So after months of debating between cheaply repairing OE coolers or upgrading to Wagner’s I decided to do it right and ordered a set off Wagner UK distributor.
Tried fitting them over the weekend, what can I say? For the price this setup costs I feel like I’ve been ripped off.
Unboxing the items the coolers, hoses, clips and ducts all look very impressive and sturdy. I wasn’t sure why they laquered the outside of the CF ducts but there you go.
Removed bumper, headlights and old intercoolers and hosing no problem very straightforward job. Was a little annoyed as my last health check stated both coolers leaking badly but upon removal it was clear only one had a tiny little sweat patch of crud.
Regardless fitted coolers and this is when it all went wrong. The ducts are not pre drilled and when you line them up with the coolers the holes you have to cut are so close to the edge they simply tear that section of carbon off.
The instructions state to remove and bin the rear ducts, presumably due to lack of space? However this leaves part of the wheel arch liner insecure with several screws each end unable to be refitted.
The silicone hoses on the top are too long, by about 5mm and due to them billowing at the ends with a narrower centre section cutting them down is not an option, this in turn forces the cooler outwards as the hose fights to regain its shape, forcing you new cooler to rub on the inner wing.
The next issue with this is the fact you cannot reuse the little rubber rings the coolers mount into and with these binned you have them sitting metal to metal and they rattle and squeal over bumps. This also causes the cooler to sit 10mm lower than normal and rub on the undertray.
But by far the worst problem is the CF ducts, you’d have more luck nearly installing them into a Toyota Yaris. They look great before bumper install but when trying to refit the bumper it stops a good 3 inches short of the wing both sides.
All the wiggling, adjusting and fighting with it in the world, for a least 3 hours, it was clear the larger width of the coolers was forcing the ducts forward which in turn was stopping the bumper from going flush!
In the end the decision was made to trim them down, so we’d cut a little off the edges and try to refit, remove and repeat.
In the end we’d cut so much off it was visible through the grills so frustratingly we binned the CF ducts and went back to the OE items only to find surprise, same problem!
In the end we had to butcher the OE ducts and force the bumper on one side at a time and allow the three studs to pull it home.
End result? They rub on the wings and the undertray, rattle over bumps and the ducts look horrible behind the grills. I would say the car feels a little quicker but that’s no doubt placebo.
I’m just so very disappointed by the shocking fitment given the absurd price I’ve paid for these. It’s almost as if they asked for dimensions off a forum and never once bothered test fitting them before release. I will never be purchasing Wagner products again nor could I recommend them.
As for the car I’ll have to try and source some 2nd hand ducts and try to get them sitting better another day. I’m just petrified of removing that front bumper again!
Wagner intercoolers review
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
It’s not the 1st time I’ve herd all this about these and it’s what’s putting me off getting a set before I put my engine back in
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
c5 rs6 owner thats been known to cut the wrong wire.............
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
Jay please heed my warning it’s not worth the massive price tag, if it wasn’t for the fact we’d trimmed the ducts down I would have removed the lot and returned them.
If I did it again I’d get the OEs refurbished by airtec for half the price.
If I did it again I’d get the OEs refurbished by airtec for half the price.
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
I bought mine without the ducts so I can't comment on those. I trimmed the OE ducts down a bit.
I like the intercoolers. They are well built and 8 years later they appear to be exactly the same as when I installed them.
I also found they fit fine in the little rubber doughnuts so I'm not sure what happened with yours.
Sounds like the rest is a poor show though. Not a very satisfying outcome for you.
I like the intercoolers. They are well built and 8 years later they appear to be exactly the same as when I installed them.
I also found they fit fine in the little rubber doughnuts so I'm not sure what happened with yours.
Sounds like the rest is a poor show though. Not a very satisfying outcome for you.
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
Well I have recently fitted a complete set to mine.
My ducts were a very good fit to the coolers, but you do have to drill new holes for the screws and clips. The supplied clips were about 4mm too long so I ground them down on the bench grinder.
The carbon ducts did require a bit of work with the Dremel but I eventually got a good snug fit either side of the bumper at the front.
