Cleaning the intercooler: purpose of the device, features and rules for flushing without removal

In what cases is it necessary to clean the intercooler, and how to do it yourself? How does the state of this module affect the operation of the car engine? These questions are often of interest to owners of cars equipped with a turbocharging system.

The intercooler is an integral element of this system of forced air injection into the combustion chamber of the engine, and is a heat exchanger that cools this air. The performance of the car, as well as the safe operation of the vehicle, depend on its technical condition and correct operation.

How to clean the intercooler from oil

Let’s say the breakdown is fixed, oil no longer flows where it shouldn’t, it seems you can breathe freely.
But an equally important part of the repair lies ahead, called intercooler cleaning. After all, if it is not washed, the oil along with air will mix with the fuel, which will somewhat deteriorate its quality, and can also lead to the appearance of carbon deposits on the pistons and valves. In addition, due to the oil film, the air will not be able to cool as effectively as before, which will negatively affect engine performance.

Most air-cooled intercoolers can be removed in a few minutes; you just need to loosen the clamps and unscrew the fastening bolts. You will have to tinker with liquid-cooled intercoolers by first unscrewing all the pipes. The main thing is to mark and not forget which is which. In addition, you need to know how to flush the intercooler of oil. To wash, you need to use the detergent specified in the instructions, but if you don’t have it on hand or you can’t find the recommended product, you can try universal chemistry. The following products may be suitable for cleaning:

petrol,
kerosene,
White Spirit,
diesel fuel,
Profoam

These products should be used with caution, observing all safety measures, and it is advisable to prevent their contact with open skin. You can go to a car repair shop for this, but they will charge you quite a lot of money for this easy work, although it’s still not clear for what exactly

Under no circumstances should you use metal brushes, knives or other objects that can deform the radiator when cleaning.

You can go to a car repair shop for this, but they will charge you quite a lot of money for this easy work, although it is still not clear for what exactly. Under no circumstances should you use metal brushes, knives or other objects that can deform the radiator when cleaning.

After the oil in the intercooler pipe has been thoroughly washed with chemicals or fuel, you must definitely get rid of the detergent.

To do this, you need to rinse it with water, but in no case under high pressure, since you can easily destroy the honeycombs, which will negatively affect its operation. You need to rinse quite a large number of times, no less than six, until clean water comes out of the intercooler. It is better to use water for rinsing at room temperature.

After washing, the radiator should be dried; this can be done using a hair dryer, setting it to medium temperature. You can also use a heat gun, setting it to medium power and pointing it at the intercooler.

If you wish, you can wash it from the outside, and if the honeycombs are clogged, it is better to do this without fail. This can be done using a car wash or simply under water pressure.

After washing and drying the intercooler, it is advisable to check and rinse all the pipes going both from the turbine to the radiator and from the radiator to the intake manifold

During flushing, it would be useful to pay attention to the condition of the pipes, and if they are already roughened or cracks appear in them, then they need to be replaced

The most important thing is to detect a malfunction in time, so it’s never a bad idea to just look under the hood and visually inspect whether everything is in order.

After all, the longer you delay repairs, the more oil will accumulate in the intercooler and the more difficult it will be to flush it out. And in some cases, this can only be done with the help of expensive professional auto chemical products. In addition, oil entering the combustion chamber negatively affects the condition of the engine and, for example, a cheap problem in replacing a pipe can result in a major engine overhaul if this is not done in time. Therefore, if you find oil ingress, you need to immediately begin diagnostics, establishing why there is oil in the intercooler, otherwise it can be much more expensive. If you can’t do it yourself or have doubts, then it’s better to trust professional auto mechanics from a trusted technical center.

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Why is oil leaking?

If something disrupts normal operation - suction (air release), oil supply, shaft rotation, bearing operation - the turbine begins to drive oil. And you know, you first need to figure out why this happens, otherwise after replacing the turbine with a new one, the oil will also leak out! THE REASON IS NOT ALWAYS IN THE UNIT ITSELF!

First, indirect reasons that you can eliminate yourself

After all, it is important to understand that often the “rush” of oil occurs due to a violation of pressure, that is, the locking rings do not cope with the task, the pressure from the impellers is disrupted, and the oil flows much “easier”. This indicates increased pressure at the turbine outlet, which needs to be removed

1) Check the air filter, it should be clean, in general I recommend changing the air filter 10% more often than expected. If it is clogged, replace or clean it

IT IS IMPORTANT!

2) If the filter itself is fine, look at the box and the intake pipe, it may be the problem with them. For example, there was fluff (from poplar trees).

