Dura-Lite™ estimates 40% of trucks 2 years or older have charge air coolers that are leaking outside of the engine manufacturers specifications.
A leaking charge air cooler (CAC) is one of the most common causes of reduced diesel truck performance. The problem is that the signs of a leaking CAC are not obvious to the operator or even to the maintenance technician, until the leak is so bad that an increased fuel consumption is noticed.
What happens to the performance of a modern turbo diesel truck engine when the charge air cooler begins to leak?
Unlike a radiator that uses liquid antifreeze (coolant) to cool the engine and will leave a puddle on the ground when it leaks, a CAC leak can only be detected if the CAC is pressure tested to find the air leak.
If you suspect your CAC is leaking, the only way to accurately confirm a leak is to do a pressure test. Testing is quick and easy and usually takes about 20 minutes using a Dura-Lite Tester-Kit™.
The Dura-Lite Charge Air Cooler Tester-Kit comes complete with everything required to test most charge air coolers.
Charge Air Cooler Pressure Tester
The common symptoms of a leaking or non-performing charge air cooler are:
- Loss of engine power
- Increased fuel consumption
- Elevated soot levels in the oil
- Premature piston, ring, and valve failure
- Turbocharger or exhaust manifold failure
- Elevated coolant temperatures
Buy Charge Air Cooler Pressure Tester
CAC Pressure Tester
Need to test your CAC for leaks?
A charge air cooler should be tested every time an oil change or preventive maintenance is done on your truck. That way, you know your truck and its systems will always be ready to handle whatever jobs are thrown their way.
How to Pressure Test your CAC - View our Video
Charge Air Cooler Tester
To demonstrate the savings available to owners and highlight the merits of a routine Charge Air Cooler Testing, Dura-Lite has developed a handy Charge Air Cooler Fuel Usage Calculator that is available to use on our website.
Try our Leaking Charge Air Cooler Calculator to estimate how much money a leaking charge air cooler could be costing your business. Enter either your MPG or L/100KM, then the average trip and current fuel price to see the cost of a leaking CAC on one truck or a fleet.
For example, in the USA with the fuel cost at $3.70 (USD) per US Gallon, fuel economy of 5.5 MPG, and average trip per day of 600 miles.
By replacing a leaking CAC with a leak free Dura-Lite Evolution®, it could save you up to $7,020 (USD) per vehicle per year in fuel cost savings alone!
That translates to over $9,600 (CAD)!
When Only The Best Will Do - Dura-Lite!
