Leaking Supercharger Intercooler Symptoms

[hckymstr19]

OK so I installed my KC about a week ago and literally 3 days after, for the first time I went to start the car and it stalled but then fired up right after. Didn't think too much until I let the car sit for a few hours and went to start and it was a very rough start and rpms stumble real low for a sec or two and then it evens out. Now I assumed I may have a leaking intercooler but when I check vcds during these rough starts it doesn't show a misfire at all and after this, the car drives fine. And this most recent time after the gum for an hour an a half, the engine started real rough and then the idle was extra rough once it evened out, like so rough the car actually rocked back and forth rather hard, way more than usual but once I started driving it was fine and drove great.

So I have realized it really only happens after I drive it for a while and then let it sit for an hour or two and try to start it again because if I let it sit over night it starts up fine. I was actually hoping to see misfires so I could narrow down what the issue is but without misfires, I'm not sure.

I'm thinking about the KC install and I cut into the Ac circuit and supercharger circuit both which are separate circuits from the engine. So if the ac has major issues that shouldn't effect starting the engine or rough idle, and even if the supercharger circuit had no fluid in it, the car should still start up fine, right? But the only thing that makes logical sense to why the engine would coincidentally have start up rough idle issues after the KC install would be somehow that fluid is leaking into the engine somehow right?

So anyone that has any ideas or experience with knowing they have a leak please chime in, plus I think this is a good thread since this issue has been cropping up for more people. Let me know your thoughts guys.

[TheAsset]

If the car is under warranty I'd take it to the dealership.

[whiped]

If the car is under warranty I'd take it to the dealership.

With the KC and all his other mods? They'd tell you to go pound sand lol.

It might be condensation forming on the IC cores and dripping down if you aren't loosing any coolant.

This would explain why it happens when parked for a short time but not a long time. That or it could be your cats.

You should be able to see the misfires at idle, when my cats are clogged I can feel the misfires when I first start it up

[hckymstr19]

With the KC and all his other mods? They'd tell you to go pound sand lol.

It might be condensation forming on the IC cores and dripping down if you aren't loosing any coolant.

This would explain why it happens when parked for a short time but not a long time. That or it could be your cats.

You should be able to see the misfires at idle, when my cats are clogged I can feel the misfires when I first start it up

Yea it's just everytime I've logged during the rough startups, it surprisingly shows 0s across the board which is the odd part. And Condensation does make sense, but I feel loe or others with KC would experience this regularly as well if condensation was an issue. And every time I check I don't seem to be losing any coolant in the supercharger circuit(divorced system).

But if it is condensation inside dripping, is there anything that I could even do for that?

[whiped]

Turn off the AC for a bit before parking to let it warm up? No idea if that is actually it, I just know Loe gets condensation on his reservoir so figured it might do it internally too. Doubt it would be enough to cause real issues though.

How are your cats/plugs? Are you running any Ethanol?

[hckymstr19]

Turn off the AC for a bit before parking to let it warm up? No idea if that is actually it, I just know Loe gets condensation on his reservoir so figured it might do it internally too. Doubt it would be enough to cause real issues though.

How are your cats/plugs? Are you running any Ethanol?

No ethanol, plugs are ngk 9s about a month or 2 old, I get a couple misfires here and there while driving, but drives great. I have no idea about my cats, how would I check, I remember reading something about checking voltage form o2 sensors?

[jfootlong24]

With the KC and all his other mods? They'd tell you to go pound sand lol.

It might be condensation forming on the IC cores and dripping down if you aren't loosing any coolant.

This would explain why it happens when parked for a short time but not a long time. That or it could be your cats.

You should be able to see the misfires at idle, when my cats are clogged I can feel the misfires when I first start it up

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[jfootlong24]

With the KC and all his other mods? They'd tell you to go pound sand lol.

It might be condensation forming on the IC cores and dripping down if you aren't loosing any coolant.

This would explain why it happens when parked for a short time but not a long time. That or it could be your cats.

You should be able to see the misfires at idle, when my cats are clogged I can feel the misfires when I first start it up

Wouldn't the cylinder be more than hot enough to have evaporate any condensation that would drip?


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[hckymstr19]

But if significant condensation builds up on the intercoolers inside and then when I go to start after like an hour, wouldn't upon trying to start up, that condensation would be forced into the cylinders which would cause an issue like this? Does that make sense? Kinda like running too much water in a water/meth injection and you get quenching? I don't know enough about that to be sure.

