When to get concerned?

[01yellerCobra]

I towed my boat back to my house from my buddies last Saturday. Part of that trip included going over a small hill. I watched the oil temp and trans gauges. The oil got up to 219 degrees. It was 90 degrees outside at the time. The reason I ask is next weekend we're heading to Az and have a pretty decent hill to get over. I don't have an EGT gauge yet. It's in the plan though. Oh, my boat weighs about 5000lbs. I know the truck wasn't trying hard. I just want to keep an eye on things.

 

[DaveBen]

Gauges are the only way to know for sure. 5000 pound load is nothing. Get a set of three gauges and a pillar mount. That is what I did and I like knowing the temps whenever I want to. And they are out of the way.

Dave

 

[JRJ04]

if you're running synthetic, you dont even need to bat an eye at it until it gets up to 240*. I've read about others pulling their 5ers over a steep pass in colorado and 240* is where it topped out. like dave said, 5k is nothing ti even blink at.

 

[01yellerCobra]

Right now it's whatever they fill it with at the factory. The truck only has about 1200 miles on it.

 

[BIG JOE]

I towed my boat back to my house from my buddies last Saturday. Part of that trip included going over a small hill. I watched the oil temp and trans gauges. The oil got up to 219 degrees. I don't have an EGT gauge yet. It's in the plan though. I know the truck wasn't trying hard. I just want to keep an eye on things.

Until you get an EGT gauge.. when yer pulling a grade.. just use yer gears to keep yer RPM's up around 2400.. yul be just fine.

Joe

Old Guy Stuff: It's not how FAST you go up the hill.. It's how WELL you go up the hill. (?)

 

[01yellerCobra]

I'm a patient man when it comes to getting over hills. I'd rather take a little longer and not beat up my gear.

 

[01yellerCobra]

Took this last night on the way out of town.

 

[01yellerCobra]

So I might have a reason to be concerned. Coming home today I was coming up the mountain between Arizona and San Diego. The first part of the hill is pretty steep. I wasn't watching the oil temp because it did fine on the way out. But I noticed the engine temp was up there. The gauge was about 3/4 of the way over. I pulled up the oil temp and it was at 242. I immediately slowed down to 60mph and manually downshifted to 4th. I was at 70mph in 6th. I had the trans in tow/haul mode. It never downshifted by itself. The oil temp hit 244 before that run was over. The trans topped out at 205 and the boost was at 20psi. Once I crested that part of the hill the oil temp dropped right down. The engine temp took a few minutes to stabilize where it is normally. Which is just under halfway. I manually locked the trans in 5th from that point on. I did try to get it to warm up a couple times by putting it in 6th and getting the boost up, but it never got that hot again. I did have the A/C on and it was 96 degrees outside. I turned the A/C off until it cooled down. The rest of the way up the mountain the oil temp stayed around 220.

Overall the truck did well. It towed a lot better than I'm used to. Coming from a 5.4 Expedition to a diesel engine is a big change. According to the dash the overall mpg was 13.7. That was with a regen halfway through the trip on the way out. The Expedition would get 9-11 depending on what part of the trip we were on.

 

[BIG JOE]

Just an .03's worth ?

240 +/- EOT.... No Worries.

It's good to get a dezel good'n warm now'n then, and with todays oils, lubes and coolants.. again No Worries... with a Good Hard Pull now & then.

The fact the ECM/PCM didn't command a down shift sez things were within limits too (?).. IMO.

Yer in the Learning Curve guy.... It' gits Better & Better.

Try using the gears and light braking.. in "M" going down hills.. instead of those high RPM's in Tow Haul... yul like that too.

Joe

 

[01yellerCobra]

I left it in 5th coming down the back side too. I used the exhaust brake to slow it down instead of the brakes. Never felt unstable. It just wanted to go.