# DIY: S3 Intercooler on MK6 GTI



## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

*These pics are from a 2010 VW GTI. Directions could be slightly different for any other year GTI.
*
Remove your belly pan. This consists of 8 screws. Make a baggie for every step, to keep the screws in order. Also remove your airbox ducting if you have a stock intake. (Or remove your aftermarket intake to make room to work.)










Remove your grill which has 4 screws along the top. The bottom pulls out straight forward, but be careful. Remove your 2 fog light access covers. Remove the 5 fenderliner screws on each side. The ones which are attached to the bumper. 





































Carefully unplug your fog light harnesses by pushing on the clip and gently pulling it downward.



















Pull out your sidemarker bulbs, which are only held in place by some rubber surround.










Remove the bumper cover bottom screws also. 4 on each side?










Finally, remove a screw on each side of the bumper cover near the top, as they are the last screws holding it.










You pop off the sides first, by pulling them out of the tabs. These can be tricky, and sometimes a tab might break. (My 2011 has one broken tab the car came with, which doesnt effect anything.)










Once both sides are popped out, gently slide bumper forward and off, while looking for any obstacles. Put down a nice blanket or you might scratch your paint.










You then have 3 harness on your passenger side to remove. The yellow airbag plug, the large oval headlight harness, and the A/C condenser plug.










On the drivers side i think you have 3 also, but i might be 1 off.










Go underneath the car, and remove your huge radiator fan plug. This can be very tricky to break loose, take your time. You first slide the red clip out, then press on it.










Unplug your air temp sensor from the front, and remove it from the clips.










REMOVE YOUR HOOD CABLE CONNECTOR. IT IS CLIPPED ON TO THE METAL DRIVERS SIDE AND CONNECTS ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
This is the hood cable bracket I broke, in case you need to order one. Be careful.
DON'T FORGET TO RECONNECT IT BEFORE CLOSING YOUR HOOD.










You only need to remove the outer bolt, not the inner headlight bolt.










To remove the main support, you should have 2 bolts on each side.










You do NOT need to undo this bolt like i did, as you can see the support came out anyway.










These should be the 2 bolts on each wing of the support near headlight, and the smaller 2 bolts on each side mentioned above.










You also have 2 hidden bolts in the center-ish area, which are just inside the headlight area on each side. You will see these in the grill holes using a flashlight.

You finally have your main bolts in the front of the support. 4 on each side for a total of 8. Put something under the radiatior support to hold it up before removing these bolts. Or get longer bolts so you can slide out the support on them without removing it fully.










Radiator support out.










This shows how the side brackets should slip onto those nubs. The screw hole faces the front.










Another view of the drivers side plugs.










Another view of the passenger side plugs.










View from underneath showing the plugs disconnected.










How does a big get stuck in between there? During production?










Showing that my 2010 oem intercooler had a crack in the plastic bolt area.










One of my S3IC came with a broken tab. Make sure you inspect on delivery before you start disassembling your car.










Bumper back on.










This is the temp sensor that was on the front of the bumper support. This shows how it should clip back on to the plastic.










This shows the routing of the harness after you are done.










This was the S3IC after I had the tab welded back on by an aluminum welding expert. He put a reinforce bead around each tab also.




























Bottom view of the big radiator fan harness plugged back in.










Trimmed oem hoses are a better fit than the AWE or S3 hoses I tried.










Showing the 2 side bolts which hold the support. Make sure you push upwards on the assembly as you tighten. That ensures a tight body line between bumper cover and fender.


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## fastgti69 (Apr 26, 2009)

niceeeee good job on build and pics!! great DIY. the mk6 bumper looks much more solid as well as the construction compared to mkv.. lol.


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## usmc179 (Aug 1, 2009)

Dude that sucks mightily about having to do it twice... I did my S3 install twice, so I feel your pain - though mine was caused by me putting those side mount deals on backwards during the (first) install.

Good luck man! Hang in there. :beer:


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## VaGPuncher (Jul 22, 2006)

Damn! :beer: for you!


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## anonymous911 (Oct 19, 2009)

VaGPuncher said:


> Damn! :beer: for you!


I did that to my MK6 last March. It was very challenging for me. Took me whole day to do it.


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## ryan mills (May 3, 2002)

damn the broken tabs!!! Well at least it go easier the second time around. What else are you planning for THIS GTI?


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## VaGPuncher (Jul 22, 2006)

i can see that working for the simple fact thats not the only thing that holds the intercooler in place.. and once the intercooler is in the car it shouldnt be moving around anyway..


