How bad are my charge temps? Should I get an inter cooler?

[Indyteecee]

I live in northern Utah which has been hovering around the 96F-105F during midday in the recent weeks. I have a Cobb accessport, cold air intake, sound symposer delete and catback exhaust. Everything else is stock. I have never really planned on getting an intercooler but recently with this weather I’ve been running charge temps during midday of around 105-115 moving and 120-130 while idling in traffic. To me this seems pretty warm but does this seem normal for stock intercooler or is something wrong? and would an aftermarket intercooler make a big difference to justify the price? Thank you.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

I live in northern Utah which has been hovering around the 96F-105F during midday in the recent weeks. I have a Cobb accessport, cold air intake, sound symposer delete and catback exhaust. Everything else is stock. I have never really planned on getting an intercooler but recently with this weather I’ve been running charge temps during midday of around 105-115 moving and 120-130 while idling in traffic. To me this seems pretty warm but does this seem normal for stock intercooler or is something wrong? and would an aftermarket intercooler make a big difference to justify the price? Thank you.

The Aftermarket IC will bring temps down some, But you're most likely hear soaking which is normal in high temps. A larger IC isn't a bad idea at all even for as Stock snail.

 

[PunkST]

Definitely normal for a stock IC.
Is your intake a true cold air?? Either way heat soak happens.

 

[Indyteecee]

Definitely normal for a stock IC.
Is your intake a true cold air?? Either way heat soak happens.

Cobb cold air intake is what I installed.

 

[Business6]

In SLC here and I've logged a lot of miles with the AP and checking charge temps with stock, the small Levels IC and now the Whoosh V1.

If you're not moving you are going to have similar temps regardless because, unsurprisingly, it relies on air pressure. My temps hit 120+ routinely unless I'm at highway speeds and then they can be anywhere from 0-5° above ambient to 20° above; it just depends on speed and engine load. The difference from stock to aftermarket is how much it cools down when moving and how long it takes to heat back up. There's definitely more overhead with an aftermarket intercooler but don't believe for a second you won't deal with the same temperatures at least some of the time.

 

[PunkST]

A bigger IC will drop the heatsoak faster. Which is a big plus for keeping things happy.

 

[Dpro]

Even Stock a larger intercooler on our cars is a benefit. Our stock intercooler will heatsoak within ten to fifteen minutes of hard driving when its hot out. Its wimpy wimpy wimpy!
Get a larger intercooler be in boost for more fun.

 

[gtx3076]

Cold air intakes don't make a significant difference in charge temps. They're overrated.

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[SteveS]

The temperatures you are reporting are 5-10 degrees above ambient when moving and 10 degrees higher while stationary. I don't think anything will make it lower than that. Unless you bring along an air conditioner to cool your intake air. Think about it. You take ambient air into a hot engine compartment, compress it, which raises the temperature. Then you pass it through a radiator which is cooled by ambient air. It will not get back to ambient even with the biggest intercooler. And the more intercooling you do, the more you lose velocity and pressure.

 

[The Cuzi]

The temperatures you are reporting are 5-10 degrees above ambient when moving and 10 degrees higher while stationary. I don't think anything will make it lower than that.

Agree with @SteveS. In happy steady-state driving my charge temps are almost always +5f to +9f over ambient.

 

[Rocketst]

Bravo alpha running an x57rs in 108 degree weather I see 102 at wot. 105 at cruise.

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[PunkST]

Im on stock turbo with an MAP intercooler. On a 31 hour straight drive to seattle from wisconsin my charge temps sat 3 degrees above ambient

 

[SteveS]

Bravo alpha running an x57rs in 108 degree weather I see 102 at wot. 105 at cruise.

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So have you figured out how you are breaking the laws of thermodynamics? Or do you think perhaps there is a temperature gauge which is not accurate? I vote for the latter.

 

[Dpro]

So have you figured out how you are breaking the laws of thermodynamics? Or do you think perhaps there is a temperature gauge which is not accurate? I vote for the latter.

 

[Rocketst]

So have you figured out how you are breaking the laws of thermodynamics? Or do you think perhaps there is a temperature gauge which is not accurate? I vote for the latter.

I have no idea what your talking about.... Lol

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[gtx3076]

I have no idea what your talking about.... Lol

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You can't get your charge temps below ambient unless you're running meth.

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[M-Sport fan]

You can't get your charge temps below ambient unless you're running meth.

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...or spraying CO2, or nitrous oxide at the intercooler, constantly

 

[PunkST]

I wish someone made a bar sprayer for these cars.... I always thought that was a neat idea. Even if its a tank in the trunk spraying washer fluid.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

You can't get your charge temps below ambient unless you're running meth.

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Or smoking Meth*

 

[Philld_with_donuts]

I wish someone made a bar sprayer for these cars.... I always thought that was a neat idea. Even if its a tank in the trunk spraying washer fluid.

I made one of those for my car. Rerouted all windshield/rear glass sprayers to the IC, and cut small holes in that little air dam between the bumper beam and intercooler to hold everything in place. (I don't have any provisions in the hood to spray to the windshield anyway)

I'll try to record how much of a benefit it gives, but I know I have never hit limp mode since I started using it. VERY easy to make the swap.

I'm sure with a bit of creativity you could even leave the windshield sprayers intact. You might just have to spray both at the same time.