouthernArizona, Southern > > NewMexico & SouthWesternTexas where people with Vehicles with old Engines might want to consider using > > an Oil that is formulated to perform better in ExtremeHot SummerTemps ~ But if your Vanagons Engine & > > It's CoolingSystem are in ProperWorkingOrder it should always Maintain Close to TheSame "WarmedUpTemp" > > NoMatter what the AmbientTemperature is & so the Proper way to go about FiguringOut WhatOil ToBeUsing, > > is to 1st Determine what Grade (or Weight as most People LikeToCallIt TheseDays) Oil ~ Keeps your Engines > > OilPressures where they are Supposed to be when UpTo NormalOperatingTemp ~ This would be the Number > > After the "w-" & Use that "Grade" Oil AllYear'Round ~ Then Decide on which Before The"w" Grade you should > > run by the Usual Prevailing TempConditions during the Period you plan to Run that Oil ~ > > With todays ModernOils there's Really NoNeedWhatSoEver ~> If your Engine & It's CoolingSystem are in > > ProperWorkingOrder <~ to have to Switch Oils for Summer & Winter, in @Least 70% of the Lower48States ~ > > A 0w-X, 5w-X or in some cases a 10w-X ~ AlwaysSynthetic ~ should work Sufficiently in most WellMaintained > > Engines ~ > > ORR ~ DeanB > > On 12 May , 2014, at 11:04 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote: > > > Well, different folks use different approaches. I drain the oil when warm (preferably not hot, because that can be painful), refill with four quarts, measure, start the engine, drive a little, rest the vehicle for an hour or so, measure, and bring up to halfway between the two marks. Usually, when I then start the engine and drive it a bit, then measure again, the dipstick shows to be near the top mark. I live in Oklahoma, but drive all over. Winter temperatures here can run to 10 below F, but vary wildly, with typical January lows/highs being 20/40. It can be 60 in January, or it can be below 20 for the high for a week straight. Summer can reach 115 F. Once we hit May, it is unusual for the temperature to drop below 60 F until mid-September. I use conventional 20W50 oil April through October (changed early this year because I was traveling to Big Bend National Park), conventional 10W40 if I drive the van in winter. This is on a 2.1 boxer. 1991 VW Vanagon GL Campmobile. Rebuilt engine with 75K miles. Has a TenCentLife supplemental oil cooler. > > > > mcneely > > > > ---- Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote: > >> On 05/11/2014 07:06 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote: > >> > >> "If the oil cooler can really do the job then it should not be problem. > >> The excess will burn off." > >> > >> So this slight overfill isn't enough to lead to frothing? How much > >> overfill is too much? > >> > >> I was surprised that 1/2 quart (500ml) raised the level on the dipstick > >> from just below the bottom notch to just above the upper notch. I > >> checked a number of times a waited to make sure that the new oil had had > >> a chance to settle before deciding to add the extra. > >> > >> -- > >> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott > >> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans, > >> Bend, Ore. > >> > >> On 05/11/2014 07:06 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote: > >>> If the oil cooler can really do the job then it should not be problem. The > >>> excess will burn off. I'm curious about your winter blend versus camping > >>> season blend! An easy way to get rid of excess oil is to remove the filter, > >>> pour some out and just re-install it. > >>> > >>> Dennis > >>> > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of > >>> Rocket J Squirrel > >>> Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2014 8:00 PM > >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >>> Subject: A tiny overfill of oil -- enuff to worry about? > >>> > >>> 1.9L, with a tencentlife oil cooler setup. > >>> > >>> I changed the oil today, as I do every spring, from the winter blend to the > >>> camping season blend. Also changed the oil filter. My notes had me put in 4 > >>> quarts of new oil, which I did. After letting things settle a bit, I checked > >>> the dip stick -- it was barely up to the lower notch. I checked it a couple > >>> more times, same results. > >>> > >>> So I put in half a quart (about 500 ml) of additional oil -- and the reading > >>> jumped to just above the upper notch. About 1/8'' (3mm) high. > >>> > >>> Honestly, it kind of surprised me that 500ml would raise the measured level > >>> that much. > >>> > >>> I ran the engine until it got hot enough to open up the oil cooler > >>> thermostat and send oil to the remote oil cooler -- but it still measured > >>> high. > >>> > >>> I really don't like climbing under the van. And I am constitutionally lazy. > >>> But if the community says that 3mm overfill is Not A Good Idea, I will drain > >>> a bit of the oil off. > >>> > >>> So -- whatcha think? > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott > >>> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans, > >>> Bend, Ore. > >>> > > > > -- > > David McNeely >

-- David McNeely


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.