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## mikeg6045 (Apr 14, 2010)

placenta said:


> The JB Weld would probably work.. but i'd know it was there.. and i hear rumors about JB Weld breaking after a year or two.. i dunno... that expert aluminum welder isnt available until next tueday to do it.. i am still waiting for a response from the vendor for a return... been waiting an entire day now.


I raced rc cars for a while so i have a lot of experience with JB Weld. The problem with JB Weld is not its strength, but its bonding. It very easily comes off of the surface as an entire piece with little pressure or force. It just does not bond very well. in my case I was mostly using it on aluminum. It may work it may not, but thats just my experience.

you should have the aluminum welder do the work, and have him run a bead around the other tabs as well. I'm sure he wouldn't charge you anymore. the initial estimate is probably just for having to go out and meet you for the work, or set up the day to do it and gather his supply's. At that point you will never have to worry about any of the tabs, cause like you said, you can have another ic shipped with potentially the same problem's.

btw, great writeup and pics.:thumbup:


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## mikeg6045 (Apr 14, 2010)

placenta said:


> The S3 intercooler is at a shop now getting welded. I pick it up in a couple hours. I talked to a couple really good TIG welders for the last couple days and saw samples of their work. The majority of their work is aluminum. I went with my local guy (10-15 min drive) for $60, rather than the 3 hour round trip for $40. I am confident this will be stronger than stock, and he is re-enforcing the other tab too, so it will be equal and even. Pics once I get it back of course.


good move on reinforcing the other tabs ! looks like all this worked out for the better in the end. :thumbup:


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## mikeg6045 (Apr 14, 2010)

placenta said:


> Came out perfect.


sweet!


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

First S3 job, 6 hours. Second S3 job, 2 hours.

So, you cut your hoses, and this is how perfect they will fit. These fit a hair better than my MK5 cuts did for some reason.


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## mikeg6045 (Apr 14, 2010)

what mods does your car have ? and did you notice any changes driving ?

looks nice and clean on the hose install. nice work and nice pics.


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

mikeg6045 said:


> what mods does your car have ? and did you notice any changes driving ?
> 
> looks nice and clean on the hose install. nice work and nice pics.


NO mods... muhahahha... the older i get, the more i can resist mods. Oh I definitely have a APR flash in the far future, but I never been this broke in my life. I got a baby coming in December also. Thats why I chose this $300 mod as a compromise, instead of a $800 flash or AWE downpipe. That will come later.

Feel a difference? Absolutely without doubt. On the FIRST pedal push of the FIRST gear.. Exact same experience I had in my 2009 with S3. It is not related to heat at all. I am now a firm beleiver that the GTI intercooler is one of the ways they bottleneck the power down from the faster cars with same engines.

What happens? It pulls way longer in each gear, and harder also. You notice it immediately. It is a excellent mod and should be the #1 mod in everyones new GTI. This is mainly because its only $300 shipped and has a huge benefit. 

It is 90-95F out today.. And tomorrow even hotter.      

*Disclaimer: Don't get mad at me if you don't feel the same results.*


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

disclosure. i had to file out my radiator holes a little bit, to get the bolts thru into the intercooler. the 4 intercooler holes would just not line up. i shaved maybe 1mm from the edge of all 4 holes to give me more side to side play for the bolts, then i was able to get all 4 started into the intercooler. dont even think about forcing it if its not a straight shot. If you strip out one of those holes you have a huge headache.

when you are bolting your support back up. the 2 side bolts on each side. press up on the sides as you tighten the 2 bolts. That will be your fender to bumper line and you want it as tight as possible. my body line isnt 100% perfect anymore, but thats what you get for taking apart your car. its all in the right slots tho.


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## ryan mills (May 3, 2002)

Looking good! I have a feeling the fact that the intercooler flows so much better is a huge advantage, along with the fact that it cools the charge better as well. Oh, kids don't cost as much as you would think. For some reason, you'll ALWAYS have enough money to take care of junior, just squirrel enough money away for play toys to retain your sanity.  -that's what I do!


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## Jrok (Jun 28, 2000)

This is a GREAT write up ! Thanks for detailing the install.


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## davidk1175 (Feb 17, 2011)

Was there a list of Home Depot Hardware required or does it bolt right up all same hardware? If there is hardware required could you maybe detail it so it's all in the same thread?


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

(9) M6 x 1.0 x 16mm bolts
(2) 2.5" hose clamps

Bumping up, my next S3 intercooler arrives today.. to go in my 2011. I feel sick about the job, and do NOT enjoy it.. especially since my car has about 180 miles on it.. but i'll be able to handle it hopefully.


