Charge Air Cooler (CAC) System
The CAC system is designed to cool the intake air which has been heated by the supercharger. The removal of heat from the pressurized air going into the CAC increases the air density which improves combustion efficiency, engine horsepower, and torque. The system consists of an additional CAC radiator in the grille, a reservoir (independent from the engine cooling system), an electric water pump, the CAC located in the lower intake manifold, and tubing to interconnect these components. The CAC is positioned after the supercharger directly in the flow of the intake air. As the heated air flows through the CAC, heat is transferred to the coolant which is circulated back to the CAC radiator to be cooled by the airflow through the grille. The CAC pump is controlled by the powertrain control module (PCM). The PCM maintains a desirable intake air temperature by monitoring a second intake air temperature (IAT2) sensor in the lower intake manifold.