B8 A4 intercooler comparison thread

[Perry01]

Link to product
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-wagner-t...210001045~wgt/

Wagner Silicone pipes are a perfect fit for the ECS FMIC.....

They also come with the Wagner FMIC. I guess if your going to pay $950 for an intercooler, they throw in the $150 silicone hoses with it....

[MrTylerRaines]

They also come with the Wagner FMIC. I guess if your going to pay $950 for an intercooler, they throw in the $150 silicone hoses with it....

Yea thats true but I would rather spend around 400 for the ecs one with the Wagner pipes than 8-900 for the Wagner kit.


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[fasteddy91]

Question, is the whole ECS kit not worth it?

I was thinking the same thing...

Ecs or treadstone Intercooler cost 250
Wagner pipes/eurocode or cts silicone hoses 150-200
Eurocode high flow intercooler pipe 150

So you would have to spend 550-600 to duplicate the full ecs kit. From what I have read so far, the silicone hoses don't make a huge difference but you would have to buy two reducer hoses and a couple clamps if you are only going with just the intercooler. So just to be safe...let's say 50 bucks.

What's everyone's opinion on the eurocode high flow intercooler pipe? I here it helps with reducing turbo lag and improves throttle response.

I also figured if I'm going to remove the bumper, I would rather do everything all at once. Also, I like how the ecs kit is pretty much plug and play.

[Spawne32]

Guys the ECS full intercooler kit with charge pipes AND a turbo muffler is 550. It's litterally the cheapest intercooler kit on the market right now.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part...02894ecs01kt1/

[fasteddy91]

∆ totally agree....I was about to buy a used eurocode hfip, some Wagner silicone hoses and the treadstone or ecs intercooler core....but for the same price, I can get the ecs full kit. No brainer at this point

[Poodini]

^^
I already had Eurocode's TrueFit IC hose kit & lower IC Pipe prior to going K04 so all I needed was the FMIC unit although the right/passenger side hose was a poor fit with the new turbo so switched that one back to the OE hose and bridged the The given silicone coupler with an aluminum connector. Worked like a charm but be sure to tighten/clamp those suckers DOWN!


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[fasteddy91]

Thanks Poodini...I guess I didn't realize most folks already have the silicone hose kit and or eurocode high flow intercooler pipe so all that is needed is the intercooler for 250 from ecs or treadstone.

I guess I'm still a noob and don't have a lot of mods. I'll be ordering the ecs intercooler kit shortly.

[Poodini]

Thanks Poodini...I guess I didn't realize most folks already have the silicone hose kit and or eurocode high flow intercooler pipe so all that is needed is the intercooler for 250 from ecs or treadstone.

I guess I'm still a noob and don't have a lot of mods. I'll be ordering the ecs intercooler kit shortly.

Don't sweat it bro. I STILL often feel like a newb but that's one great thing about these forums. They're a treasure trove of knowledge from cats far more qualified who are cool about answering even the most inept of questions. Take it from someone who's asked more than his fair share of them!

🤙🏼


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[Richieru456]

Thanks Poodini...I guess I didn't realize most folks already have the silicone hose kit and or eurocode high flow intercooler pipe so all that is needed is the intercooler for 250 from ecs or treadstone.

I guess I'm still a noob and don't have a lot of mods. I'll be ordering the ecs intercooler kit shortly.

Thanks for helping confirm that bro. Pretty much in the same boat as you lol but now I know just get the kit. Hope they have a Black Friday sale lol

[fasteddy91]

Thanks for helping confirm that bro. Pretty much in the same boat as you lol but now I know just get the kit. Hope they have a Black Friday sale lol

Sure thing. I was thinking the same thing. I doubt they will have this on sale. I even looked at old posts from ecs and didn't see any black Friday sales on items like this.

[Poodini]

Wait til their annual Holiday sale come Christmas time! Prob won't be more than 10-15% off but free shipping + no sales tax direct to your door, can't beat it.


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[fasteddy91]

Works for me....it would be cool if they offered a group buy at 500 shipped. Hint hint.

