Hey guys,

So I got an EPL Tune, and I was enjoying my new found 3rd gear pulls until 2 days in I came off the gas quickly around 6k rpm (is this where I pretend I was in Mexico?) and I heard this pop from the back and suddenly lost engine power.

I was pretty freaked out, so I got off the highway, idle was all over the place, PSM and ABS lights came on. Car restarted and drove horribly. Called EPL and they told me to pull the MAF sensor which did fix the problem and made the car more driveable.

As EPL suspected it was a simple intercooler hose that popped off. Now here's my concern. Is this going to happen randomly throughout my lifespan of the car? My mechanic said that it shouldn't happen again and maybe the hose was just connected poorly etc etc. But seriously, the last thing I want to do is be 50 miles away from home and blow a hose. Do I just need to always cruise around with tools and a jack?

I searched the threads and it seems like it happens to a bunch of you guys, so how often is this going to be a problem for me? I didn't think that 1.1-1.2 Bar was going to be that big an issue!

I've seen posts for aftermarket fancy hoses that seem to fix this problem - so what's the consensus on that stuff?

If it helps, I have some kind of forged/billet style diverter valves. I didn't put them in, so I guess it's possible those are failing but that doesn't seem super likely. I do have a set of 710N's I can install if push comes to shove.

Thoughts?

 

Chances are someone did some work on the motor at some time. IE replaced spark plugs and didn't line the metal band exactly with the little ears on the hoses that attach them to the intercooler/ y pipe etc.
Been down that road myself, just make sure they are lined up perfectly, then pull on the hose firmly to make sure they won't blow out at high boost.
For most of us it's the lower boost hose that comes off the bottom of the intercooler that pops if one does.
But don't worry, seated properly they won't pop off unless you end tanks have a crack at the mount or the little ears are bent in.
As far as your dv's are concerned unless they leak which you need to pressure test to find out they should be fine.
Hope this helps.

 

The metal clip is supposed to be attached to the hose. Then you push the hose on the connection and make sure it clicks. If it does not click distinctly, then it will pop off.

 

As car ages things give... plastic end tanks is the culprit in my opinion... I have my share of testing when it comes to this.... you can swap a clip and get upgraded O rings.. take a look at the hose tabs see if they are not worn out... made in house and pressure tested to 35 psi
then when you exhaust all of those you can always buy the real thing
good luck

 

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. I changed my plugs a few months ago, and then I got a tune from EPL a week later. Part of the plug change involved removing the IC's and I didn't snap the clip into the groove properly (if you've seen the way they are supposed to fit you know what I mean). I was having a blast and then POW...and the same exact symptoms you had. I managed to limp home and realized what I had done as soon as I checked the IC hoses. I re-seated the clamps on both sides and have had no issues since...and I'm still loving the EPL tune

 

Thanks guys. This is all reassuring. Both knowing that it shouldn't be a chronic problem and that there is a fix down the road if I want to upgrade the IC"s

 

Same thing happened to me when I upgraded to the GT2RS ICs. I put in one of the C clips on backwards and it the hose popped and started leaking. The interesting part was that when I plugged it back in, the car had a tendency to overboost since the ECU had tried to compensate for the boost leak and kept requesting more boost. I had to disconnect the battery to for a few minutes and that reset everything back to normal. Just give the hoses a good tug and wiggle to make sure everything clipped in correctly...

 

How are you liking the GT2RS's? I just acquired a set and plan to do the install soon.

 

Thermal recovery is great on the track for prolonged sessions where the power stayed constant while the regular coolers would heatsoak after 5 minutes of hard running. I don't think you'll be able tell any difference on the street with short bursts of full power. I couldn't.... I think flow rate is probably similar for both...

 

Thanks!