brandon is now ignoring me. and apparently, ignoring others too....

i put some trust in code3, hoping they would be able to redeem themselves.... it's kind of a mixed bag...

the intercooler first had fitment issues.

the mounting brackets were off a half an inch. had to grind them down so they would align to match the holes and bolt the SC to the IC.

the holes were not threaded thoroughly....

had to re-thread them....

MAP sensor hole was too big....

replacement o-ring for mounting the MAP sensor did not fit correctly, so we made our own.....

Code3 did not send a replacement gasket to seal the SC to the IC.....

you CANNOT use the old one, it does not hold boost(even when using gasket sealant from a tube)..... found out the HARD way.

rebuilt and took apart the setup about 4 times trying to resolve the boost-leak issue.....

after ordering a new gasket from mercedes, we finally resolved the boost-leak issue.

OH! and because of the EXTREME boost-leak between the IC and SC, i have to get new sparkplugs!!!! did brandon offer to replace them? no.

i called brandon all day on the day of the install, with no answer.(he told me he would be there for me)
so i started sending him emails from my iphone. he finally replied to them at the end of the day. a little too late...

the car is now running with the new IC on, and so far have been no problems. engine feels more consistent and more stout on the interstate, and my temp gauge is lower than ever. combining the johnson pump with Rob's super-cooler and the Code3 intercooler seems to be a GREAT cooling mod, but be prepared for a nightmare install. (unless i am unlucky and received the only bad one out of the batch!)
anyways, i sent brandon an email telling him i would give him one full business day to redeem himself before i posted my rant about the experience on the forums. he could make up for the mess by offering to replace the unit with one that did not have to be fabbed to heck, or just explain to me what the whole mess was about, or even apologize, or offer a refund etc. etc.

this is just plain 'negligence' as a seller.

when i did the catch-can install, i had some boost-leak issues, and Rob from NEEDSWINGS overnighted me a MAP sensor, sent me 4 new gaskets to rule out manifold loss and answered every question of mine in a hearbeat!! that's PROFESSIONALISM!!!!!

 

Can't say you didn't know all this before buying. I remember a few members warning you of these issues before buying and you completely ignored the warnings and ordered anyway. Not trying ton let Code3 off the hook or anything, but shotty fitment of the IC and bad customer service were a well known issues. Sorry your experience wasn't any better. I will stay away from even considering their IC in the future.

 

he claimed all the 'fitment issues' were worked out..... guess not

i also wanted to give the guy a chance, boy did that backfire on me...

does anyone know anything about code3? is it run by someone very young? are they located near any of you? shop?

 

In addition to this loungn 14 stated nothing was to be gained, I don't really see why you replaced the factory one which cools just as good. I can see doing mods but doing them for no reason or gain doesn't make sense

 

factory one was leaking.

gains were not the goal, but a above-stock cooling setup i DO want. i do think the Code3 intercooler is more efficient. heat-soak seems to be a non-issue now.

 

sorry to hear about your bad experience. looks like its best to stick with Rob at Needwings and Eurocharged (Jake, Loungn14)....at least from personal experience.

thanks for the writeup. We need a vendor to make a better intercooler with no fitment issues. anyone up to the challenge?

 

How many miles on the car and where was it leaking?

 

sorry to hear that J-fire, I know how you feel giving people chances and all but most of the time it ends up in the ole we told you so category

What is alarming to me Is, I just reinstalled my supercharger and intercooler without a gasket. I did not have it at the time of assembly as Chrysler calls for,because Mercedes does not use a gasket. Sounds like I am going to have to tear it apart again, odd that there was not one from factory????? Anyone else know anything about this?

 

It’s too bad that anyone be hustled into your predicament by a fly-by-night vendor. Caveat emptor.

Brandon’s lack of professionalism has been well documented by several respected members of this forum. He’s made a quick buck from his pulleys and splitters. Now it seems he’s back under the rock from whence he came instead of manning up for his faulty wares.

Fortunately, some of us know (and have shared) the reputable suppliers to our micro-niche hotrodding market. Good luck.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...de+intercooler

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/c32-am...group-buy.html

 

Thanx for heads up! I will avoid code3 products!

 

Damn you splinter lol guess I will have to tear down again. I am yet to run it since the tear down so I should be safe

 

Will there be an "I told you so" on the pulleys too? Is there any credibility to researched and tested if the vendor isn't tried and proven?

 

Wow thats a very good point. I think that personally the thing that gets me is that some members decide to go quiet about product when things go wrong on a new product release. I know of a lot of times that this has happened only to find that when my personal car was having issues someone would eventually always pop up and say something along the lines of ya, that happened to me a while back.

This is one of the reasons for the start of the new company. Personally I would never sell something that I wouldn't or have not run on my own car. There are too many people out there that are trying to make a buck and don't stand by the products. It is up to us as a community of enthusiasts to help each other out with this type of stuff. This is also the primary reason that we are so active on the forums.

AND FOR GODS SAKE VENDORS...STAND BY YOUR DAMN PRODUCT. If something isn't right make it so.

sorry for the rant, tender subject.

and...sorry it didn't fit right. Saw that coming. I have about 30+ pm's from members about that exact same issue with fitmet

 

We were going to look at it, but the stock unit is actually quite good. Renntech had a prototype as well back in the day but couldn't justify the cost/need.

Better time focused other places. (long tubes perhaps)

 

The main reason I didn't order the sc pulley from the website was because of all the problems people had and the shady deal with C3. That's why I sought out for a used one and Woody came to my rescue! I will not be dealing with C3 if I can help it....

 

Thank you Jake. We all have issues at different times, but your right a vendor will show it's true colors when an issue arises. There seems to be a few fly by night pretend vendors lurking around as usual.

***NEWBIES*** Be sure to ask before you jump and get involved with a vendor you will regret. Vendor definition should include actually developing, researching, testing, and producing your own product. Finally customer service must be above all. Otherwise add fly by night to their product or copycat.

 

I am sticking with LET - absolutely the finest at standing behind their products.
Jerry is the best.

 

I am curious if the IC you received is the one I returned.
I saw your first IC thread about a week after I sent mine back.
Sorry to hear you have to go through all that.

 

You did post fair warning of your experience. Thank You.

 

Shocking. I have heard of several issues with their products. Very shady customer service. I have been warned and now re-warned through this thread. Thats the last straw for me, i will deff not buy from C3