B8 A4 intercooler comparison thread

[A4 Centaur]

The A7 Tdi came in yesterday from Rockauto.

Looks like it is made in Denmark. Can't wait to get the time to put it in. It looks small in the picture, but it is exactly like the one posted up earlier in this thread. Much larger than stock. I think I can get to some logging this weekend if possible.

[thendless]

Let us know how the install goes and any difficulties faced

[Rollin Thunder]

Ordered the same TDI intercooler myself. I did a little digging just to kill time and it is actually the same part number for the OEM style S5 as well. I know with increased boost levels on the modded S4 & S5 an upgraded intercooler is a must but it's good to know it's the intercooler the S5 runs stock. At stock levels I haven't read many issues with the stock intercooler on those. The S5 I would assume flows more volume of air due to the size of the supercharger. I will be installing mine this Thursday. All of the above is from my reading and opinion.

[Info@EuroCode]

The S4/S5 utilize after coolers which allow for coolant to pass through not air. It also has much smaller inlet and outlets less than 1"ID (inner diameter). What you must have came across is that this TDI part also works on the Audi A5 TDI. This part would never work with any of the charge air cooling of the supercharged 3.0TFSI motor. Hope this helps.

[Rollin Thunder]

That does clear things up, I guess this is mislabelled on Rockauto. For a 2011 S5 3.0L V6 supercharged engine it shows an intercooler (Nissen part number 96618). That is the same part # for the 3.0 TDI intercooler. I would have without a doubt went with Eurocode kit if I didn't miss the sale and didn't already have your silicone house kit and charge pipe already. Would you guys ever consider a package with just the intercooler alone?

[Info@EuroCode]

It wouldn't work because the piping for the intercooler is 2.5" and the hose kit is only 2.25".

[inNout]

Eurocode silicon hose won't work with TDI IC?

[rampantandroid]

Eurocode silicon hose won't work with TDI IC?

I believe he is saying that the EC FMIC and the EC silicone hose kit?

[BaysideS4]

Eurocode silicon hose won't work with TDI IC?

It worked fine for me. Granted I only use the turbo side hose and had to boil some water. We'll see if it holds over time!

[A4 Centaur]

I was thinking about picking up just the turbo outlet piece and the pipe that replaces the sound box. Does Eurocode sell just those two alone?

[AWDLover]

I was thinking about picking up just the turbo outlet piece and the pipe that replaces the sound box. Does Eurocode sell just those two alone?

I know they do for the high flow intercooler pipe (sound box delete). Not sure about the turbo outlet.

[auditd0rk]

I was thinking about picking up just the turbo outlet piece and the pipe that replaces the sound box. Does Eurocode sell just those two alone?

Just shot you a text about the EC outlet. I have my 2.5" EC outlet from when I took off the K03.

[Info@EuroCode]

I was thinking about picking up just the turbo outlet piece and the pipe that replaces the sound box. Does Eurocode sell just those two alone?

The turbo outlet is not sold by itself as the factory hose will not work with it. We offer a hose kit which does work with the outlet adaptor and is required to fit this part onto your car.

[BaysideS4]

The turbo outlet is not sold by itself as the factory hose will not work with it. We offer a hose kit which does work with the outlet adaptor and is required to fit this part onto your car.

The turbo outlet EC makes is pure perfection and is worth the price of the hose kit.

[Jerry1847]

stoked to get my hose kit today :)

[A4 Centaur]

8 Celsius is what? https://www.google.com/#q=8+celsius+to+fahrenheit

46.4 Degrees! Not bad.

[dscline]

8 Celsius is what? https://www.google.com/#q=8+celsius+to+fahrenheit

46.4 Degrees! Not bad.

Yes, 8° Celsius = 46.4° Fahrenheit. A DIFFERENCE of 8° Celsius = a difference of 14.4° Fahrenheit.

[lucian_1985]

If I will upgrade to the 3.0tdi intercooler, what will happen to the plastic sides left and right of the existing IC? They will have to be removed, trimed, or the 3.0tdi model be purchased?

[Jerry1847]

I just trimmed them down

[context.eax]

I replaced them with the 3.0TDI plastic. Looks a bit more stock.

[lucian_1985]

And do you have the part numbers for them, please?

[Tectoyz]

Would love to have this part number as well! Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lucian_1985]

The 3.0TDI air guides are 8K0121283F and 8K0121284F

[o1turbo30v]

The 3.0TDI air guides are 8K0121283F and 8K0121284F

Thanks!