[jfootlong24]

But if significant condensation builds up on the intercoolers inside and then when I go to start after like an hour, wouldn't upon trying to start up, that condensation would be forced into the cylinders which would cause an issue like this? Does that make sense? Kinda like running too much water in a water/meth injection and you get quenching? I don't know enough about that to be sure.

I mean I guess anything is possible but I doubt it god knows how hot the cylinder gets but I'm in the same boat as you dropping my car off today to crown Motorsports to let it sit overnight and look into the cylinders to look for fluid, but we're going to experiment with the cores and have them zircotec coat them and see if that will hold them together


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[Chris@EPL]

No ethanol, plugs are ngk 9s about a month or 2 old, I get a couple misfires here and there while driving, but drives great. I have no idea about my cats, how would I check, I remember reading something about checking voltage form o2 sensors?

I doubt it is the issue, but for our tunes only CA 91 DP need the 1 step colder plugs. Every other set up DP, 93, E85 should all have stock plugs gapped to .026"

Not likely the issue, but may be worth switching out when you get a chance to see any difference. But after you dial everything in with the KC.

[hckymstr19]

I mean I guess anything is possible but I doubt it god knows how hot the cylinder gets but I'm in the same boat as you dropping my car off today to crown Motorsports to let it sit overnight and look into the cylinders to look for fluid, but we're going to experiment with the cores and have them zircotec coat them and see if that will hold them together


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Yea let me know what they find, yours at least seems to be pointing in somewhat of a direction and since you are losing some intercooler fluid which would seem to point toward a leak.

As for the condensation, I'm not saying it's them dripping into the cylinders, but my reservoir gets a crap load of condensation on it so I can only assume that's happening on the intercoolers inside the engine. And then just picture a reservoir that's coated in condensation, now put all that condensation on the intercoolers and you go to start your car and air is then being pulled/pushed into the cylinders and inevitably bringing all that condensation with it. But would that much water upon start causing the rough start, wouldn't that show misfires or no? I'm not sure from a tuning standpoint if the engine can have a rough start but not be misfiring if it's related to too much water or "quenching" so to speak.

[RWD2quattro]

stock plugs gapped to .026"

^^This.

[hckymstr19]

^^This.

I was going to go back to stock plugs anyways even though the plugs I'm using now are working fine. But you have to look at exactly what is happening and WHEN it happened. I installed the KC and then 3 days later I get start up issues. The KC should have absolutely no effect with start ups or spark in anyway, unless they are leaking somehow.

[hckymstr19]

OK so I started the car after letting it sit for 3 days over the weekend and it started up flawlessly with no roughness whatsoever. I'm going to replace the spark plugs because I was going to before anyways so we can eliminate that. But if that doesn't help, any other suggestions?

[p3u]

Pm'd you. I have the same exact issue and very similar setup. Would love to know if you found the issue and hopefully resolved it.

[mrb5_supra_wrx]

Pm'd you. I have the same exact issue and very similar setup. Would love to know if you found the issue and hopefully resolved it.

post it here for future reference others might need the help too

[Lensch09]

Has anyone else noticed the trend between killer chiller and cracked IC? I definitely have.

-DL

[whiped]

Has anyone else noticed the trend between killer chiller and cracked IC? I definitely have.

-DL

He cracked them before the KC too.

I think it is more pressure related...

[cspcrx]

Interesting reading. When I first heard about the KC this was a concern I had. Stressing the metal by having such a huge temperature differential.

[Loe]

there's no correlation or trend...

I've cracked these at stock cooling, then again with the AWE coldfront system, then again when I transitioned from the AWE to KC, and now just the KC. I run my car harder than most, much harder than most (daily driver that sees WOT a few times during my 45 minute highway commute, track almost every thursday, a few saturdays, and a few sundays). The environment of squeezing boost in a tiny blower pretty much creates an issue for the blower, however that may not even be the case as these have cracked at stock boost levels on stock cooling on other 3.0t platforms.

[EIAlfonso]

I had the same exact issues right after I installed my HX and went DP (both at same time).

Then after 3 weeks it started up and huge plumes of white smoke came out of the exhaust. Both IC's were replaced, I never knew why it happened to occur just after the DP/HX were installed and I may never know for sure but what you are saying sounds exactly as what was happening to me.

I've never had a KC installed.

[p3u]

Follow up question. If you suspect it is leaking how do you confirm? Seems like you'd leak fluid in the supercharger just by removing it regardless of their being a leak.

[whiped]

Your best bet to actually confirm is to disconnect the hoses on the front of the SC and pressure test the ICs.

Should be easy to do. I am not sure how much pressure they will hold but you should definitely know if there is a leak.

