3 Common Intercooler Faults And Solutions

Intercoolers have been around for a long time. In automotive and aircraft use they are used to reduce the intake air temperature of turbocharged and mechanically supercharged engines. The diesel user community is more familiar with turbochargers and intercoolers than the entire gas user community. Turbochargers use the (often wasted) energy of the exhaust to spin the turbine wheel and compress the intake air. The problem is that compressing something, even air, generates heat. On top of this there is the heat from the exhaust gases used to spin the turbocharger. This also transfers heat to the intake volume. Of course, as the air-fuel charge heats up, it expands and becomes less dense.

 

The reason for the intercooler is to increase the density of the incoming air. In short, cold air is denser and contains more oxygen. The more oxygen that is introduced, the more fuel is burned and the more complete the combustion. The end result is more power to the wheels using less fuel, or more power by introducing more fuel. In the absence of an intercooler, the gain of the turbocharger is offset by the increase in intake air temperature, resulting in a zero sum gain.

 

In this blog post, we will discuss common intercooler faults and solutions.

Truck Intercooler

3 common intercooler faults

01 Boost hose leaks

Not much can go wrong with intercoolers, so most failures are usually related to installation problems or physical damage that causes boost leaks.

 

One of the most common areas affected is the rubber booster hoses and the clamps that hold them in place. Over time, the rubber can rot and the clamps can lose their clamping force, which can cause the boost hoses to actually allow boost air to escape.

 

This causes the car to run slowly, perform poorly and you may even hear a "whooshing" sound (although not always) as you can actually hear the air leak while driving.

 

The fix is simple; new hoses and clamps.

Truck Intercooler

02 Impact damage

As the intercooler sits right at the front of the car, this does mean that it is vulnerable to damage, especially from rocks and debris hitting it on the road.

 

This can damage the delicate fins, reduce the cooling efficiency of the intercooler and, in extreme cases, damage the pipes through which the charge air passes.

 

The most common effect is poor intercooler performance, resulting in higher intake air temperatures, but in the worst case scenario the intercooler can be punctured, eventually leading to a boost leak.

 

The repair requires a new intercooler.

 

03 Oil contamination

As the air entering the intercooler comes directly from the turbocharger, this does mean that if you have ever experienced any problems with the turbocharger, then the intercooler may also be affected.

 

For example, if the turbo is leaking oil due to worn seals, the "leaking" oil has to go somewhere - and that's most likely to be the intercooler.

 

This means that the oil collects at the bottom of the intercooler, reducing the performance of the intercooler itself. It also introduces oil vapour into the charge air and therefore also has a negative impact on engine performance.

 

To check this, remove the charge hose and check for signs of oil contamination. If so, remove the intercooler and flush it with engine degreaser to remove all oil from inside the intercooler.