Charge Air Cooler System Description

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2022 Cadillac CT5. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

When a turbocharger compresses the intake air, the temperature of the air also increases. With increased charge temperatures, there is a slight decrease in power. In order to regain some of the lost power, a charge air cooler (also known as intercooler) is used to cool the compressed air, creating denser air, thus causing a more powerful combustion cycle.

The turbochargers are supported by manifold-integrated water-to-air charge cooling system that contributes to more immediate torque response, because the turbochargers blow through very short pipes up to the intercooler. Airflow routing volume is reduced by 60 percent when compared with a conventional design that features a remotely mounted heat exchanger. The charge-cooling heat exchangers lower the air charge temperature by more than 200°F (94°C), packing the combustion chambers with cooler, denser air for greater power. The air cooler system achieves more than 80 percent cooling efficiency with only about 1 psi (7 kPa) flow restriction at peak power.

Each intake manifold housing has an integrated intercooler. The intercoolers uses conventional coolant in a system that is separate from the engine cooling system. A charge air cooler radiator assembled in the front fascia, and an electric coolant pump. Coolant is pumped through the intercooler, enters through inlet port, is directed into and through the charge air cooler/heat exchanger, and exits through the outlet port and pumped back to the charge air cooler radiator. The charge air coolant pump is a solid state device. Ignition voltage is supplied from a fuse and ground is provided at the chassis. When the engine starts, the ECM sends a request via serial data circuit to the charge air coolant pump causing the pump to operate at the desired speed. The charge air coolant pump provides operational and diagnostic feedback to the ECM on the serial data circuit. If a condition exists with the physical pump, or microprocessor logic, the device will report fault specific information via the serial data circuit to the ECM. The ECM will then set the corresponding DTC. If the device fails to communicate or a condition exists with external circuits, the devices corresponding U-code will set.