**Active Autowerke Intercooler Review with Dynos**

McLuVan · 01-26-2008, 11:59 PM

wow
that AA intercooler makes the stock one look like a midget

Mr. 5 · 01-27-2008, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valley_Boy

wow
that AA intercooler makes the stock one look like a midget

Ya, it is pretty funny especially when you see them side by side in person.

Mooreski · 01-27-2008, 10:17 AM

I'm a bit confused about the picture of the two intercoolers sitting side by side. Does the AA Intercooler have a shroud on the top half of the backside? I'm guessing this directs the air flow coming through the kidneys and through the IC down away from radiator? Does airflow for the radiator then come in over the IC and across the radiator?

Mooreski · 01-27-2008, 10:18 AM

btw, I'm not trying to criticize the design or anything, I'm just a noob trying to figure out what he's seeing!

Mr. 5 · 01-27-2008, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mooreski

I'm a bit confused about the picture of the two intercoolers sitting side by side. Does the AA Intercooler have a shroud on the top half of the backside? I'm guessing this directs the air flow coming through the kidneys and through the IC down away from radiator? Does airflow for the radiator then come in over the IC and across the radiator?

No, the shroud is on the top half of the front side.
This picture shows the fronts of both intercoolers.

You can see the sides of the shroud in this picture. The top of the shroud is hidden by the bumper frame.

CanadianTSi · 01-27-2008, 11:12 AM

The shroud basically traps the air in there and forces it through the IC which is a very good thing.

D-Rock · 01-27-2008, 12:56 PM

Great read ! Thanks !

alpine335 · 01-27-2008, 02:24 PM

doesnt the spearco I.C. give you more horses and power for about the same price or a little more?

Mr. 5 · 01-27-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpine335

doesnt the spearco I.C. give you more horses and power for about the same price or a little more?

I don't know about the spearco IC.
Why don't you get the spearco IC and do a before and after using the same tests and dyno as me and then we could compare.

e90AW335i · 01-27-2008, 02:50 PM

Great information, and great write up! As usual you come through with an amazing contribution for the board. Good work Mr. 5

Also, that AA intercooler is HUGE!!!

ybbiz34 · 01-27-2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

I don't know about the spearco IC.
Why don't you get the spearco IC and do a before and after using the same tests and dyno as me and then we could compare.

Awesome review man! Thanks for the information and all of the pics. Enjoy your new IC!

O-cha · 01-27-2008, 03:47 PM

I've said a couple times I thought the AA design was the best. Which I do. But I wonder if there was some reason they had to make the end tanks like that.

Also the pic with the bumper off was shot in wide angle and is REALLY messing with my head. Look at the front wheels and the ramps, they are angled in, took me a good minute of confusion to figure out what was going on.

01-27-2008, 04:02 PM

damn. i knew i should have gotten this instead of the RPI one...

Mr. 5 · 01-27-2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-cha

I've said a couple times I thought the AA design was the best. Which I do. But I wonder if there was some reason they had to make the end tanks like that.

Also the pic with the bumper off was shot in wide angle and is REALLY messing with my head. Look at the front wheels and the ramps, they are angled in, took me a good minute of confusion to figure out what was going on.

haha! There's nothing wrong with your head but you are the first to notice that. I drove my car up on the ramps but I needed to get to the bolts in the wheel well so I had to turn the wheels to the right to get to the driver's side bolts and then I had to turn the wheels to the left to get to the passenger's side bolts.
When I did this, the ramps moved back and forth.

At the end of the installation, I had to kick the ramps back in place so I could get my car down the ramps.

So, it was shot with a regular lense and not wide angle. You can see that the only thing that is angled are the ramps.

O-cha · 01-27-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

So, it was shot with a regular lense and not wide angle. You can see that the only thing that is angled are the ramps.

A holy crap, so it wasn't the lens, were you under that thing? I would not have dared.

j|rz44 · 01-27-2008, 04:23 PM

Nice...
thx for the info., i may have to put an order in

Mr. 5 · 01-27-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-cha

A holy crap, so it wasn't the lens, were you under that thing? I would not have dared.

ya, it really isn't as bad as it looks.
There was still a bunch of support.
It's just that the wheels were turned.
Everything was being supported just fine.

judec · 01-28-2008, 06:16 AM

Mr. 5 - BIG THX for your write up. It's sometimes unbelievable how much energy, time and $$ U invest to your investigations. U're one of the best contributores here, cudos

One thing which makes me wonder is that oil temp increase. I see no reason for it, the AAIC may make the water cooling system work a lil harder, but I see no interference with the oil cooler system

Mr. 5 · 01-28-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judec

Mr. 5 - BIG THX for your write up. It's sometimes unbelievable how much energy, time and $$ U invest to your investigations. U're one of the best contributores here, cudos

One thing which makes me wonder is that oil temp increase. I see no reason for it, the AAIC may make the water cooling system work a lil harder, but I see no interference with the oil cooler system

The oil temp increase has nothing to do with the AA IC.
The oil temp increase was just factual information with how hard I was running this engine before and after the AA IC.
I did 5 runs in 4th gear back to back with no cool down time.