[Richieru456]

Works for me....it would be cool if they offered a group buy at 500 shipped. Hint hint.

I was hoping more like $400 👀👀👀

[Poodini]

I don't think they're into the GB thang. They're on another level compared to most everyone else online-store wise. I'd imagine they have dudes who set the sales/pricing and advertise/launch all in house so not much incentive for them. Jason@ECS, if you're listening, you could prove them wrong...


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[Richieru456]

Jason@ecs 👀 Any chance?

[B7AudiSline]

I am about to buy a intercooler, what do you think is better the Wagner silicone charge pipes or the aluminum charge pipes that ECS offers? I was going to just buy the ECS kit but I see alot of people buying the ECS intercooler without the charge pipes.

[Spawne32]

I am about to buy a intercooler, what do you think is better the Wagner silicone charge pipes or the aluminum charge pipes that ECS offers? I was going to just buy the ECS kit but I see alot of people buying the ECS intercooler without the charge pipes.

Only reason to buy the intercooler without the charge pipes is if you plan on keeping the stock hoses, otherwise, the ECS charge pipe kit is a great upgrade.

[fasteddy91]

I am about to buy a intercooler, what do you think is better the Wagner silicone charge pipes or the aluminum charge pipes that ECS offers? I was going to just buy the ECS kit but I see alot of people buying the ECS intercooler without the charge pipes.

I'm in the same boat as you.....if you haven't upgraded anything regarding the intercooler setup, I would get the whole kit. I only want to pull the bumper once and do all the work at the same time. I can see if you already had the eurocode high flow intercooler pipe and had already upgraded your hoses to the silicone ones already. If you buy the kit, you get the high flow intercooler pipe which removes the soundbox....that piece alone costs 175 shipped from eurocode.

[Poodini]

^^
Precisely.
In my case, when I decided to upgrade fr APR's Stage 1 to 2, I felt it would be beneficial to upgrade the intercooling system. It only made sense that if the requirements to run Stage 2 all centered around better airflow, the intercooler and associated hoses needed to be part of that equation. That a high flow intake, an HFC, a test pipe and/or larger diameter downpipe were the prerequisites, why stifle yourself by not improving flow to the most critical aspect, MORE COOLED AIR TO/WARM AIR AWAY from the Actual Turbo. Thanks once again to our community and forums, I found a cost effective alternative via the 3.0l A6/Q5 Intercooler swap. Also, I found both the Eurocode TrueFit hose kit as well as their Lower IC pipe used in the Classifieds which saved me an additional $150+. So, the entire upgrade came out to $350 and some change including install! The setup worked very well with the added demands of Stage 2 at a much better price than looking at an APR or comparable companies' offerings which went from $600-$700 and up! Ouch!
So imagine my excitement when ECS trotted out their FMIC! Knowing I would need to beef up the cooling even more once I went to a K04, the fact that ECS had the foresight to give us an option to buy just the FMIC + couplers or the entire IC kit sealed it for me. BRILLIANT MOVE ECS!


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[Richieru456]

^^
Precisely.
In my case, when I decided to upgrade fr APR's Stage 1 to 2, I felt it would be beneficial to upgrade the intercooling system. It only made sense that if the requirements to run Stage 2 all centered around better airflow, the intercooler and associated hoses needed to be part of that equation. That a high flow intake, an HFC, a test pipe and/or larger diameter downpipe were the prerequisites, why stifle yourself by not improving flow to the most critical aspect, MORE COOLED AIR TO/WARM AIR AWAY from the Actual Turbo. Thanks once again to our community and forums, I found a cost effective alternative via the 3.0l A6/Q5 Intercooler swap. Also, I found both the Eurocode TrueFit hose kit as well as their Lower IC pipe used in the Classifieds which saved me an additional $150+. So, the entire upgrade came out to $350 and some change including install! The setup worked very well with the added demands of Stage 2 at a much better price than looking at an APR or comparable companies' offerings which went from $600-$700 and up! Ouch!
So imagine my excitement when ECS trotted out their FMIC! Knowing I would need to beef up the cooling even more once I went to a K04, the fact that ECS had the foresight to give us an option to buy just the FMIC + couplers or the entire IC kit sealed it for me. BRILLIANT MOVE ECS!


