Roush Intercooler Running Hot - Need Help

noahzarc1 · Apr 19, 2005

My first post, but thanks for your patience.

I have a Saleen Speedlab Supercharger on a 2000 Mustang GT. I have noticed this past week that my intercooler continuosly creeps up until it will hit max (just beyond 200). This has me worried. i live in AZ but the temps arenot that hot and the supercharger has never had this problem. It has been on the car since 2001. My car just hit 20,000 original miles.

I recently (unfortunately) busted a rocker arm and that was repaired by Ford. However since then I have noticed the intercooler running very high. I took it for a short drive through town and it is running higher than it would on a 2-3 hour road trip. Is there anyone who can give me some guidance on this? I am thinking I should call Ford again to see if the tech will re-look at it. But I wanted to ask in this forum of those who actually own the product also and have seen similar instances.

Thanks for your help

noahzarc1

03s281sc · Apr 19, 2005

i had the same problem with my intercooler temp going up to where it normally dosent go. It was a blown fuse that controls the fans and pump to where they should turn on with the ignition. Try turning your key to the run position without starting the engine and about 30 seconds later you should hear the fans kick on and if you take the cap off the intercooler coolant tank you should see the fluid moving if the pump is working. If niether are working then check the fuse, mine is a 20amp fuse i believe, and it should be located right next to the fenderwell where the air filter and maf sensor are.

Im not positive if your setup is the same since it did not come from the factory with your saleen s/c so i wouldnt be sure where to look for the fuse on yours.

whosdady · Apr 20, 2005

The ic water pump may be working but it may also be leaking which could prevent how well it works. A leaking ic water pump is very common in saleens. Mine leaked and casued similar problems. After you get it fixed you can also put a "cold mix" instead of straight radiator fluid that will help it stay cool as well. I have an s4 ic for my s2 blower with the cold mix and I never see temps over 120.

Head Paneer · Apr 20, 2005

whosdady said:
I have an s4 ic for my s2 blower with the cold mix and I never see temps over 120.

What are the differences between the Series I and IV front mounted intercoolers?

FASN8N · Apr 20, 2005

From eddie on Saleenchat

eddie33@softhome.net
Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 01:04 PM

Hey all,
I wanted to thank everyone for trying to help with my intercooler problem. Despite the fact that most people told me that my electric pump was bad, I wanted to wait to talk with Joe at Chicane Motorsports since he seems very knowledgeable every time I talk to him. I was just about to order my pump from Saleen when I got to talk to Joe. What he told me fixed the problem. I thought I should pass this on to you all in case anyone runs into this with their S/C Saleen.
The reason that my pump was turning on but not pumping the coolant through the system was simpler than I thought. Joe told me that the pump needed to be primed. Here is the easy step-by-step procedure to do-it-yourself...

Step 1- turn the key to "on" and wait for timer to kick on the pump. Get under the car with a 7/8" wrench and loosen the nut for the passenger side hose of the heat exchanger. Only loosen it to the point where coolant drips out.
Step 2- Loosen it a bit more and more until fluid and air (it will look like foamy bubbles) start to come out. Loosen a bit more and straight fluid should come out after the foamy fluid has passed.
Step 3-When it looks like coolant only coming out, tighten it back up. (yes, I did get fluid all over my arm...but it was worth it)
Step 4- Now look in the reservoir tank and see that the coolant is moving. Replace any lost coolant and put on a good cap. Part of the air getting into the system can be caused by a worn cap.
And VIOLA! It works, and you don't have to give Saleen a couple hundred bucks for a new pump. I hope this comes in handy for those with similar issues or for someone who's noticing the intercooler air temp has been higher than normal lately.

Happy Saleening
Eddie
Silver S/C Speedster 00-112

00-Saleen · Apr 26, 2005

Get some "wetter water" from Redline oil and put it in your intercooler expansion tank. U should drop 30 Degrees.

noahzarc1 · May 3, 2005

I took mine to the dealer and it revealed that a bunch of my wires were crimped. Now I actually hear my fans running on the SC whereas I ealize they had not been running for a while. I am curious what the running temp should be MIN/MAX?

tfalk · May 3, 2005

Make sure that the pump is running as well as the fans... you need to have both working for the system to work correctly.

Mine rarely gets above 130 now that it's working correctly.

noahzarc1 · May 4, 2005

Before I had the most recent work done, it was running all the way to max (200+), now it is running about 130-150. What can I do to guarantee the pump is running correctly?

tfalk · May 4, 2005

With the car running, take the cap off the intercooler reservoir. If the coolant is moving, the pump is working.

