Just installed a new intercooler and charge pipe muffler delete on my '12 CM. Hoses are flush and clamped. Fluids are all topped off. Temps are now running 15-20 degrees hotter though. I was expecting it to run cooler. Anybody else seen this, or have any suggestions?

 

Which temps? IAT? Coolant? How are you reading them?

 

Mini connect--> Enthusiast--> Sports Instruments This gives you a view of temp, hp, and torque readings. It doesn't say where it's measuring the temp from.

 

I'm sure someone in the know can give you a definitive answer, but my guess is this is as should be expected.

The intercooler only cools the air that the turbo is forcing into the intake manifold, and does nothing to cool the engine. In fact, with your mods, you've increased air volume (and density since the air is cooler after passing through the larger intercooler) being added to combustion, which equals more bang...and almost certainly more heat.

...unless of course you mean the temp of the air coming from the cold side of the new intercooler...then that would be a problem.

 

Considering I don't know where the temp is being measured from in Mini Connect, that makes sense. The upgrade is performing as expected, otherwise. According to the Mini Connect onboard dyno, it jumped up from 208, to 215 hp. Note: I'm not sure how accurate the onboard dyno is on Mini Connect.

 

Ok, I think the Mini demons have been playing games with me. Temps went back to norm today on the ride home and never fluctuated more than a couple of degrees. Dyno butt tells me the power is coming on a lot sooner now as well :-)

 

My guess is that is reading coolant temp...and you just put in a big heat exchanger that blocks the front of your radiator. So, there is a chance that would go up a little, but I am sure that the MINI is smart enough to compensate for it.

The temp with the IC that you want to look for is Intake Air Temp (IAT) and how much it changes from ambient temps. A scangauge (plugs into your OBDII port) is one way to get this (and a lot more...) info about what your car is doing.

With the new IC, you should see IAT stay closer to ambient, and return to its 'normal' much quicker than stock after boost. Of course, it will be hard to compare to stock now...but maybe a meet up with a similar specced CM would give you an idea of where yours was at.

Good luck!

 

Think we have a winner!!

 

I think the car just needed a little time for the onboard computer to figure it out. It seems to have corrected itself, and is back to running at its usual temps. Based on someone else's suggestions, I put it back in sport mode while at highway speeds and set the cruise control. Temps started going up, but it stopped at 217 and returned to 194 (pre upgrade norm). It's been rock steady every sense. I think a scan gauge purchase is still a good idea though. Any suggestions on a good one?

 

The temp you are reading is engine coolant temp. When in sport mode the temp will be lower.

FWIW, a larger intercooler will not cause higher engine temperatures, at least none of the thousands of people that have added a larger intercooler have never report this as an issue.

 

The temps we're going up in both modes at first. Someone on another thread made the suggestion of switching from normal to sport mode while at highway speed with cruise control set. Coolant temp went back to normal after that.