Acceptable oil temp while towing

[Jerry1984]

I've heard the oil gets hot on the hemis while towing, but is 260 acceptable and okay? Will it hurt anything? No warning lights came on, but still seems really warm. Outside temp is only 70 and I hit 260 so will it heat up substantially more when it's 100?

 

[braindead0]

I've heard the oil gets hot on the hemis while towing, but is 260 acceptable and okay? Will it hurt anything? No warning lights came on, but still seems really warm. Outside temp is only 70 and I hit 260 so will it heat up substantially more when it's 100?

That seems a little high.. I haven't towed with mine yet.. hopefully someone will chime in...

 

[Jerry1984]

It's my first decent tow with it. I have read on this forum of people hitting 250, but 260 just seems really high. Total weight being towed is around 5500-6000 through the mountains so there are some steep grades. My evic says I hit 8.7 mpg so I'm scared to hand calculate it. It towed real good up the grades. Was able to hold 60 around 4000 rpm.

 

[braindead0]

It's my first decent tow with it. I have read on this forum of people hitting 250, but 260 just seems really high. Total weight being towed is around 5500-6000 through the mountains so there are some steep grades. My evic says I hit 8.7 mpg so I'm scared to hand calculate it. It towed real good up the grades. Was able to hold 60 around 4000 rpm.

IMO your oil temp should not exceed coolant temp by more than 10-15 degrees. When you see 250 oil temp what's the coolant temp?

 

[Jerry1984]

IMO your oil temp should not exceed coolant temp by more than 10-15 degrees. When you see 250 oil temp what's the coolant temp?

I know that's definitely the case with 6.0 diesels but there is more of a difference than 10-15. I don't think the coolant went over 220. I'll be towing it home Sunday so I can look at what the high is, but it wasn't close to the 260

 

[14hemiexpress]

If I didn't see any warning light I wouldn't be to conserned. I will ask if you have full synthedic oil or conventional. Synthedic is far superior with handling heat. Convention breaks down fast at temps above 240 and synthesic's handle 300+ before it breaks down faster. It wouldn't hurnt to "safely document" the temp if you can take a pic or have someone take it when is reading 260 and give your dealer a call on Monday but it wouldn't stop me from pulling the same set up home. My guess is the outside temp won't effect it to much that's just a guess. When I see my neighbour next I'll ask him what he think he's a tech at a Chrysler dealership and I'll ask him what he thinks and report back.

 

[braindead0]

I'm going to watch mine today, we'll be wheeling in the boonies. I'm more interested in the delta value between oil and coolant temps.

 

[toofart]

I usually see no more than 235-240 going up grades with 6200 lbs, but my grades must not be as steep, as I can maintain 7th or 6th and never usually exceed 3000rpm for long.

 

[Jerry1984]

7% grades are when it heated up. I am using conventional oil. I'll take a look at it and see if it looks black at all.

 

[Jerry1984]

On a positive note the air suspension worked great. I'll take pics tomorrow when we are headed home. Had my sons crf 80, bull mastiff and a 5 gallon gas tank in the bed. Myself (220) wife (130) and two kids in the cab. Didn't have the generator or camp chef stove this time as we are only staying 2 nights and my relatives have plug ins on their property. Still under payload but we will be pretty close later in the year when dry camping. The double towing worked just fine as well. No sway at all. Most speeds around 45-60 with a ten mile stretch around 65.
Here are some pics just without my sons dirt bike and dog loaded.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Galion]

Yesterday I hauled a car with my 2013, first time I've really gotten to put some weight behind it. Trailer totalled around 7k, oil stayed right around 105 C (221F for you 'muricans ) However wasn't going over too much for grades, mostly flat with some hills on the way.

 

[braindead0]

85mph with a 20mph head wind.. no trailer/load really my oil maxed out at 230F about 25 degrees higher than coolant... normally run under 220F coolant temp 204F.. I'll be hauling our TT next weekend and watch then.

 

[cableguy_hd]

I tow heavy and use synthetic and my temps arent close to yours... ( OP ) BUT my tows are on flat tar mac.....In June it may be 220 ish with air temps of 80*

 

[DiabeticKripple]

that load is illegal where i live.

the first connection has to be a fifth wheel, second can be a ball hitch

 

[Andy578]

highest i've ever seen mine was 105C(221F) which was while towing about 10k lbs in the middle of summer. i do have a oil cooler tho, not sure if all models have them or not

 

[KarL45]

While actual temp is not shown on my trans temp gauge, and pulling up the back side of the Ike last summer, and temp 100 deg. plus outside, Never did ether engine or trans temps get even a needles width past the centerline on the gauges. That was towing 13k and with the 3.73 gear and at 25 to 30 mph at it's best. As for oil, if you are going to be towing or hauling heavy, think synthetic is the only way to go. That said, if using your vehicle other than normal driving, (my opinion) wouldn't extend your oil change interval over what your doing now. Just my opinion and experience.

 

[Galion]

Something I forgot is my truck has the HD cooling package, if yours doesn't have that, it could be the reason your temps are higher.

And here's a pic of what I was hauling, totaled right around 7k lbs, and three people in the cab.

 

[AzRamLover]

What's the HD cooling package? Ostensibly larger/more radiators for the transmission and/or transfer case?

Was this offered on 2014s also?

For those running conventional oil, would you recommend doing an oil change after heavy towing?

What about those running synthetic - do you change oil after towing heavy?

This seems a little analogous to weekend warrior racing in the car world doing oil changes after racing.

 

[Galion]

What's the HD cooling package? Ostensibly larger/more radiators for the transmission and/or transfer case?

Was this offered on 2014s also?

For those running conventional oil, would you recommend doing an oil change after heavy towing?

What about those running synthetic - do you change oil after towing heavy?

This seems a little analogous to weekend warrior racing in the car world doing oil changes after racing.

I'm not entirely sure everything it has, but that gives it an HD transmission cooler, and according to my build sheet "HD engine cooling" as well. What exactly that includes I'm not quite sure.

As for oil, I'm running Royal Purple fully synthetic, there's no point in changing the oil every time you tow heavy, however I would lower your change intervals a bit if you're working the engine harder towing.

 

[braindead0]

I'm not entirely sure everything it has, but that gives it an HD transmission cooler, and according to my build sheet "HD engine cooling" as well. What exactly that includes I'm not quite sure.

As for oil, I'm running Royal Purple fully synthetic, there's no point in changing the oil every time you tow heavy, however I would lower your change intervals a bit if you're working the engine harder towing.

My build sheet shows NHDP Heavy Duty Transmission Oil Cooler and NMCP Heavy Duty Engine Cooling. Nothing about heavy duty anything in the options in my window sticker, no tow package either but I did have trailer brake controller and class IV hitch listed as options (it's an Express). It's also possible that they put that on everything...