Removing ignition heatsink from airbox - safe?

[McDub]

I can hardly find any information on this topic...

The ingnition controller or whatever it is, is attached to the air box on our gti's for cooling via a heat sink.
So if you replace your stock airbox with an aftermarket solution, you need to mount the heatsink elsewhere in the engine bay.
It was obviously put in the airbox for cooling, and if you relocate it to the more stagnant and hotter air in the engine bay, then it won't cool as well.
So is this likely to be a problem?
Was it just a feature for Australian cars because of our hotter environment?

[TazzyVR6]

I can hardly find any information on this topic...

The ingnition controller or whatever it is, is attached to the air box on our gti's for cooling via a heat sink.
So if you replace your stock airbox with an aftermarket solution, you need to mount the heatsink elsewhere in the engine bay.
It was obviously put in the airbox for cooling, and if you relocate it to the more stagnant and hotter air in the engine bay, then it won't cool as well.
So is this likely to be a problem?
Was it just a feature for Australian cars because of our hotter environment?

Haha, shouldn't have to worry about this in Tas then! But this is a good question!

[h100vw]

It really needs to have airflow over it for cooling purposes or service life will be impaired. I have run an A3 without the amp in airbox and that didn't quit on me. If you can direct some air over it or mount it onto something solid, that would help. Be aware that a new one from VW was the best part of $600 last year.

Gavin

[JustCruisn]

I zip tied it up near the firewall. I added it near some other connector, just under the cabin filter area to the left of the main wiring harness.
I have had it like this since Dec 2005 and no issues.
If you do care you could add a small fan to the heatsink and have it power up when the engine is running.

[McDub]

interesting... anyone heard of these breaking because of this? 600, ouch.
could maybe have a small 1 inch hose giving it some air from the front vents...

[h100vw]

interesting... anyone heard of these breaking because of this? 600, ouch.
could maybe have a small 1 inch hose giving it some air from the front vents...

They go wrong when fitted in the airbox, it's the same with anything electronic, they last longer if they don't get hot.

Gavin

[goodfella]

interesting... my Bora 4mo didnt have any ignition module connected when I pulled out the airbox and installed a CAI.

Is this GTI specific?

[h100vw]

interesting... my Bora 4mo didnt have any ignition module connected when I pulled out the airbox and installed a CAI.

Is this GTI specific?

Yeah Dave, it controls the soil packs. Newer ME7 stuff triggers the coil packs directly, the module is built into the pack.

Gavin

[Golf Loon]

Find a place on the chassis for the heatsink, skim a bit of paint off and make sure it has good contact to the chassis and the module will have a long life.

If you tie it to something, or let it flap in the breeze, its life will be drastically shortened.

Does your car work now McDub? Time for a different flash, or standard ecu for a test to see if that fixes it if not.