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## NS01GTI (Jan 31, 2005)

placenta said:


> (9) M6 x 1.0 x 16mm bolts
> (2) 2.5" hose clamps
> 
> Bumping up, my next S3 intercooler arrives today.. to go in my 2011. I feel sick about the job, and do NOT enjoy it.. especially since my car has about 180 miles on it.. but i'll be able to handle it hopefully.


Right back into it with the new car I see.

Any plans to grab an AWE DP?


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## NS01GTI (Jan 31, 2005)

placenta said:


> for a MK6? hell naw.. i hate the positioning they changed for the MK6. goes down the side of the tunnel now, instead of the center. The Ultimate Racing downpipe is a way better fit.


Not trying to thread jack, but I understood from reading through some of your threads that you didn't like 3" DPs vs the 2.5" DPs.


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## mikeh6 (Aug 8, 2007)

placenta said:


> (9) M6 x 1.0 x 16mm bolts
> (2) 2.5" hose clamps
> 
> Bumping up, my next S3 intercooler arrives today.. to go in my 2011. I feel sick about the job, and do NOT enjoy it.. especially since my car has about 180 miles on it.. but i'll be able to handle it hopefully.


its really not that bad of a job. just take your time and it helps if you have a friend hold up the intercooler/rad so you can pop it out of the grommets


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

That job SUCKS. Every time. This is at least my 4th. Comments which surprised me compared to my DIY..

- Something weird about the hoses.. you know how they have always fit 100% perfect on every job I've done? These didnt. These required more stretching. If someone can prove there is absolutely no difference in the stock intercooler hoses between MK5 and MK6, then there is only one explanation. At 190 miles, my hoses havent softened up/stretched a bit yet. so it was a much tougher fit. IF I knew some other hoses were guaranteed to fit better I might buy some just for peace of mind. Yet I had the AWE S3 hoses and didnt like them because they didnt look stock. The point of an S3 for me is looking stock..

- Side screws for the radiator support. The ones by the tire... The DIY says 2 on each side. There was 3 on each side. Couldn't figure out what was holding my support for a while.. (2010 has 2 screw, 2011 has 3 screw)

- One broken part, but nothing I did myself. Pulling off my bumper cover carefully, i noticed one of the "loops" on the bumper side which goes into the side bracket was cracked/open. I know I didnt cause this, and it just came that way. Luckily, it was the clip closest to the fender liner upwards facing bolt. No issue whatsoever, and it is still put together perfectly.

- Like all my other S3IC jobs, I had to file out the radiator holes in order to get the bolts thru to mate up with the new intercooler. The S3IC has wider holes by 1-2mm. So I file out the OUTSIDE edge of the 4 radiator tab holes to fit the wider intercooler holes. Much better to bite the bullet and do this right the first time, rather than risk cross threading a bolt and destroying your intercooler. Patience. Took me an extra 5 mins..

Everything else went pretty much as planned, this one took around 3.5 hours.. I guess i went extra slow since my car is brand new. Hand worked every screw and nut, no motorized tools. Took it for a drive, feels good. Suppose after a couple days I'll assume everything went well and just be stoked about it. You are always a bit shell shocked after seeing your car in so many pieces like that.


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

Pics or it didnt happen?


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## MR2ToVW (Jan 1, 2009)

I'm a big fan of removing the connectors rather than cutting them off.


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## NS01GTI (Jan 31, 2005)

Just got an S3 FMIC onto my car this week. Very nice quality piece. I'm impressed. Can't really compare stock to S3 though -TBE and APR K04 went on at the same time.


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## Belox (Jun 6, 2010)

placenta said:


> (9) M6 x 1.0 x 16mm bolts
> (2) 2.5" hose clamps
> 
> Bumping up, my next S3 intercooler arrives today.. to go in my 2011. I feel sick about the job, and do NOT enjoy it.. especially since my car has about 180 miles on it.. but i'll be able to handle it hopefully.


Yes, I know I'm being seriously OTT here... what head do the original bolts have? I'd like to match the bolt head on the replacement bolts. I assume the original ones are too short?


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## veedub64 (Jul 29, 2010)

Does the metal connector easily pull out or is there a speical trick to get it out?


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## shawng (Jul 28, 2007)

I cut the outer shell very carefully with a Dremel cut-off wheel and then the inside just pulled out. The factory hose fit perfectly.


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

shawng said:


> I cut the outer shell very carefully with a Dremel cut-off wheel and then the inside just pulled out. The factory hose fit perfectly.


ya.. i need the part number for a GTI oem passenger side hose... and instead of cutting it im gonna remove that metal connector.. my cut hose honestly fits 95% perfect, but i want 99% perfect.

part numbers for GTI stock IC hoses!! SEARCHING!!