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What intake do you have?

[S4_SH1640]

^^
Precisely.
In my case, when I decided to upgrade fr APR's Stage 1 to 2, I felt it would be beneficial to upgrade the intercooling system. It only made sense that if the requirements to run Stage 2 all centered around better airflow, the intercooler and associated hoses needed to be part of that equation. That a high flow intake, an HFC, a test pipe and/or larger diameter downpipe were the prerequisites, why stifle yourself by not improving flow to the most critical aspect, MORE COOLED AIR TO/WARM AIR AWAY from the Actual Turbo. Thanks once again to our community and forums, I found a cost effective alternative via the 3.0l A6/Q5 Intercooler swap. Also, I found both the Eurocode TrueFit hose kit as well as their Lower IC pipe used in the Classifieds which saved me an additional $150+. So, the entire upgrade came out to $350 and some change including install! The setup worked very well with the added demands of Stage 2 at a much better price than looking at an APR or comparable companies' offerings which went from $600-$700 and up! Ouch!
So imagine my excitement when ECS trotted out their FMIC! Knowing I would need to beef up the cooling even more once I went to a K04, the fact that ECS had the foresight to give us an option to buy just the FMIC + couplers or the entire IC kit sealed it for me. BRILLIANT MOVE ECS!


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So, is there a big turbo lag added with the ECS IC if im stock?

I really dont want to add something that is bigger than i need. Not planning to do any upgrades to it yet.

[fasteddy91]

Just my opinion from what I read so far....adding just the ecs or tr8 intercooler will reduce the throttle response under 2k rpms but will gain horsepower and torque above that. If yo get the kit which includes the high flow intercooler pipe, then it should give you most of that throttle response you lost by adding the intercooler.

[Poodini]

Just my opinion from what I read so far....adding just the ecs or tr8 intercooler will reduce the throttle response under 2k rpms but will gain horsepower and torque above that. If yo get the kit which includes the high flow intercooler pipe, then it should give you most of that throttle response you lost by adding the intercooler.

More or less... the hoses + lower IC pipe merely improve overall air flow from the intake on out. The goal being to optimize cold air feeding the turbo. The lower IC pipe negates the restrictive nature of the OE fitted with that accordion looking sound delete box.
In terms of how it translates to your driving experience, it’s definitely appreciable, especially during the warmer months of the year.


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[fasteddy91]

∆ exactly!

No major hurry to get this but I'll buy it during the ecs holiday sale if it does go on sale.

[A4x]

So, is there a big turbo lag added with the ECS IC if im stock?

I really dont want to add something that is bigger than i need. Not planning to do any upgrades to it yet.

IMO an intercooler upgrade is not necessary if you are stock. No point. Once you get tuned, you will start pushing a lot more hot air through the pipes. Then an upgrade could make sense.

Spend your money on a high flow cat instead. That will give you a better performance increase on stock tune than an intercooler, IMO. And your warranty should be fine with a HFC. Worst case, you have to swap back the stock one. But I got my turbo replaced under warranty with an 034 HFC bolted up to it.

[Poodini]

IMO an intercooler upgrade is not necessary if you are stock. No point. Once you get tuned, you will start pushing a lot more hot air through the pipes. Then an upgrade could make sense.

Spend your money on a high flow cat instead. That will give you a better performance increase on stock tune than an intercooler, IMO. And your warranty should be fine with a HFC. Worst case, you have to swap back the stock one. But I got my turbo replaced under warranty with an 034 HFC bolted up to it.

Ditto. The HFC is where you’ll feel the biggest gains sans tune.


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[S4_SH1640]

https://www.kwe-racing.de/Audi/Audi-...afeb084949840c

I wonder if this is a good intercooler for stock k03 cars.

[Poodini]

https://www.kwe-racing.de/Audi/Audi-...afeb084949840c

I wonder if this is a good intercooler for stock k03 cars.

