The intercooler: How does it work in your car?

Has your car lost its oomph? Or perhaps you’ve been topping up fuel more often? If this sounds familiar, you may have a problem with your car’s intercooler.

The intercooler is an essential part of turbocharged and supercharged cars that help them run at top performance. So if you have a turbocharged or supercharged car, intercooler problems are something to keep on your radar, as they can drastically reduce efficiency and cause knock-on effects down the line.

How do you know when your intercooler needs some TLC? Read on to find out what it does, and what to do to keep it in top shape.

What does an intercooler do?

Before we look at the intercooler, it’s important to understand where it comes into play. Turbocharging makes your car's engine more powerful by forcing more air into the chamber. This is where the intercooler is required.

So what is an intercooler on a car? The role of the intercooler is to cool this intake air, which makes it more dense and available to burn fuel. This is crucial for the power and boost you’re looking for in a turbocharged engine.

When it comes to efficiency and looking after your engine, your intercooler is a critical part, so it’s worth looking after it. A fuel that burns unevenly rather than in small, regulated sparks, can cause problems for your engine’s cylinders and pistons if it happens too often. By reducing the temperature of the air before it heads to your car’s cylinders, you’re less likely to experience engine knocking and damage.

Radiator vs intercooler: what’s the difference?

While both systems work to cool the engine down, there is a difference between radiator and intercooler systems. The radiator’s job is to reduce coolant temperature after it passes through the engine, preventing overheating in all the moving parts. It’s in every car that has an internal combustion engine.

An intercooler, on the other hand, is responsible for cooling down the compressed air in turbo and supercharged cars that gives them their extra boost. Its role isn’t to keep the engine parts cool, but to provide the engine with air that’s cooler and therefore more oxygen-rich and dense to help the turbo engine burn fuel more efficiently.

Radiators and intercoolers can also be found in different parts of the car’s engine. Radiators sit right behind the front grill, using the air that flows in as you drive to help lower the temperature of the coolant. Intercoolers are attached to the turbo, and—depending on the type—will sit just behind the front grill or further back in the engine.

Is oil in the intercooler normal?

While the intercooler doesn’t need oil to work, the turbocharger does. This part spins quickly and needs oil to lubricate it to prevent any damage. As the seals in the turbocharger wear, they let through small amounts of oil that builds up inside the intercooler hose. The exhaust gas recirculation system also spills oil into the intercooler over time. That makes giving your intercooler a good clean crucial in keeping it in great working condition.

If your car’s intercooler has more oil in it than normal, it could also be a problem with your turbo unit becoming worn, a clogged air intake filter, a stuck PCV valve or too much oil that’s been put in the system.

How much oil is normal in an intercooler?

A small amount of oil residue in the intercooler is normal. However, too much more will spell disaster for your engine as it will be sucked up through the intercooler and spread further down the line. While your car will continue to function with a dirty intercooler, you might find there is a drop in efficiency and performance.

Intercooler leaking oil? How to fix it

When oil builds up in the system, it reduces your car’s efficiency and causes a number of symptoms. If you find that your car’s blowing smoke, using more fuel than normal, or seems to have lost power, it could be a problem with your intercooler.

You can fix it yourself, but it’s a time-consuming and messy job, and can be quite involved if you don’t know your way around a car. If it’s caused by more than just normal buildup over time, a clean isn’t going to fix the problem.

To give you an idea of what’s involved in cleaning an intercooler, here’s a quick guide:

1. First, you’ll need to take out the intercooler. Depending on the type of intercooler you have the process will vary, so read the manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Once you have it out of the car, disconnect the pipes and hoses at each end and tape off the inlets at one end of the intercooler so the degreaser stays put once you’ve poured it in.

3. Any degreaser like acetone, methylated spirits, or kerosene will break down the oil, so sit the intercooler over a large container to catch any spills, and pour one of these through the inlet.

4. Shake the degreaser around a bit and let it sit for a while to do its work (around 15 minutes should do the trick). Pour out the liquid into the container for safe disposal, and repeat until the liquid comes out clean.

5. Run water through the intercooler with a hose as a final cleaning step to remove any degreaser and residue, making sure to collect whatever comes out to put into containers and take for safe disposal.

6. When the water comes out clear, leave the intercooler to dry completely. You can put it in the sun and do a final dry with a hairdryer to make sure you’ve gotten it all out. Moisture is bad news for your engine so make sure it’s completely dry before reattaching it.

7. It’s a good idea to clean the fins on the outside too, as any debris will stop the airflow. Use compressed air to blow between them, and a skewer or similar to remove any dirt.

If in doubt, it's always best to bring your car to a qualified mechanic. Our team will confidently address your intercooler issues, while also looking out for any other issues that might cause a headache down the road.

Problems with your intercooler? We can help

If you’ve noticed any problems with your intercooler and need an expert to take a look, our friendly mechanics at mycar provide professional servicing, testing, and replacement. With our workmanship guarantee you can drive away with peace of mind. Plus, with 275 stores across Australia, there’s always a mycar around the corner to help you with all your car’s needs.

So if you’d like to bring your car into your local mycar for the best service and quality Australia-wide, give one of our friendly staff a call and we’ll have you sorted in no time!