Well.. i took the time to remove my underbody cover again..

the OEM GTI hose on passenger side IS:

*1K0 145 832 J*

HOLY CRAP... $160... I think I'll live with 95% fitment.............


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## MR2ToVW (Jan 1, 2009)

placenta said:


> thats the thread im trying to find.. i think someone hacksawed thru the metal very carefully.. then he just pulled the hose out of the metal piece.


 http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5158183-S3-Intercooler-Installed-and-Logged!


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## zcspec (May 11, 2010)

Thanks Placenta for having such a detailed thread on the S3 IC. After reading some other S3 ICs, it looks like I'll end up swapping mine. It's pretty cost effective compared to the other manufactures too. Although very mechanically inclined, I think I may have a local shop do the install for me or...ever been to Seattle???  
You think the dealer could tell the difference if they did a quick glance? I ask because my A3 is a CPO car with 70K miles left.


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## Belox (Jun 6, 2010)

Hi guys

Finally caved in and got a knowledable VW tech to fit my cooler over the weekend.
After comparing the core sizes, I have since found out that our local GTis come with the newer plastic-end-version of the S3 cooler anyway, so I did not gain to much by the swap although I hear the older metal-end-tank version is slightly more efficient than the newer plastic end ones.

The pipes we have look like the S3 pipes (without the metal end ring), but were obvious not cut, so if anyone is pedantic like me, they might want to look at the part numbers for the intercooler pipes of the South African GTis. 

Not sure how to set ETKA to South Africa, or would put the part numbers on myself.


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## Belox (Jun 6, 2010)

Short of finding out the above...yes


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## Aguilar (Jan 28, 2006)

Well, I don't know about the ones in the Mk6, but for the TSI in my MkV GLI, the intercooler is significantly bigger. 

I did this one by myself, using this dyi as a guideline. The install is easy, just need to pay attention to detail and don't rush it. Used the stock hoses cutting the metal part for that extra inch. The fitment is perfect.


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## jslym777 (Sep 11, 2011)

what are the screws on the front of the radiator support core that attach to the headlight brackets?


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## R32dreamer17 (Oct 11, 2007)

:thumbup:


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## epic designs (Feb 4, 2004)

has anyone done a dyno comparison?

Seems like quite an easy and popular mod... but do we know if it works?


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## warchieft2k (Aug 16, 2010)

nice! this is my next project!


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## cwgti11 (Jun 20, 2012)

epic designs said:


> has anyone done a dyno comparison?
> 
> Seems like quite an easy and popular mod... but do we know if it works?


 A test was done here in Johannesburg, South Africa on a day when temps were in the mid 30's centigrade. The stock cooler on the US cars looks even smaller than what we got. 

*Results* 

GTI Tank width: 40.5mm 
S3 Tank width: 47.5mm 
GTi Intercooler core thickness: 38mm 
S3 Intercooler core thickness: 40mm 
GTI Intercooler Timing pull: -6.5 
S3 Intercooler Timing pull: -4.5 
GTi Intercooler Temperature: 48 Degrees 
S3 Intercooler Temperature: 42 Degrees 
GTI Interooler Airflow G/S : 157 
S3 Intercooler Airflow G/S: 161 (Will be higher once car is driven and ecu adapts, intercooler was fitted and run on dyno immediately, no time for adaptation) 

*Dyno Graph Comparison* 

+10hp and +12nm on the wheels


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## warchieft2k (Aug 16, 2010)

how long is the install take if one person is doing it by themselves... LOL (ME) 
say skill level "medium"


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

DIY fixed. Long story.


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## Stero1D (Aug 8, 2012)

bro whr did u get this intercooler from?


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## shawng (Jul 28, 2007)

ECS sells it, so do others. The S3 intercooler is off an Audi S3.


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## Stero1D (Aug 8, 2012)

shawng said:


> ECS sells it, so do others. The S3 intercooler is off an Audi S3.


 i knw.. looking for abetter deal


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## placenta (Jun 3, 2003)

i got mine at genuineaudivwparts.com a longggg time ago. dont even know if they still sell it. or maybe it was genuinevwaudiparts.com...


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## shawng (Jul 28, 2007)

Stero1D said:


> i knw.. looking for abetter deal


 
Try the Audi dealer. You never know until you ask.


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## dwardle (Nov 17, 2008)

Awesome step-by-step, when combined with the AWE instructions I had no issues at all. 

There are a few minor differences with the 2012+ GTI's such as an extra drivers side plug for the leveling headlights and no need to undo the AC condenser plug (it's also impossible to get to before the rad support is out)

All in place and Stage 2 software loaded, what a beast!

Track day Wednesday against my friends GT3 RS, Audi R8 V10 and a Ferrari 360... I'll just have to pretend like I can compete


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