A simple and cost-effective upgrade is swapping it out with a 3.0t IC. Little larger than our stock one, mounts right up, minimal adjustments needed with existing hoses, clamp ‘em down and your solid for $150 or less!
I ran one with my APR Stage 2 application and ran like a champ! Had to swap it out for the K04-R upgrade but could’ve most likely used that and would have been ok.


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[S4_SH1640]

A simple and cost-effective upgrade is swapping it out with a 3.0t IC. Little larger than our stock one, mounts right up, minimal adjustments needed with existing hoses, clamp ‘em down and your solid for $150 or less!
I ran one with my APR Stage 2 application and ran like a champ! Had to swap it out for the K04-R upgrade but could’ve most likely used that and would have been ok.


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Where can i buy this new? Everything i see is with the plastic ends.

[S4_SH1640]

Part number of the IC is: 4G0 145 805 J

Anyone know where to buy this in the US?

See attached for photos

[hyperunion]

Part number of the IC is: 4G0 145 805 J

Anyone know where to buy this in the US?

See attached for photos

Wish we had this motor in b8s and b8.5s in the states!!!!

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[Poodini]

Where can i buy this new? Everything i see is with the plastic ends.

Any particular reason why you don’t want the standard 3.0l FMIC with urethane end sections? They’re mating up with silicone hoses so, if anything, they’ll maintain their connection a bit better under high boost than say all metal joiners. Mine with the plastic ends held up just fine on Stage 2 with no drop on performance, no boost leak from there, and no degradation after a little over a year of spirited driving.
Just curious..


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[fasteddy91]

Any particular reason why you don’t want the standard 3.0l FMIC with urethane end sections? They’re mating up with silicone hoses so, if anything, they’ll maintain their connection a bit better under high boost than say all metal joiners. Mine with the plastic ends held up just fine on Stage 2 with no drop on performance, no boost leak from there, and no degradation after a little over a year of spirited driving.
Just curious..


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Attachment 44574
Attachment 44575
Attachment 44576

Link to product
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-wagner-t...210001045~wgt/

Wagner Silicone pipes are a perfect fit for the ECS FMIC imo without using the two reducers that come with it. I was going to wait for them to be back in stock but I figured I'll get the rest of the couplers later. Hope this helps. PM me if anyone has questions.


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So the Wagner hoses are 2.5 inches compared to 2.25 inches for the stock hoses?

[MrTylerRaines]

Yea

[fasteddy91]

Cool. Thanks

[Spawne32]

Don't know why anyone would pay 200 for the 3.0 IC with the aluminum ends when they can get the better ECS intercooler for 50 dollars more. lol

[A4 Centaur]

^ Good point

[fasteddy91]

Don't know why anyone would pay 200 for the 3.0 IC with the aluminum ends when they can get the better ECS intercooler for 50 dollars more. lol

Agreed...I bought a used nissen intercooler with some cts turbo silicone hoses and the Eurocode high flow intercooler pipe for half the price of the ecs intercooler by itself. I am missing one hose, it's the one that connects between the intercooler and hfip. I was debating on using the stock hose or buying the Wagner pipes as they are 2.5 inches in diameter and they would slide into the intercooler easier.

How critical is it to use a silicone hose instead of the rubber hose? That is my dilemma at the moment.

[Audi 4 Life]

So I just wanted to share what I did on my B8. i am using forge intercooler kit. To go with my black trim on white theme i wanted to paint my intercooler black and also I like the sleekness of a black intercooler.

So I found this new line by cerakote, P202.
I also did my heat shield with it for no reason at all other than I wanted it black. I don't really care if the gain is little to nil I like the black look so it was worth it for me also my B8 is not your typical.

https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerako...lack-oven-cure

Quoted from their site,
Cerakote Arctic Black is a semi-gloss solid tone black.

Cerakote Heat Dissipating Coatings are a line of submicron coatings. Arctic Black is typically used on applications requiring a high thermal conductivity to transfer heat away from the energy source. Typical uses include, but are not limited to radiators, engine blocks, transmission cases, heat syncs, intercoolers and anywhere heat dissipation is needed.







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[Spawne32]

Very nice!