[Frinkferta]

Ive got a 3.0 TDI IC for sale in the classifieds if anyone is interested. It's $110 plus shipping

[Bleek]

No need to waste your time with factory parts that won't come close to our kit. Best part its on sale for $895!

Link to EuroCode intercooler the only complete kit on the market for the B8

I know this is almost a year old, but I'm looking at purchasing a FMIC and came across this. ?!

[blbroo]

Yeah, I am digging back nearly a year for this thread, but would rather tag on to it than start a new one. I read this, and a few other, when deciding if and then which FMIC I would install. I ended up using the universal inspiration and think I have a great performing setup for under $180, which is partly because I found a $350 IC for $90 because the box had been opened for test fitting.

It seems the initial purpose of this thread was to compare the different FMICs available for our cars, and being a data driven guy, I am curious as to what real world numbers are. Are there enough others interested in this to setup a test run and data capture process? I would be willing to collect and summarize.

[context.eax]

Hi.
I am looking on a K04 kit for my B8 and if I go down that path I might need a lager FMIC. I am at stage 2 today and I have the 3.0TDI IC installed which works great for that tune.
But if I go K04 I think the 3.0TDI IC will be a bit to small as it only have a core volume at ~8l. (rule of thumb says 3l core volume for every 100hp)
The K04 kit will probably increase the HP to about 350 ish and for this I need a IC that have a volume for about 10l.
The best match I found so fare is the FMIC from Unitronic that have the product code UH005-ICA. The size of this core is 20.5" x 4" x 8" and should be around 10l.
Unitronic says this is a bolt on IC so I guess the installation will be the same for this compared to the 3.0TDI (will use the stock mountings)
Is the anyone here using this IC?
Is it any good?
(Oh and I live in Europe, Norway and I am having a hard time finding someone that have this IC and are willing to ship to my country)

The next IC on my list is the one from CTS TURBO B8 A4 2.0T FMIC KIT (600HP) but it got a 12l core volume which might be a bit overkill and also it's not stock mounting.
I am also a bit unsure about the installation coz my car has the headlight washer and I know this can be a problem for some FMIC's.
Anyone here using this IC?
Will this give more turbo lag coz of the size?

Regards

[crash1121]

Hi.
I am looking on a K04 kit for my B8 and if I go down that path I might need a lager FMIC. I am at stage 2 today and I have the 3.0TDI IC installed which works great for that tune.
But if I go K04 I think the 3.0TDI IC will be a bit to small as it only have a core volume at ~8l. (rule of thumb says 3l core volume for every 100hp)
The K04 kit will probably increase the HP to about 350 ish and for this I need a IC that have a volume for about 10l.
The best match I found so fare is the FMIC from Unitronic that have the product code UH005-ICA. The size of this core is 20.5" x 4" x 8" and should be around 10l.
Unitronic says this is a bolt on IC so I guess the installation will be the same for this compared to the 3.0TDI (will use the stock mountings)
Is the anyone here using this IC?
Is it any good?
(Oh and I live in Europe, Norway and I am having a hard time finding someone that have this IC and are willing to ship to my country)

The next IC on my list is the one from CTS TURBO B8 A4 2.0T FMIC KIT (600HP) but it got a 12l core volume which might be a bit overkill and also it's not stock mounting.
I am also a bit unsure about the installation coz my car has the headlight washer and I know this can be a problem for some FMIC's.
Anyone here using this IC?
Will this give more turbo lag coz of the size?

Regards

I am running the CTSTurbo FMIC on my 2014 allroad (with headlight washers), and the hoses and intercooler do not interfere with them at all. But, you will need to trim off some plastic on each side of the intercooler, as the outlets of the CTS FMIC & hoses cannot get past them without modification. It isn't a difficult install, as the only modifications you'll need to make are drilling into the crash bar as well as trimming those plastic bits. There probably is a little more lag but I haven't really noticed it. However, I can say that when the turbo kicks in it pulls very noticeably harder. CTSTurbo's quality is fantastic, and I highly recommend their products.

Hope this helps.

[inv3rtig0]

Maybe a dumb question, but does that fact that the top 1/3 of the intercooler is being blocked by the crash bar matter at all? It seems like it'd be significantly less functional since there is no airflow going over that section.

[secondchance]

Maybe a dumb question, but does that fact that the top 1/3 of the intercooler is being blocked by the crash bar matter at all? It seems like it'd be significantly less functional since there is no airflow going over that section.

Not really no. Air isnt linear. secondarily, the moving air through the fins that are exposed will also cool the upper portion of the intercooler, and thus the air flowing through it, as a byproduct of being one solid conductive unit.