3) We check the tightness of the filter housing (cover); if there is no tightness, then sand, dust, etc. will enter the turbine. is almost 100% guaranteed, and this in turn works as an “image” - it will kill the unit very quickly.

4) If you notice that the seal has been broken

It is IMPORTANT that you remove all the pipes and clean them - rinse them up to the turbine, and you also need to remove and rinse and clean them from the turbine to the intake manifold. The collector itself also needs to be cleaned, most likely there is dirt there - 100%

The air filter for the turbine is a very important component, because basically it drives oil only because the pressure is broken due to a clogged filter or pipes! Therefore, make a rule for yourself: change the filter every 8,000 km, and also check the condition of the housing for cracks, dirt, etc. Remember a clean filter, this already adds life to your unit.

The second most common reason is the oil itself - if it is of poor quality, or you change it rarely, a breakdown is “just around the corner.” Why does this happen?

1) The oil must be heat-resistant, it is specially sold for turbines, it should not burn, because while lubricating the bearings, it encounters high temperatures. If you fill it with regular oil, it will “coke” all the lubrication channels of the bearings, and they will simply fail. RESULT – we choose correctly!

2) Replacement interval. Even the best oil wears out and begins to lose its properties - to burn. Therefore, replacing it frequently will also protect you from “coking” of the oil passages. If your manufacturer specifies an interval of 10–12,000, then change it at least 10% more often, for example, at 9–10 thousand; believe me, the turbine’s life will increase.

3) Branch pipes. Often the cause is underwater oil pipes; if you have not changed the lubricant for a long time, they also become clogged

Even if you then change the turbine, the pipes must also be changed or cleaned, this is important!

If there is oil in the intercooler (in the intake manifold), the air filter (its adjacent structures) is most likely clogged, or the oil pipes are clogged. There is a difference in pressure.

If there is oil in the muffler - essentially the same problems, first of all, the oil pipes and the oil itself are “aired”! I would even remove the turbo and clean it and all the surrounding oil and air lines.

Of course, the above reasons are not a panacea; perhaps your unit itself has already worn out.

Needless to say, if you violate the operating rules, your turbine will fail very quickly.

1) The impeller is broken, indicating a large play on the shaft.

2) Oil flows more than normal, indicating bearing wear.

3) The shaft is jammed and the impeller does not rotate at all.

For all these reasons it changes. But these are already complex cases, some can only arise when it has really worn out, it’s just time.

In conclusion, to summarize, if the oil is leaking, this does not mean it has failed, we check the air filters and oil. pipes Now it’s a little bit for understanding.

I’ll end here, there will be more useful articles.

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Intercooler: purpose and advantages

Intercooler in a car
No matter how strange it may be, not all owners of modern cars with a turbocharged engine are sufficiently knowledgeable and understand the instruments and parts found under the hood of their car. There is no need to talk about the presence of an intercooler there. That is why in the article, it is first worthwhile to understand what kind of device it is and what it is eaten with.

An intercooler, or as it is literally translated from English - an intercooler, is a radiator or heat exchanger, the main purpose of which is to cool the superheated air coming from the turbocharger. The temperature of this same air, as a rule, reaches 200 ˚С. This overheating is facilitated by the temperature of the compressor itself and the thermodynamic effect of air compression. From a school physics course, many people remember that heating the air promises a decrease in its density, and in the case of turbocharging, because of this, its pressure will also significantly decrease.

According to experts, the intercooler is capable of reducing the air temperature to 50 °C, which will ensure significantly better filling of the engine cylinders, and accordingly increase its power, increase efficiency and reduce the level of harmful emissions. It is not at all strange that the use of an intercooler, if all systems are in good working order, guarantees an increase in engine power by 20%!

Interestingly, by cooling the air, the intercooler creates an obstacle for it, and this also affects the boost pressure. But despite this, the device provides significantly more advantages, which is why its use can be called a compromise to achieve the desired effect.

Concept and principle of operation

Oil in the intercooler of a diesel engine, what is the reason? First, let's figure out what an intercooler is and what it comes with. The challenges now facing leading engineers are to maximize power by minimizing size, fuel consumption and emissions. This is not an easy goal. One option to increase power is to increase the pressure in the cylinders to ignite the fuel.

