Split Intercooler

[muddyboots]

Since owning the Passat, I've always noticed a very faint hiss under boost, and never tracked it down.

Anyway, floored it tonight, and the faint hiss turned into the sound of a hurricane whenever I go anywhere near the accelerator

Got home OK (no limp mode ???), and the bottom end tank of the I/C (standard SMIC, like the Ibiza) has split open.


Any ideas on the cost of a replacement ?

 

[delaxm]

They are normally for sale cheap by people who've upgraded on here or Ebay, failing that take it to an alloy welder for a quote.

 

[Sisson]

Should be able to get a 2nd hand one from the breakers,

Don't know if they're exactly the same size or not

 

[timbotdi]

It'd be worth giving this guy a try:

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=146003

He only wants £30, and the ad isn't that old - 3 weeks since the last post.

T

 

[sssstew]

odd. perhaps it has taken a knock at some point lee?

Hope you get it sorted cheaply.

 

[muddyboots]

Well, the ones for sale on here are different to the Passat IC so had to look elsewhere.

I tried a few local breakers and one in Derby said they had one. £50 if paying by card or cheque, £40 cash. My kinda place.
So, off to Derby (30min trip) in the wife's car, only to find it was the wrong one. So, back home again (another 30 min trip).

Then I phoned every breaker in Yell.com in the area, nobody had one, which I found quite surprising as Passat 130s aren't exactly rare.

Tried the VW parts outlet in Barnsley (who I posted about a while ago, usually give big discounts). They have them in stock, but could only give me 12% off the VW RRP - which was, wait for it - £260

Tried GSF car parts in Derby, didn't think they would sell ICs but lo and behold, yes they do. Not in stock though. But there is one at the Sheffield branch - and it's "only" £145 !

That was at midday. I've now just got back from Sheffield with a shiny new intercooler. It's identical to the OE one, same make and VW parts number on it, and you can see where the VW/Audi logo has been ground off.
So thumbs up to GSF for saving me about £100 on an OE part.

Off out to writhe around in the mud and fit it now

 

[muddyboots]

Stew - I'll get a photo of the duff one. I don't see how it could have got damaged, it looks like the metal clamps at the end of the core (where they clamp round the plastic end tanks) have just fractured and broken off. There's now a 2-3" long gap along the core-to-endtank joint where the O-ring has blown out.

I'm really hoping this is the cause of the faint hiss it's always had. Hey, maybe my MPG might go up a bit !

 

[Niall]

That was at midday. I've now just got back from Sheffield with a shiny new intercooler. It's identical to the OE one, same make and VW parts number on it, and you can see where the VW/Audi logo has been ground off.
So thumbs up to GSF for saving me about £100 on an OE part.

Off out to writhe around in the mud and fit it now

An ex- colleague of mine works for a company who makes radiators and intercoolers. A different manufacturer, than the aftermarket units, makes OEM parts. The only difference is that OEM quality is better.
Sounds like GSF buy in OEM parts and take the logo off and sell them on as aftermarket. Just shows you how much the VW dealer must earn

 

[muddyboots]

Just shows you how much the VW dealer must earn

OK, a couple of pics:

1) New vs. Old

2) The split
....must have been blowing for a while, you can see a clean patch where the oil build up has been blown away

3) Front of the car off for the second time in a month or so !
(Sorry, can't be arsed to rotate the photo...)

4) New one fitted
(Sorry, can't be arsed to rotate this one either)

 

[Niall]

Best thing is that the core is the same, usual difference is in the plastic fittings. How come you didn't go for the FMIC option

 

[craig-pd130]

Hope it solves your hissing problem, Lee, that certainly looks like the split has been growing and growing for a while, obviously not too much of a loss of boost to throw a boost deviation fault code.

I wonder how wide the parameters are?

 

[muddyboots]

Must be quite wide I reckon. I kept trying to tempt it into limp mode but it wouldn't go!
I remember the IC hose half popped off on the Ibiza, that didn't go into limp either

However - the faint hiss is still there. So that must be coming from somewhere else...!

 

[muddyboots]

Best thing is that the core is the same, usual difference is in the plastic fittings. How come you didn't go for the FMIC option

£145 is already £145 more than I wanted to spend on the damn thing !!

 

[craig-pd130]

the faint hiss is still there. So that must be coming from somewhere else...!

B*gg*r

 

[Niall]

£145 is already £145 more than I wanted to spend on the damn thing !!

Still parts seem to be cheaper in the UK than here. Just servicing is more expensive

 

[m0rk]

£145 is already £145 more than I wanted to spend on the damn thing !!

It's a shame, it was almost fibreglassable too

 

[DodgyDave]

Epoxy Resin would have fixed that

Had to do it to my Leon after a wee off at Knockhill this summer, was ion the same area when the ally core joins with the plastic frame, but was a lot worse than that

But, you got a new one now & all is working


Dave

 

[muddyboots]

I did think about trying to fix it, but didn't for the following reasons:
1) Too much oil around, cleaning it up for decent adhesion would be a pain in the arse
2) Wasn't sure how well it would hold - after all if the boost pressure (up to 2.6 bar or 37 psi - more than a tyre) managed to force the original casing apart, it would have to be a pretty good repair. Wanted to have confidence in the car when I put my foot down.
3) I had to get back to work the next day, and didn't want to risk having to pull the front of the car off again !

To console myself I try to think what VW would have charged to fix it...
1 x intercooler @ £260
2 or 3 hours labour @ £80-100/hr ??

£145 doesn't sound too bad after all

 

[sssstew]

yeah agreed, least you know that parts good now.

 

[Mikey_H]

does your car boost to 37psi???