Oh, how embarrassing....but what a relief all the same. Yes, I was referring to water temperatures all along. I just checked the previous messages and nobody mentioned 'water', only 'engine'. My apologies for making a rash assumption. I have after-market gauges for both water and oil temperatures. I measure my oil temperatures with a 'sump plug sensor' (and have a separate sump plug for draining).
As for oil temperatures (at least measured at the sump) I have seen 275F on a dyno (on the 8V) where the oil-to-air cooler wasn't getting enough fan air. It seems that modern oils can cope with temps this high and higher, especially the synthetics. Now, with the 16V, (with the oil-to-water cooler) I have little experience except with 'normal' road driving. Oil temperatures need to be held above 175F for reasonable lengths of time to 'boil' off the water and acids that otherwise accumulate in the oil. The VW 16V system is very good in this respect because the oil-to-water cooler actually warms the oil initially, bringing it up to temperature quicker. Rick Dathan, Australia
