Check your Intercooler Coolant Level!
 

As the title states, check your intercooler coolant level after the dealer replaces your supercharger for the coupler failure service bulletin. My supercharger was replaced right before I purchased my car in November of 17' (found out after I did a service check), and I never thought to check it. Well, while I was out in the garage tinkering with the car last night, I decided to check it, and low and behold there was no coolant visible at the opening of the filler neck. I purchased some fresh 50/50 Dex-Cool, and started to add coolant. I followed the fill procedure which is by no means difficult (don't let the owners manual scare you), and it took a decent amount of coolant to finally level it off after running the pump a few times to get the air out. No wonder my IAT2's were in the low 120's while cruising on a 40 degree day.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ctureid=156663

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/pictur...ctureid=156664

Excellent post.

Reason I added a bigger reservoir to my LSA conversion:

http://accelerationtech.com/photos/r...101_185902.jpg

-Don

Very nice^

Looks oem.

Good post.

I will go one further: check your coolant levels once or twice a month.

Thanks! It's a 'cough' Mustang Roush Intercooler Reservoir I fabbed the bracket for it...

-Don

If your IAT's were that high at cruise then you had insufficient coolant to run the pump as it will shut off by design if there isn't enough coolant. My guess is the dealer which many dont have performance trained techs didnt know that they couldn't just fill an empty SC with out creating pressure or vacuum to eliminate any air so the fluid is vacuumed in.

Supercharger was replaced on my 13 back in August of 2017. Just checked the coolant. I was about a pint low. Thanks for the heads up.

I vacuum fill mine with the snap on tool. Perfect fill each time...

-Don

Good reason to have a reservoir- makes it easy to not F it up.
I also have the top readout on my Aeroforce gauge set to IAT2 all the time just to be sure nothing has gone awry.

Monitor the IATs with mine too...

-Don

External tank and larger HX is definitely the best way to go.

https://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...ee&oe=5B12BA6C

I actually have 3 hxs in parallel with 2 varimax pumps in series...

Flow is awesome for sure...

FYI, I’m not a ZL1, just an ADM conversion with an Stroked LSA with mostly GM ZL1, 1LE, and Z/28 parts

-Don

That explains the lack of the strut tower brace in your pic.

Yep, had a 1LE bar but, due to a thermal lid spacer to lessen heat soak, had to remove it:

http://accelerationtech.com/photos/G...914_130530.jpg

Do a few road courses with it.

Built most of the suspension before all the Z/28 parts became available...

-Don

That was exactly the problem... and I'm glad the pump has that "safety shutoff" built into it to protect it from burning up.

I had the car out yesterday due to the nice weather we are having in NEPA.

The outside temps were 63 degrees, and IAT1's just a notch or so above that. The IAT2's never rose above 20 degrees over IAT1 while cruising.

What a difference having coolant flowing through the pump and intercooler brick makes, lol.

Awesome. Glad that fixed it for you. Your temp delta matches mine- I usually see 16-18 degrees above ambient while cruising.

Good to know... Thanks!

Thanks for posting this reminder. Just had my SC changed under warranty for shot front bearings.

Wouldn't it be nice if the factory incorporated some sort of sight gauge that we could use to check the coolant level without having to take the cap off?

Agreed!

My Cobalt SS Supercharged had a clear filler neck. Made it easy to check the intercooler coolant.

Actually I have not checked it but I will. But isn't this alot of fluid for it to be SC coolant?

Sent from my 9th Guardian of the Galaxy

The coolant is for the heat exchanger/intercooler brick.

I know this is an old thread, but I checked mine and its pretty dry. When I add coolant, is it as simple as add coolant to the top filler neck, close it, run car for 60 secounds, repeat until coolant is at the bottom of the filler neck?

Thank you

Unless you use a vacuum, you can get air lock...especially if it's low. That's the advantage of a reservoir: it is self purging, and, you simply check the fluid level in the reservoir.

Also, if you haven't changed the fluid: it's time. The silicone in the coolant starts to gum up after 5 years.

hmmmm what are the odds of getting an air lock? Sounds like installing a reservoir is the way to go. I dont want to mess with the dealership on this, trying to convince a service advisor what I am talking about would be a nightmare.

Not that it matters now bc i have ice tank but what manual is this in bc its not in chevy app and car didn't have manual when i bought it.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

ITAT
 

What would the normal operating range be for the ITAT for the SC. I am running around 193 when driving and it will climb at idle. CAI/CC for mods.

So if you have a reservoir, a vacuum is not necessary? I'm getting ready to fill my SC for the first time, trying to find the best method. I don't have a vac but I do have a reservoir.

IAT2's should be around 15-20 above ambient while cruising on a stock ZL1.

It's not hard. You can follow the fill procedure I posted in the beginning of this thread. The system will burp itself just fine. GM got it right on the ZL1 making the fill port the highest point of the intercooling system. Back when I had my Cobalt SS Supercharged it was a pain to bleed all the air out unless you had the option B coolant reservoir.

Thanks for the info. I actually don't have the fill port, my lid has been modified with -12 AN fittings. I think I may just go with the method below from Hammdo's LSA conversion instructions. Should I bother trying to pour some coolant into the lid though, or is that not necessary?

"AFTER the battery is re-installed and you’ve uploaded to custom tune, you can turn the ‘key’ to on (don’t start) this will run the pump and allow you to continue to milk and fill the reservoir until you verify fluid is circulating – the fluid will be really moving once the pump is primed."

Ahhh gotcha. Yeah, prob. best to follow those instructions then.

Just bleed mine tonight! If anyone needs help please let me know!

I got help from a mechanic who has a really easy method without even turning the car on! All you would need is some dexcool and a an hour to bleed. Once you learn how it all works, its very easy to do.

Why don't you just write it up and share?

I will do my best to work on something and post it up!

Easy way to purge Intercooler circuit - ZL1
 

This thread would be very helpful.
https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=463858

Anyone ever tried this?
https://youtu.be/a1_jWs96lYw

Hell no.