[context.eax]

Not really no. Air isnt linear. secondarily, the moving air through the fins that are exposed will also cool the upper portion of the intercooler, and thus the air flowing through it, as a byproduct of being one solid conductive unit.

So say if you remove the crash bar (Yes I know you wont but just for a test) then would this IC produce cooler air?
Now I am far from any IC expert but logical I would think this IC would operate better without the bar..
If so then perhaps the IC from Unitronic will be a better cooler since the whole core will be exposed to air flow (nothing is hidden behind the crash bar)?

[context.eax]

I am running the CTSTurbo FMIC on my 2014 allroad (with headlight washers), and the hoses and intercooler do not interfere with them at all. But, you will need to trim off some plastic on each side of the intercooler, as the outlets of the CTS FMIC & hoses cannot get past them without modification. It isn't a difficult install, as the only modifications you'll need to make are drilling into the crash bar as well as trimming those plastic bits. There probably is a little more lag but I haven't really noticed it. However, I can say that when the turbo kicks in it pulls very noticeably harder. CTSTurbo's quality is fantastic, and I highly recommend their products.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your answer and all the nice pictures. :)
I guess there will be no problem with the headlight washer hose then.
But you say you have to drill into the crash bar. Wont that weaken the structure of it?
I know non of us will crash our cars but what if? :)

[secondchance]

So say if you remove the crash bar (Yes I know you wont but just for a test) then would this IC produce cooler air?
Now I am far from any IC expert but logical I would think this IC would operate better without the bar..
If so then perhaps the IC from Unitronic will be a better cooler since the whole core will be exposed to air flow (nothing is hidden behind the crash bar)?

In theory it would produce nominally cooler air, but the effect would not be noticeable until you were pushing the threshold of the intercoolers suggested power levels. that power levels rarely seen on the a4's. Like 600 hp +

Its certainly not even remotely worth the safety risk removing the crash bar. The fins behind it still receive effective amount of cold air as it is.

[dscline]

The bottom portion of the intercooler would most certainly provide better performance than the portion that is behind the crash bar. The airflow through the cooler is going to be driven by the total pressure differential before it and after it. Total pressure is the sum of velocity pressure and static pressure. There will be virtually no velocity pressure behind the crash bar, but there will be static pressure: the entire intercooler/radiator/AC condenser assembly present a restriction to the airflow that will cause some of the velocity pressure from above and below the bar to be converted into static pressure. In air conditioning, we have what we call the "45° rule"... if you have an obstruction before the cooling coil, you want enough space between the obstruction and the coil so that the there is no more than a 45° angle required for the air to re-distribute over the entire face of the coil. That doesn't mean that at 45°, the air is distribution across the coil face is completely even, that's just considered a compromise point where the affect from the upstream obstruction is reduced enough to be acceptable. Hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks to me like there's not nearly enough space to clear the 45° rule (go up 45° from the bottom of the crash bar, the intercooler looks close enough that you would hit the intercooler before clearing the top of it).

It's not ideal, but the affect is probably not very noticeable. Even the top portion will be contributing to the cooling, just not as effectively as the bottom. Intercooler sizing is a trade-off: the bigger they are, the better they cool, but the larger the internal volume, the more they can affect transient response due to the time needed to pressurize all that space. The top portion will be additional volume that doesn't provide as much cooling for that trade-off. But as said, removing the crash bar shouldn't even enter into anyone's mind, especially for such a trivial difference.

[Carlos74]

So I'm going APR Stg 2 next month... currently still on stock IC and I'm thinking of going with the 3.0 TDI IC and EC Silicone IC kit. Should I get the IC and hoses installed before ECU upgrade? or does it matter if I do that after getting flashed?

[A4 Centaur]

I would get it installed if you have the funds now. That way you are all set once your get flashed.

[context.eax]

I installed the IC after the tune so that I could compare them using vcds.

[slowone11]

Any one try the unitronic front mount?

[context.eax]

Any one try the unitronic front mount?

Yes. I just installed in on my car a week ago. There was a small fitment issue so I had to trim some plastic of the front bumper plate. Still waiting for an answer from Unitronic support.
I really like the design of the Unitronic FMIC. The whole core is exposed to air flow and will give max cooling.

When temp dropped to 18C I could go out and log it like I did with the stock FMIC and the 3.0TDI FMIC.
Here are the result:


I kind of knew it would be a bit better but I did not expect 8C cooler compared to the 3.0TDI. The reason I am upgrading is that I am also upgrading my turbo to a K04. (log was made with the IHI K03)

I have a lot of pictures in my K04 thread if you want to have a look:
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...g-K04-on-my-B8