SMac770

Checking my intake tract for leaks and removed the intercooler to review it. Noticed that the space between it and the radiator was crammed with bug/plant/feathers crap. A good 1/4-1/3 of the surface was completely blocked. I had previously cleaned the front of the intercooler and the exposed part of the radiator after tagging a bird that was too slow to fly away. It was spotty with debris, but nothing so packed as what was between the intercooler and radiator. So vacuumed all that mess out and put it back together. On the first trip afterwards, it was apparent from the trip computer average mpg number that things were running better.

Way back, I used to have the trip computer range reset to 410-420 miles after filling up. Then a few years ago it dropped, normally be 385-395. Pure highway was down too, from 430-440 to 395-400. Now things are back to normal, getting 415-420 after fill up, even saw 28.0 on the avg mpg during a 50 mile drive a few days ago.

So if you've got some miles on the car and have never removed the intercooler, might be worth it. Removing the front bumper cover is not hard, don't even need to lift the car. Removing the intercooler is just loosen the two hose clamps, remove the two radiator air guides (fold them towards the middle of the car to release them), remove the one screw at the upper right end of the intercooler, then pinch the upper left end to release it and roll it out (roll the top end away from the car and lift it out).