After a cold snap Sunday night my wife was not able to start her car in the morning. She tried at various times during the day but no luck. This has happened before and it always happens when the weather changes from mild to cold ie. -10 celcius. The last few times it has happened I noticed that the intake hose from the intercooler was colapsing when cranking the engine. The intercooler seemed blocked with ice. The only fix was to remove the intake hose and crank the engine until it started. After a few minutes you could reconnect the hose. This is how I had to start the car this morning. Tonight I'll show the wife this trick.

I've been seriously thinking of bypassing the intercooler with a straight hose for the winter. I don't think the intercooler is needed in the winter.

Does anybody have any thoughts on the subject ? Thanks.

Chuck,

Part of the update that Larry P mentions involves the tech drilling a small drain hole, appx 3/32", on the bottom tank of the intercooler. Most likely the drain hole is either not there or is clogged.

Larry

Chuck - what type of trips does your wife take in the winter?

Perhaps the engine is not getting properly warmed up, allowing condensation to form and freeze.

Years ago, when engine breather systens were more open to the atmosphere, cars would not start after short trips on extremely cold days, Often their rocker arms and valves would freeze in place, causing starting woes.

If the car was brought inside, or allowed to warm above freezing while sitting in the sun, the car would start normally.
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3 8s & 2 7s 725,000 miles total

Yes your right. My wife is a housewife who uses the car for errands. I've been told this before about not driving the car hard enough and I have passed this along to my wife. I guess that is the downside of buying a stationwagon that is designed somewhat like a hotrod. Thanks

Chuck, The Intercooler hose routings were changed somewhere about 94 to fix this problem. If there is an intercooler air hose coming right over the middle of the engine, that is the new routing. They reversed the air flow thru the intercooler to fix the freezing problem and there was a factory kit to convert the old style. Do you have the new hose routing?

Yes it appears that I do have the modification. There is a metal air pipe from the turbo snaking over the top right side of the engine looking from the front of the car. It then heads down the right side of the engine and turns into a reinforced rubber hose which connects to the bottom right side of the intercooler, again looking from the front of the car. I believe this is what you are talking about. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.

You have the current/updated routing.

Originally, the turbo fed the top of the intercooler and the
bottom of the intercooler connected to the throttle body.

...take out the intercooler, and clean it out. Perhaps water has gotten in it, or it's clogged with oil. Either way, fix what's wrong, don't "Mickey Mouse" the system. If you bypass it, some seriously (and very possibly engine-damaging) heat will be sucked into the engine, winter or not.
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RussB in Ct '96 855T - '91 944T

Thanks for the response. I have since taken off the hose exiting the top of the intercooler and noticed that the hose has had it. It has balloned out and has become soft with age. I have just got off the phone with the dealer and they want $66.00 for a new hose (pricey), but I am going to buy it and maybe that will solve my problem.

As far as cleaning out the intercooler, I have done that two previous times with no effect. I read on this brickboard that it is not uncommon to find oil mixed with condensate along the whole intake system after the turbo. So I think cleaning out the intercooler is just a temporary fix.

Thanks again.

Sounds like something is blocked...