ExtremeSaleen · May 4, 2005

I'm having the same problem with my car right now. I just drove it to vegas and the temp stayed right around 170, and it wasn't that hot out. It does it all the time now it seems. The temp dropped when I'm stopped but goes back to 160ish when I'm at speed on the highway. This is without boost or getting into it hard.

This just started pretty recently. I've checked the things you guys recommended, I see the coolant moving and the fans are coming on. Any other suggestions on what the issue could be? I hate to take it in to a dealer, I don't trust them with my car.

Head Paneer · May 5, 2005

ExtremeSaleen said:
I'm having the same problem with my car right now. I just drove it to vegas and the temp stayed right around 170, and it wasn't that hot out. It does it all the time now it seems. The temp dropped when I'm stopped but goes back to 160ish when I'm at speed on the highway. This is without boost or getting into it hard.

This just started pretty recently. I've checked the things you guys recommended, I see the coolant moving and the fans are coming on. Any other suggestions on what the issue could be? I hate to take it in to a dealer, I don't trust them with my car.

Eddie from the other board (and our SCOA chapter) just fixed his intercooler problem. You might want to drop him an email.

tfalk · May 5, 2005

I read Eddie's reply as being that while his pump was running, it wasn't moving any fluid. Once he got the pump primed, it started moving fluid. Since ExtremeSaleen can see fluid moving, I'm thinking that isn't his problem, but I also don't have an answer for him.

What fluid mix are you running in the intercooler? I'm running water, anti-freeze and water-wetter, and mine RARELY gets above 130.

noahzarc1 · May 5, 2005

tfalk said:
I read Eddie's reply as being that while his pump was running, it wasn't moving any fluid. Once he got the pump primed, it started moving fluid. Since ExtremeSaleen can see fluid moving, I'm thinking that isn't his problem, but I also don't have an answer for him.

What fluid mix are you running in the intercooler? I'm running water, anti-freeze and water-wetter, and mine RARELY gets above 130.

I read Eddie's reply and a few others who suggested making sure that the fans were running and that the pump was moving fluid. Before I started out today I turned the ingnition forward and I heard the fans click on after about 30 seconds. Then I started it and opened the Intercooler reservoir. Now to observe if the pump is moving fluid, how much movement shold I see? It looked as thouogh the fluid was moving around in the tank. I was also wondering if what I saw on the fluid movement was just from the idle of the engine "shaking" the reservoir?

I took a 75 mile drive to Tucson, where the temp change outside probably increased 10degrees from Sierra Vista to Tucson.

Here is what I noticed:

The temp on the intercooler went from 130 to 150 and by the time I arrived an hour later in Tucson I was at 160.

When I left Tucson and was on I-10 it got up to about 165-170 and then slowly went back to about 150.

So I know the guage is working, but I am wondering if everything is working OK? I do not think so because I never observed my intercooler go over 130 either until about 3 weeks ago when I started having this problem.

I am learning a lot from what y'all post, so any advice is very beneficial.

Thx
noahzarc1

00-Saleen · May 5, 2005

I never see above 130.

ExtremeSaleen · May 6, 2005

noahzarc1 said:
I read Eddie's reply and a few others who suggested making sure that the fans were running and that the pump was moving fluid. Before I started out today I turned the ingnition forward and I heard the fans click on after about 30 seconds. Then I started it and opened the Intercooler reservoir. Now to observe if the pump is moving fluid, how much movement shold I see? It looked as thouogh the fluid was moving around in the tank. I was also wondering if what I saw on the fluid movement was just from the idle of the engine "shaking" the reservoir?

I took a 75 mile drive to Tucson, where the temp change outside probably increased 10degrees from Sierra Vista to Tucson.

Here is what I noticed:

The temp on the intercooler went from 130 to 150 and by the time I arrived an hour later in Tucson I was at 160.

When I left Tucson and was on I-10 it got up to about 165-170 and then slowly went back to about 150.

So I know the guage is working, but I am wondering if everything is working OK? I do not think so because I never observed my intercooler go over 130 either until about 3 weeks ago when I started having this problem.

I am learning a lot from what y'all post, so any advice is very beneficial.

Thx
noahzarc1

You and I are having the exact same problem. If I find a solution I'll let you know.

tfalk · May 6, 2005

Just to confirm, what are you guys running as far as a mix in the intercooler?
Are you running just water, water + anti-freeze, what?

SGOODRIC50 · May 6, 2005

i am running a 50/50 mix of water and anit freeze. I live in Maine

noahzarc1 · May 8, 2005

I am running a mix also. I have always run a mix and have never had any problems until just recently.

noahzarc1 · May 8, 2005

That would be great. If I find one also, I will do the same, thx.

noahzarc1

Roush Intercooler Running Hot - Need Help

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