Chargecooler SE Problem

[elecman240]

I've been reading with interst the recent messages concerning the chargecooled SE, Ive only recently got my 89SE and was not impressed with the turbo performance,I have a Subaru of similar power to the 164BHP of the SE but the turbo punch is so much better than the SE .At a recent track day the turbo gauge on full chat seem to max out around 12 oclock on the boost gauge and not the 0.85 boost as per spec on this car. It seems that like other SE owners that I most possible have an impeller problem broken or non existant vanes on the chargecooler that is cutting the boost. I'am new to the SE but can one of you more knowledgeable owners confirm that if there is a charge cooler problem on the SE the onboard ECU cuts the boost to around 0.5 boost or around 210BHP, as this could be my power problem and I need to get it sorted asap,
Colin


[Non

[98GT3]

I hope you mean 264 BHP!

A quick check for the chargecooler is to drive the car for a while
then stop and put your hand on the top of the chargecooler, it
should be cold to the touch, if not the pump isn't working properly.
To be more precise with it, get yourself a freescan/ALDL package
were you will be able to log all engine parameters including boost
pressure, manifold air temp, engine temp etc. etc. Incidently boost
is also limited by engine water temp, I had a faulty stat and that
also messed up my power.

Hope this helps,

Phil 98GT3

[bojangles]

i did the touch test and it was hot.......
I changed the impellor myself and it was not such a bad job..
now everything works fine.. i did get full boost before but it would only last a second,, then reduce to 3/4 on the gauge... now can run at full on long highway bursts..

95 S4s
Bruce

[HS1]

Look for Hyper Sport Engineering to put out a new 4 cylinder turbo kit about September 04 including a new charge cooler. For more information on Hyper Sport go to www.hyper-sport.net. We a looking forward to helping Esprit owners solve some real common problems for good.

[lotusguy]

HS1 said:

Look for Hyper Sport Engineering to put out a new 4 cylinder turbo kit about September 04 including a new charge cooler. For more information on Hyper Sport go to www.hyper-sport.net. We a looking forward to helping Esprit owners solve some real common problems for good.

Hi,

Good Luck in your venture. How about a chargecooler kit for the pre-SE Turbos? Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE

[superdave]

Colin,

Iam free tommorrow afternoon if you want to come around. I can also
borrow a freescan cable and i have a laptop. All we need to do is to
download the freesecan software and we can get a reading to see what
the problem is.
The first check is to see if the chargecooler pump is working
properly.
Just out of interested, it would be nice to take each other out for a
spin to compare power outputs between your SE and my carb turbo.

Cheers,



Dave Walters

[JeffYoung]

Even if the chargecooler impeller is working properly, you won't see full boost all the time under track conditions (or hot street conditions). My experience at the track was once the motor heat soaked, .5 bar was all I would get (and my chargecooler was cool to the touch).

There's ways around this (ask Ron Earp). But a stock SE is not going to see full boost all the time. In fact, this was true when the car was new. Performance mags would purposely test the car during cool weather to get the 4.9 0-60 times, etc. that we all like to quote.

[danny tattersall]

Colin,

First of all, I would check the top of the chargecooler plenum to ensure that it is cool to the touch as suggested already. If that is ok and you still have restricted boost it could be down to a variety of other things. A freescan log could be used to diagnose these up as things such as engine knock counts will limit boost. Dave has already offered to assist you with this, but I would be willing to help too if required. If the chargecooler is hot then the boost will be limited and you will need to recondition the pump / fit an electric replacement. Neither of these jobs are too difficult.

Danny.

[karmavore]

HS1 said:

Look for Hyper Sport Engineering to put out a new 4 cylinder turbo kit about September 04 including a new charge cooler.

Where is the Hyper Sport Facility?

[cnh1990]

you will only get .65 bar. if the impeller is gone.

Use the fans to cool off the intercooler before a run or drive it easy to cool of the intercooler coolant before a hot lap.

The touch test is good if the car has not been idling long a few minutes idling and the chargecooler will heat soak and the test is worthless. It should feel like cold metal and even when it is hot it is not as hot as a standard engine cooling system. Just remeber it should feel like cold metal. I though mine was fine until I got mine fixed and found out what a working chargecooler should feel like.

[rlearp]

Does the S4s have only one cooling system, for engine coolant and chargecoolant? I thought it did, and if it does this makes no sense to me at all.

My chargecoolant, as measured from a thermocouple in the coolant with a T right before the core, runs in the 100-120F degree range, sometimes a little more at times. The engine coolant is going to be about 180F, so it makes no sense to me to use engine coolant for cooling the intake charge, this can't be a good thing.

I must be missing something.



>> Edited by rlearp on Thursday 3rd June 17:52

[Dr.Hess]

rleap, I don't know the answer to your question regarding the separation of the systems, but even if the chargecooler was being cooled by 100F coolant, it would still be much cooler than the charge coming in. Boyle's gas law and all that. The intake temp post turbo (compressor) can be 200+f easy. If you can cool that to 100F for a longer period of time, you are doing great.

Based on the "cool to the touch" suggestions, I would venture to say they charge cooler system is separate. It may use a common resivoir, though, I don't know. Don't have a S4, don't have a charge cooler at all. One less thing to break, huh?

Dr.Hess
'89 Non-SE
No charge cooler
No ABS
No air bags

[cnh1990]

It shares a common header tank.

[bojangles]

it re-circulates its own coolant up to a seperate front radiator.. it shares an expansion tank with the enging coolant but the fluids dont mix as they are pumping around..
Just to confuse thing a bit - note that even on the shared system there are 2 expansion bottles each with a rad cap...
the older cars than the S4 had totally independant systems with 2 bottles ... then they made the system "common" yet there are still 2 bottles ... I wish I had the owners manual to explain what each bottle in the shared system is officially called..

Bruce S4s

[rlearp]

Hess,

I completely understand the ideal gas law etc.

I was just wondering, if the later models did indeed use engine coolant in the chargecooler, as to why. Obvisouly, 100F coolant in the chargecooler is better at cooling heated air than 180F coolant in the chargecooler.

But, I think those fellows below explained it - they are separate systems but use a common expansion tank.

[Asianbond]

I install the new rebuilt kit but my chargecooler is still how to the touch. What to look for next?

[lotusguy]

Asianbond said:

I install the new rebuilt kit but my chargecooler is still how to the touch. What to look for next?

Hi,

Check your chargecooler radiator up front to insure it is not clogged with debris and incapable of passing sufficient airflow to extract the heat from the chargecoooler coolant. Use a high pressure hose to shoot water through the radiator from the backside to eject the debris.

Also, when installing the impeller, you must take care to never rotate the Aux. Pulley in an Anti-Clockwise direction (as viewed from the front of the engine). This will destroy the impeller, new or not. And I am talking just counterrotating it even the smallest amount. If you did this, intentionally or not, you have destroyed the impeller you installed.

Check the radiator first, if that doesn't solve the problem, I think you're looking at another impeller install. Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE

Next,

[cnh1990]

Disconnect both hoses and use a barb tip and merge the intercooler hose with a water hose. Back flush it, direct the exit hose downward and away from the engine and other components as all sorts of things will shoot out of it.

[HS1]

Hyper Sport Engineering is located in Norcross Georgia outside of Atlanta. We occupy the facility previously owned by Protostar that ran the Cadillac LMP team. Look for us at Watkins Glen Grand Am event with 2 V8 Turbos.