An intercooler cools air that’s been compressed by a supercharger or turbocharger before it enters a vehicle's engine. The laws of thermodynamics mean that compressing air necessarily heats it up. But ...

I was told by the workshop that my car has an intercooler and it is busted. What does this mean? Intercoolers are fitted to cars with superchargers or turbochargers. On these types of engines, the ...

Excess heat is the enemy when it comes to internal combustion engines. Operating temperature is ideal, but any degree above that starts to slowly sap power, put fluids to the test, increase friction, ...

Today you'd be hard-pressed to find a diesel engine that doesn't benefit from a charged air cooler (intercooler), as they're part of every manufacturer's powertrain package. But back before ...

A supercharger—such as a turbo—compresses air. Compressing air heats it. Heating air makes it expand. This is a Catch 22 inherent in supercharging. So rather than thinking of quantities of air in ...

, any increase in boost pressure also increases the temperature of the air entering the engine. This is far from ideal, as it reduces the density of the air. This then means that less oxygen is ...

Evan Williams is an automotive journalist and mechanical engineering technologist with more than a decade of experience in the industry. He has written for the Toronto Star and AutoTrader Canada and ...

When superchargers and turbochargers compress air, that air is heated, resulting in a rise in inlet air temperature. On a turbocharger, the exhaust-driven turbine side additionally transfers added ...

, any increase in boost pressure also increases the temperature of the air entering the engine. This is far from ideal, as it reduces the density of the air. This then means that less oxygen is ...