Portland Auto Repair

A turbocharged engine already has a radiator removing heat from the cooling system, so it is reasonable to wonder why another heat exchanger is needed. From the outside, the radiator and intercooler can even look similar, especially when both are mounted behind the front grille. They are cooling two different things. The radiator controls engine coolant temperature, while the intercooler removes heat from the compressed air traveling from the turbocharger toward the engine. A turbocharged engine needs both because controlling coolant temperature does not automatically keep the intake air cool. The Radiator Cools the Engine, Not the Intake Air Engine coolant circulates through passages in the engine, absorbing heat from the cylinder block and cylinder heads. The hot coolant then travels to the radiator, where airflow carries much of that heat away. That system protects the engine from overheating, but the intake air does not normally pass through the radiator. Even ... read more