The latter consists of fuel and oxygen, which is delivered into the chamber under turbine pressure. Thanks to this chain, the ignition speed increases and the power increases. Anyway, the effect has been achieved. But far from it. Along with increasing power, the temperature inside the engine rapidly increases. As a rule, turbines are installed in diesel engines. So for the latter, elevated temperature is very harmful. In order to prevent premature failure, engineers developed an intercooler - a mechanism designed to cool the temperature of the compressed air in the engine. The principle of operation is quite simple. It resembles a motor cooling system by reducing the temperature due to cold air.

Intercoolers are structurally of two types:

system :
the simplest and most practical design. The operating scheme is as follows: air passes through the radiator honeycombs, similar to a standard one. In this way, the cooling process takes place and a cooled stream enters the chamber;
Air-water:
the hot flow after the turbine passes through a radiator with water, in this way cooling occurs. But this method is expensive in that it requires installation of, in addition to the radiator, a pump for pumping water and an electronic control unit.

Should be taken into account implanted into production machines

A diesel engine cannot compete with the same performance as a gasoline engine, so a supercharger has become the optimal solution. But there is no smoke without fire

. The main and most common problem with turbochargers is engine oil leaking into the supercharger system. The reason must be sought exclusively in the device that is lubricated with oil. A common practice is severe wear of the oil scraper rings, which allow vapor from the combustion chamber to pass into the crankcase pan. Solution to the issue: a major overhaul in the form of tossing the rings. The reason why oil is in the intercooler of a diesel engine has been clarified. A quick repair will get your car back on the road.

Why is cleaning necessary?

How to wash the piston without removing it

Like all automotive components, the intercooler is prone to contamination because it is located in front of the radiator and is the first to absorb contamination. Ingressed dirt affects cooling efficiency, which subsequently leads to loss of engine power. However, it is the salt that is sprinkled on roads in winter that causes much more problems. In particularly advanced cases, it can destroy the aluminum coating of the heat exchanger, thereby impairing its performance. To reduce the likelihood of rupture from overheating, it is worth cleaning periodically and avoiding severe clogging.

Why is cooler cleaning necessary?

During the operation of the car, any of its parts inevitably becomes dirty. Since the intercooler is located in the front of the car, while driving, dirt, insects, small stones, sand, etc. get into it.

Moreover, oil accumulates in it, which, mixed with sewage, clogs the structure, which negatively affects the efficiency of this unit:

heat transfer is reduced, since the crust of contaminants does not conduct heat and acts as an insulating material,
there is no cooling of the air entering the cylinders from the turbocharger,
due to lack of cooling, engine productivity decreases.

In addition, in winter, salt gets into the gaps between the aluminum elements, which is sprinkled on the roads, which has a detrimental effect on the material from which the cooler is made. It literally eats away aluminum.

Precautionary measures

How to remove tar from a car?

In the process of internally cleaning the device from oil, you have to work with aggressive flammable liquids, and also take precautions so as not to damage the intercooler itself:

During mechanical cleaning, do not use hard brushes, knives or other devices that can scratch or bend thin soft metal parts.
You should work with gloves and avoid contact of aggressive substances with your body.
Follow safety rules when working with flammable materials.

After internally flushing the intercooler of oil, it must be thoroughly rinsed and dried so that there are no residual flammable substances left inside.

If you have any doubts about cleaning this module yourself, you must contact the service center for specialist help. Neglecting intercooler maintenance can soon lead to a major engine overhaul.

How to clean the intercooler from oil

Let’s say the breakdown is fixed, oil no longer flows where it shouldn’t, it seems you can breathe freely. But an equally important part of the repair lies ahead, called intercooler cleaning. After all, if it is not washed, the oil along with air will mix with the fuel, which will somewhat deteriorate its quality, and can also lead to the appearance of carbon deposits on the pistons and valves.

In addition, due to the oil film, the air will not be able to cool as effectively as before, which will negatively affect engine performance.

petrol,
kerosene,
White Spirit,
diesel fuel,
Profoam

Under no circumstances should you use metal brushes, knives or other objects that can deform the radiator when cleaning.

After the oil in the intercooler pipe has been thoroughly washed with chemicals or fuel, you must definitely get rid of the detergent.

If you wish, you can wash it from the outside, and if the honeycombs are clogged, it is better to do this without fail. This can be done using a car wash or simply under water pressure.

After washing and drying the intercooler, it is advisable to check and rinse all the pipes going both from the turbine to the radiator and from the radiator to the intake manifold

During flushing, it would be useful to pay attention to the condition of the pipes, and if they are already roughened or cracks appear in them, then they need to be replaced

The most important thing is to detect a malfunction in time, so it’s never a bad idea to just look under the hood and visually inspect whether everything is in order.

