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For the turbo models you have a rock catcher, I mean oil cooler, sitting next to your intercooler. It takes its feed off the oil filter relief valve and dumps its contents out into the oil pan. After time the cooling fins get bent from rocks and no longer allow air to flow through. I took my cooler off to straighten those fins, clean it out good, and replace the two hoses leading to and from it. There was nothing that cause me to do this, I just decided "it was time." After pulling it all apart I didn't find the oil cooler to be clogged inside but its hard to tell since I didn't take quantitative measurements. At least now I have the happy feeling of a clean inside and a flowing outside. This took me all weekend because I was lazy and didn't want to straighten the fins out all at once. But if you do it should take about 3 hours with straightening the fins taking 95% of the time.
If you don't want to do this all in one day get a long length of hose and
just connect the two ends to "bypass" the oil cooler. I ran like this
for 3 days. I think this also helps cleaned out those lines.
| Tools: |
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Pliers |
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10mm Socket Wrench |
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Flat blade screwdriver or something to straighten fins with |
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| Materials: |
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2 10mm Oil Cooler/Transmission Cooler (175PSI) hoses 21cm long |
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10mm Oil Cooler/Transmission Cooler (175PSI) hoses 52cm long |
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10mm Oil Cooler/Transmission Cooler (175PSI) hoses 53cm long |
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Oil Eater or your favorite oil cleaner |
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Distilled Water for rinsing |
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Oil for final flushing |
Instructions
| 1. |
Remove all the 10mm bolts holding the underbody cover then remove it. |
| 2. |
 With a pliers move the 4 hose clamps attached to the oil cooler hoses. In the picture you can only see three, but I bet you can figure out where the 4th one is :). |
| 3. |
Wearing a glove pull/wiggle the hose off. Support the hard line on the car with your other hand so you don't bend it when pulling on the hose.
If you cut it with a blade be careful not to go to deep the oil cooler is
aluminum. |
| 4. |
Remove the 2 10mm bolts holding the oil cooler to the body. |
| 5. |
 Now the oil cooler is solid Aluminum so it is easy to clean. I filled my with oil eater and flushed it a bunch of times until it came out clean.
Then rinse it well with hot distilled water. |
| 6. |
Using a small flat blade screwdriver or similar tool straighten out
all the bent fins. This took me 3 hours surrounded by 3 cute girls
watching movies at my place :). The fins are very fragile be gentle. |
| 7. |
Next I filled the oil cooler up with oil and let it sit for an hour
this will help get out water and cleaner that you missed. |
| 8. |
The hoses on the car are 10mm inner diameter and 21cm long. I used
3/8" cus I couldn't find 10mm. This will make a tight fit! So I oiled
the hard lines to help slip them on. It should hold fine but I will watch
it really well. To make sure. After you drain the cooler attach the hoses to the cooler side and put
the hose clamps on. |
| 9. |
Reattach the cooler to the car with the 2 10mm bolts. |
| 10. |
Place the 2 hose clamps over the hard line, so you don't forget them then reconnect the two hoses to the car side hard line and put the hose clamps on. |
| 11. |
Replace the undercover. |
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