I fitted new rubber mounting bushes to the top and side of the coolers and they fit fine now. They don't rub on the under tray or the wing, but they are only about 5mm from the wing.
The top hoses are a bit of a pain alright.
The whole kit is certainly not an easy take it out of the box and fit job! Trying to squeeze the bigger coolers into an already tight space is a pain. I lost track of how many hours it took. For the money I was expecting a much better initial fit.
After several hours of patience and perseverance (and swearing) I am happy with the end result.
My ducts were a very good fit to the coolers, but you do have to drill new holes for the screws and clips. The supplied clips were about 4mm too long so I ground them down on the bench grinder.
The carbon ducts did require a bit of work with the Dremel but I eventually got a good snug fit either side of the bumper at the front.
I fitted new rubber mounting bushes to the top and side of the coolers and they fit fine now. They don't rub on the under tray or the wing, but they are only about 5mm from the wing.
The top hoses are a bit of a pain alright.
The whole kit is certainly not an easy take it out of the box and fit job! Trying to squeeze the bigger coolers into an already tight space is a pain. I lost track of how many hours it took. For the money I was expecting a much better initial fit.
After several hours of patience and perseverance (and swearing) I am happy with the end result.
RS6 C5, MTM
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
Did any of you manage to refit the rear ducts despite the instruction to leave it off? I can’t help but feel the arch liner is now insecure at the front end.
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
No, I left mine off. I was quite surprised when it said not to refit them and to be honest mine were a bit beat up. But I have kept them so next time I'm doing some work there I'll see about mending/replacing and refitting them.
RS6 C5, MTM
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
No, I didn't try. I looked at them, and couldn't see any practical use for them. However, I don't remember it affecting the structural integrity of the surroundings, but it was a while ago. It's all been off and an a number of times since and I haven't noticed any problem with loose undertray or arch liners. Perhaps yours is missing other fixing points?
Daytona RS6 C5 Avant. Viper'd, Billies, Waggers, MTM box brain, C6 stoppers, xcarlink, R8 coolant cap (woohoo)
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
///M3 E46 | XC90 (V8, natch) | Passat GTE | RR Classic V8 flapper
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
I used the original ducts front and rear just had to trim slightly with a dremmel. Also I used the rubber mounts without issue.
Avus Avant, RNS-E mk2 with sds and Bluetooth, Milltek, Hotchkis, Bilstein, Forge, ITG, A.C.E, Wagner, FBMFSW, MTM.
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
How long do the refurbished Airtec ones last?
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
Sadly non OEM parts are often like this. There is just no substitute for OEM quality. That being said for the price they cost this does seem a bit more than the usual fettle to fit style of aftermarket parts.... Luckily mine already had them fitted when I bought it so it was someone elses problem....
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
I’ve ordered four new intercooler rubber mounts from Audi at the cost of £50 I will disassemble this weekend and have another play with new mounts. Just not happy with them having a little play there but with the mounts fitted they wouldn’t compress the hoses enough to sit inwards enough!
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
I don't disagree. You buy it for the intercoolers, the rest of it is a bit <beep>.
"not a professional engineer, mechanic and mechanist"
Re: Wagner intercoolers review
So this weekend I removed everything and very much took my time, on my own this time, in reassembly and I’m much happier with the results.
Replaced all four of my intercooler rubber mounts which raised them off the undertray. I also replaced all the degraded rubber flaps around the original air intakes and also noticed the brackets which holds the n/s cooler was insecure. They’re only held to the car by three small rivets and one had popped out so replaced that too.
I’m still frustrated about not being able to use the carbon ducts as I feel most the money in the kit is justified by those, also the supplied hose clips take very little torque before damaging them, possible with just a screwdriver.
Replaced all four of my intercooler rubber mounts which raised them off the undertray. I also replaced all the degraded rubber flaps around the original air intakes and also noticed the brackets which holds the n/s cooler was insecure. They’re only held to the car by three small rivets and one had popped out so replaced that too.
I’m still frustrated about not being able to use the carbon ducts as I feel most the money in the kit is justified by those, also the supplied hose clips take very little torque before damaging them, possible with just a screwdriver.