How helpful did you find this article? Share your thoughts with us.

Purpose and features

Intercooler is a heat exchanger that cools the hot air coming from the turbocharger. The temperature can reach +200 °C, which is due to the heating of the compressor and the compression of air flows. There are two types of intercooler cooling:

air;
aquatic

In the first case, the radiator releases excess heat into the atmosphere. The simple design has made this type the most popular among car manufacturers. The second type involves cooling with water. The unit has a compact size and high operating efficiency. Its structure is more complex and includes an additional liquid cooler, a transfer pump, and a control system.

Externally, the intercooler is a radiator with many strokes, plates and tubes that dissipate heat. The long length of the nozzles and their absence of bends make it possible to maintain high pressure in the structure.

The operating efficiency of the device is very high. The engine increases its power by 3% when the temperature drops by 10°. Air intercoolers cool the exhaust streams by 50° and accelerate the engine by up to 15%. For water systems, the reduction reaches 70° and the engine efficiency increases by 21%. The intercooler also has a number of disadvantages:

During friction inside the structure, the working fluid loses some energy, which reduces air pressure;
the device adds up to 20 kg to the total weight;
High-quality operation of water devices is impossible without cooling fluid, the leakage of which significantly reduces the efficiency of operation.

Air filter clogged with dust

When the intake valves open, the connecting rod goes down, and a significant vacuum is created in the pipe connected to the outlet of the pan ventilation system. When the air filter is clogged, due to the difference in pressure in the pipe and the pan, gases escape much more intensely, taking oil particles with them. In this case, the efficiency of the oil trap decreases, and the lubricant flies into the intercooler. In addition, air deficiency affects the quality of the combustible mixture. The fuel-air emulsion becomes too rich, and lubricant particles that enter the combustion chambers further change the proportion of fuel to air.

How to flush the intercooler after oil gets in

Once the cause of oil leaking into the intercooler has been determined and eliminated, it is also necessary to clean the intercooler itself before continuing to operate the vehicle. If the oil is not removed, it will enter the air flowing through the radiator. Thus, oil particles will end up in the air-fuel mixture, which will generally affect the quality of engine operation. At the same time, the quality of intercooler cooling of the passing air will decrease.

Please note: In rare cases, remaining oil in the intercooler may catch fire at high temperatures. To clean the intercooler from accumulated oil, you need to remove it from the car.

If a liquid intercooler is used, it is better to contact specialists or the removal instructions for a specific model. When it comes to an air device, it can be removed very simply - just loosen the clamps and unscrew a few bolts

To clean the intercooler from accumulated oil, you need to remove it from the car. If a liquid intercooler is used, it is better to contact specialists or the removal instructions for a specific model. When it comes to an air device, it can be removed very simply - just loosen the clamps and unscrew a few bolts.

Next, you should clean the intercooler. To do this, you can use specialized tools (information about which should be indicated in the vehicle’s operating instructions), or it is permissible to use universal automotive tools, for example, Profoam 2000.

Important: If the car’s operating instructions do not indicate that the intercooler can be cleaned with gasoline, as well as various solvents (white spirit), they cannot be used. Most likely, the use of such products will lead to irreversible damage to the device.

Once the intercooler has been cleared of any remaining oil, clean it of any remaining cleaner with distilled water.

Please note: Water must not be supplied under high pressure, otherwise it will damage the intercooler cells. Next, dry the intercooler (you can leave it to dry for several hours, or blow it with a hairdryer)

When blowing with a hairdryer, set the minimum temperature and minimum pressure to avoid damaging the device.

Next, dry the intercooler (you can leave it to dry for several hours, or blow it with a hairdryer). When blowing with a hairdryer, set the temperature and pressure to the lowest setting to avoid damaging the device.

When the intercooler is dry, install it back on the car.

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Self-cleaning of a diesel engine intercooler

After eliminating the malfunctions that led to the release of oil into the cooler, it is necessary to clean the intercooler. This procedure is necessary to ensure that the air cools normally and that the remaining engine oil in the air cooler does not mix with the air supplied by the turbine.

The entry of a mixture of oil and air into the cylinders reduces the efficiency of the diesel engine, leads to severe carbon formation and coking, changes the combustion conditions of the fuel-air mixture, etc. In critical cases, it is even possible that the engine oil in the cylinders may catch fire and the diesel engine may overheat.

