Intercoolers: The Heat Exchanger That Makes Turbo Engines Make Power

An intercooler is an air-to-air heat exchanger between the turbocharger and the engine intake. Compressed air leaves the turbo hot (often 150°C); the intercooler cools it to closer to ambient temperature. Cooler air is denser, allowing more fuel to be burnt and more power produced. A blocked or damaged intercooler significantly reduces engine performance.

Air-to-air vs water-to-air

Air-to-air (most common on UK cars) — large flat finned core mounted at the front of the car, cooled by ram-air through the grille. Simple, reliable, but limited cooling capacity at low vehicle speeds.

Water-to-air (premium and performance applications) — smaller core mounted close to the engine, cooled by a coolant loop with its own radiator. More compact, better cooling at low speeds, more complex.

How intercoolers fail

Stone strikes damage the core fins, reducing airflow capacity. Internal oil contamination (from a worn turbo) coats the internal passages, reducing heat transfer. Cracks at end-tank joints cause boost leaks. Plastic end tanks crack with age.

Brand

OE-equivalent intercoolers from NRF, Nissens, Valeo, Hella-Pagid. Performance upgrades from Mishimoto, Forge, Airtec.

Find intercoolers for your engine on the Intercoolers collection.