Jean@ActiveAutowerke · 01-28-2008, 09:57 AM

Thanks for taking the time to make such a great write up. Enjoy the car and be safe.

Jean@ActiveAutowerke · 01-28-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supramano

Now for my questions: Why woul your best dyno runs with no ic and with ic be when your max boost was below 14psi. Those two runs were your lowest boost max in both set of runs, yet they provided the best numbers. anyone know why?

Possibly timing being pulled by the dme to keep the car in a safe operating state, when the car exceeds a certain amount of boost/load. Higher numbers made when the boost/load level achieved were at the peak tolerance level set by the dme or processor allowed to make power in a safe efficient manner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supramano

Secondly if procede v2 is producing the same amount of boost how is eveyrone w/v2 getting such higher hp numbers. Is there another aspect in the procede that is tuned more aggressively than the xede to produce these hgiher hps?

Possibly adding timing or a new tuning method altogether.

judec · 01-28-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

The oil temp increase has nothing to do with the AA IC.
The oil temp increase was just factual information with how hard I was running this engine before and after the AA IC.
I did 5 runs in 4th gear back to back with no cool down time.

I understand. I know it nas nothing to do with it. But didn't U do the same B4 to do the baseline?

It was nuthing against U or AA, just my wondering. Consider it offtopic, np.

01-26-2008, 11:59 PM	#23
McLuVan Lieutenant General 304 Rep 13,114 Posts Drives: ///M3 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Socal~818~ iTrader: (1)	wow that AA intercooler makes the stock one look like a midget __________________
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01-27-2008, 10:17 AM	#25
Mooreski Lieutenant 29 Rep 489 Posts Drives: LMB '09 E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (1)	I'm a bit confused about the picture of the two intercoolers sitting side by side. Does the AA Intercooler have a shroud on the top half of the backside? I'm guessing this directs the air flow coming through the kidneys and through the IC down away from radiator? Does airflow for the radiator then come in over the IC and across the radiator?
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01-27-2008, 10:18 AM	#26
Mooreski Lieutenant 29 Rep 489 Posts Drives: LMB '09 E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (1)	btw, I'm not trying to criticize the design or anything, I'm just a noob trying to figure out what he's seeing!
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01-27-2008, 11:12 AM	#28
CanadianTSi Captain 207 Rep 602 Posts Drives: 2014 535 xDrive Diesel Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alberta iTrader: (0)	The shroud basically traps the air in there and forces it through the IC which is a very good thing.
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01-27-2008, 12:56 PM	#29
D-Rock Lieutenant Colonel 188 Rep 1,855 Posts Drives: 325i Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: miami iTrader: (2)	Great read ! Thanks ! __________________
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01-27-2008, 02:24 PM	#30
alpine335 Alpine335 6 Rep 90 Posts Drives: Alpine white 335, Red Interior Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NJ iTrader: (1)	doesnt the spearco I.C. give you more horses and power for about the same price or a little more? __________________ Alpine335
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01-27-2008, 02:50 PM	#32
e90AW335i Major General 137 Rep 6,608 Posts Drives: e90 335i Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: ...... iTrader: (4)	Great information, and great write up! As usual you come through with an amazing contribution for the board. Good work Mr. 5 Also, that AA intercooler is HUGE!!! __________________ I install all tunes, intakes, o2 simms, and most cosmetic mods. PM me for a quote.
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01-27-2008, 03:47 PM	#34
O-cha Brigadier General 218 Rep 4,726 Posts Drives: Mcoupe Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In front of you iTrader: (2)	I've said a couple times I thought the AA design was the best. Which I do. But I wonder if there was some reason they had to make the end tanks like that. Also the pic with the bumper off was shot in wide angle and is REALLY messing with my head. Look at the front wheels and the ramps, they are angled in, took me a good minute of confusion to figure out what was going on. __________________
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01-27-2008, 04:02 PM	#35
nico335 Guest 0 Rep n/a Posts Drives:	damn. i knew i should have gotten this instead of the RPI one...
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01-27-2008, 04:23 PM	#38
j\|rz44 Lieutenant Colonel 43 Rep 1,683 Posts Drives: 335i\|E92 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lost iTrader: (2) Garage List 07 335i [0.00]	Nice... thx for the info., i may have to put an order in __________________ Life is Good
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01-28-2008, 06:16 AM	#40
judec born to be turbocharged 24 Rep 1,347 Posts Drives: Not a bimmer yet Join Date: May 2007 Location: Slovakia iTrader: (0)	Mr. 5 - BIG THX for your write up. It's sometimes unbelievable how much energy, time and $$ U invest to your investigations. U're one of the best contributores here, cudos One thing which makes me wonder is that oil temp increase. I see no reason for it, the AAIC may make the water cooling system work a lil harder, but I see no interference with the oil cooler system __________________ Disclaimer: All this message was written with recycled electrons.
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01-28-2008, 09:57 AM	#42
Jean@ActiveAutowerke Lieutenant 114 Rep 540 Posts Drives: 335 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Miami iTrader: (0)	Thanks for taking the time to make such a great write up. Enjoy the car and be safe.
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