To clean the intercooler yourself, you will need to dismantle it. Cleaning engine oil involves the use of special cleaners, which are widely available on sale. Before use, be sure to collect information about whether the selected product can be used to clean the intercooler of a particular vehicle.
It is not recommended to flush the intercooler with gasoline or kerosene, various solvents and other aggressive compounds. Certain coolers may be composed of materials that are easily destroyed by aggressive cleaning agents. In such a situation, there is a risk of completely disabling the device.
As for air coolers, to remove them you need to unscrew the mounting bolts and remove the clamps. Removing the liquid cooler will require careful study of the instructions.
The cooler must be flushed in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, which are indicated on the cleaner packaging. After washing, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse off any remaining chemicals using running water.
Many car enthusiasts use Karcher to clean the engine compartment. In the case of washing the cooler, you can also use this method. It should be noted that water must be supplied strictly under low pressure. The cooler honeycomb is quite fragile; water can damage the device if it is supplied intensively.
Flushing must be repeated until clean water begins to flow out of the radiator. When finished, it is necessary to dry the cooler thoroughly to eliminate the possibility of the presence of water. To speed up the drying process, the intercooler inside is carefully purged with compressed air with minimal pressure.
It is also necessary to thoroughly rinse the outside of the cooler to remove dust, dirt and engine oil residues. The final step is to reinstall the cleaned device.

Periodic external cleaning of the intercooler honeycomb is a preventative measure and allows you to improve the efficiency of the turbocharging system.
The appearance of even a small amount of engine oil in the cooler requires stopping the operation of the internal combustion engine until the cause is eliminated.
Active use of a car with a obviously faulty turbocharging system can lead to more serious damage to the power unit.

Rules for flushing the intercooler

When cleaning the heat exchanger, do not use devices with pressurized water supply. The pressure can damage the aluminum plates. The type of detergent does not particularly affect the result. There are two ways to wash:

external;
internal.

The first method allows you to flush the intercooler without removing it; the second method requires dismantling. During the cleaning process, various cleaners for radiators and engines, gasoline, kerosene, and solvent are used. Almost any product that copes well with severe stains will do.

The removed cooler can be washed better, since most of the foreign particles accumulate on the back side. The choice of method depends on the car’s mileage, degree of contamination and conditions of use. If oil gets into the intercooler, it must be cleaned twice. First, all dirt and salt deposits are removed, and then the surface is washed from oil. Gasoline and kerosene work well with this substance.

The need to disassemble the front panel and bumper depends on the car model and the location of the heat exchanger. In some cases, only dismantling the arch protection will be required. By carrying out external cleaning, you can avoid disassembling the device, but washing it will be much worse. To remove external contaminants, you will need a hose with low water pressure, a cleaning agent and a soft brush.

To remove the air intercooler, the clamps are loosened and the fasteners are disconnected. Water devices require the dismantling of all pipes. If there is a lot of dirt on the device, it is necessary to carry out mechanical cleaning. All kinds of growths, stones, and insects are removed. Curved plates are straightened using improvised means. Chemical means are used to remove deposits and dirt; you can use Profoam 2000. Internal parts are washed with acetone, white spirit, kerosene or engine and carburetor cleaners.

Cleaning the intercooler is a simple process that, together with drying, takes the driver 2-3 hours. Timely replacement of pipes will avoid breakdowns and costly engine repairs.

Flushing, washing the intercooler. — Subaru Legacy, 2.0 l., 2002 on DRIVE2

Flushing the intercooler. First, in a nutshell, what is all this for?

The compressed air coming out of a compressor, compressor or turbocharger vehicle is very hot, so its density is less than that of cold air. The power developed by the engine directly depends on the density of the air charge at the inlet. Therefore, if we do not eliminate some or all of the heat that appears after air compression, we will sacrifice power and possibly the health of the engine. Hot air, to a greater extent than cold air, contributes to the occurrence of detonation. An intercooler helps us cool the air; they come in different types, but today we are talking about air-to-air ones. In it, the heat contained in the charge of compressed air is transferred to the flow of ambient air through many plates and tubes made of heat-conducting material, such as aluminum. In relation to heat exchangers, heat transfer coefficients depend on many factors, from the magnitude of the wall roughness to the cleanliness of the heat exchanger surfaces. For example, oil and dirt can accumulate inside the heat exchanger during vehicle operation. The obstruction created by the accumulation of oil and dirt acts as insulation, reducing the efficiency of heat transfer. This is why you can sometimes gain power by flushing the intercooler.

We have a standard intercooler from a 208 engine with a mileage of 92,000 km in Japan. It is quite clean on the outside, but small dried oil streaks are visible inside.