Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown
Aircraft
While climbing through 16000 we noticed that the left engine oil temperature gauge was rising to red line. The temperature stopped rising and went back down into the green arc; but continued to bounce between the green and yellow arc. We had leveled off at FL190 and the temperature continued with the same indications. The temperature eventually spiked past red line until the gauge was pegged out. At that point we decided to perform a precautionary shutdown of the left engine and return to [base].
SA-227 Captain reported that after the left engine oil temperature indication became erratic during climb the crew performed a precautionary shutdown and returned to base.