Diesel high efficiency intercooler upgrade
 

Hello everyone

I have a 2006 Volvo XC70 with 2.4L 5 cylinder turbo diesel with intercooler. I am looking to improve my fuel economy. Not the best vehicle to be starting with but I wanted something with a little offroad capability.

I have seen that d088 sell a performance upgrade intercooler for this car, they claim to lower the intake temperature aswell as reducing the flow loss through the intercooler.

My existing standard intercooler has a leak, and is fairly blocked up with road debris, so I will be replacing it anyway. I am wondering what extra economy I might achieve by upgrading to the do88 intercooler.

do88 show some graphs showing significantly lower intake temperatures. Below 3000RPM on the graph, the difference in temperature seems to be negligible. The RPM graph goes up to 7000RPM so must have been tested on a petrol engine, not diesel. My red line is 4500RPM.

I suspect at most economy driving speeds the performance intercooler would not be reducing the temperature much, however if it offers less flow resistance this should translate to better fuel economy?

The cost of the performance intercooler is a fair bit more than the standard one.

Any opinions welcome.

Forget "better" charge aircoolers, if you want better efficiency buy a efficiency chip tune. And from a tuner who is specielized in efficiency. -10% is easy which most ecu tuners can reach, but there is usually even more available.

If the size is same very little room for improvement of efficiency, smaller fins help little. You migth get few more horsepower, but for fuel efficiency impact under 1%.

My best in my 4wd 2.5 tdi touareg has been 5,4l/100km at 100 km/h speed. Some ideas here. Whole underside is flat in that, but no pics from that. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...82242155122992

Ah yes I should have mentioned, I would be getting it remapped after the installation, to get the best use out of it.

If you are not planning to use it track driving bigger intercooler does not improve the efficiency so much that would be any money wise sense to get it.

If price is almost same as any intercooler for that car then why not every little helps.

I have doubled the Hp in some of my TDI project cars and stock intercoolers have been enough in all of them.

Thanks, I guess I will just go with a standard intercooler replacement, and get it remapped for economy. I have some roof rack rails, but they are lengthways along the car, so I am hoping they dont add too much drag.

Yes I believe you would be better off with a standard intercooler with an economy/power reprogram to make you diesel engine run like a diesel engine.