[JaB6]

For symptoms- Does the ECU enrichen the fuel mixture in response to the leaky intercoolers, as seen as rich condition when looking at lambdas?

[EIAlfonso]

It looks like I may be on my third set (second replacement) of intercoolers. My start up stumbled this morning and then saw quite a bit of white smoke out the back that quickly dissipated


What are the things that I can do after replacing to help the longevity?

Are the OEM the only real solution?

I have an additional HE and spray water with AME kit, what else as far as equipment can I change?

I'm on a 184 Crank APR Supercharger Pulley (about 3.2 ratio)

[theweebabyseamus]

Additional HX? Or larger HX?

[EIAlfonso]

Additional HX? Or larger HX?

I have an additional small HX from merc


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[Moose88x]

Haven’t really had an issue with this yet knock on wood, however I am installing a jokerz ported blower within the next week or so. Do you think I should purchase 2 new intercoolers for the new charger? It’s got around 20k miles on it. My current blower has around 99k on it. I’m currently APR UC with a 194/57 setup. I’m running the PLM kit with an expansion tank and I’m going to divorce the system when I swap the blower and do a carbon clean. Do you think this is a good preventative measure or just wait and ride it out?


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[theweebabyseamus]

I have an additional small HX from merc


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Maybe try a better HX setup and divorce with straight water? That’s all I got, I wouldn’t think you’d have too much of an issue spraying the water.

[EIAlfonso]

Maybe try a better HX setup and divorce with straight water? That’s all I got, I wouldn’t think you’d have too much of an issue spraying the water.

I may just divorce it and see if my temps come down, now to read up on how to divorce a system

[EIAlfonso]

Haven’t really had an issue with this yet knock on wood, however I am installing a jokerz ported blower within the next week or so. Do you think I should purchase 2 new intercoolers for the new charger? It’s got around 20k miles on it. My current blower has around 99k on it. I’m currently APR UC with a 194/57 setup. I’m running the PLM kit with an expansion tank and I’m going to divorce the system when I swap the blower and do a carbon clean. Do you think this is a good preventative measure or just wait and ride it out?


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I would just wait, never know Audi may revise the oem once again (I think they're up to F) or a better aftermarket cooler may pop up

[AdamInKC]

Curious, when other have had a supercharger cooler leaking, have you also had to replace spark plugs? I just replaced both coolers and all pertinent seals after a slow coolant loss, misfires at startup and under WOT. I took the car for a spin tonight and am still seeing misfires on cylinder 3 and the car going into 'protection' mode (EPC). I am looking to replace all spark plugs this weekend. Also, do you have to clear codes after removing the SC for any reason?

[Loe]

its best to replace the spark plug where the misfire occured, you don't have to replace all plugs unless they are all fouled or they are all at their time to be replaced. Clearing the code isn't necessary unless you have a CEL light present, but there will likely be stored codes if there was a missfire event prior to replacement and the CEL codes weren't cleared prior to replacement.

[brs2c]

Curious, when other have had a supercharger cooler leaking, have you also had to replace spark plugs? I just replaced both coolers and all pertinent seals after a slow coolant loss, misfires at startup and under WOT. I took the car for a spin tonight and am still seeing misfires on cylinder 3 and the car going into 'protection' mode (EPC). I am looking to replace all spark plugs this weekend. Also, do you have to clear codes after removing the SC for any reason?

I have the very slow coolant leak, and cylinder 3 misfires, too. However, my EPC never comes in at startup. Mine comes on only at full throttle at 7k+ rpm. I am guessing it is the IC. It seems like 3 is the one that usually fails first. Since this is the one nearest the passenger side firewall, I wonder if it has anything to do with being further away from the return line T ( as it is closer to the driver’s side, instead of centered).


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[whiped]

I had 6 fail after 3 failed. I think the back side of the cores are just structurally weaker.

This is what happens if you do pulls with blown cores. RIP.

[Loe]

ha! nice! but yeah they appear to be weaker at the ends

[brs2c]

Is there a certain spot on the end where they typically fail, or is it a new and exciting spot every time? If is is the same spot, might there be a way to just JB weld the weak spot to reinforce it (I know it is a ghetto solution, but repeatedly paying $225 is for the birds)?

[AdamInKC]

ha! nice! but yeah they appear to be weaker at the ends

Is there anything visually wrong with a bad core? Assuming the only way to test is by pressurizing the core and looking for leaks.

[whiped]

I'm not sure exactly where it bursts but I don't think I'd be easy to fix.

I sent one of my bad cores to Tyrolsport. Perhaps they will look at it and see where the weak point is.