Supercharger Assembly Replacement Cost Estimate

Supercharger gear or coupler noise is obvious to the trained technician, and this is the most common failure type with superchargers. In order to diagnose the cause of the noise, the technician will remove the supercharger front housing to inspect the coupler and drive gears. The damaged component, front cover, and oil will be changed. For superchargers that produce low amounts of compressed air, the technician will ensure the mass airflow sensor (MAF) and the manifold absolute pressure sensor (MAP) are working properly first. Afterwards, if they are functioning properly, the rate of flow and absolute pressure will be compared to specifications, the supercharger will be checked for leaks, and the supercharger may be removed to inspect for clearances, damage, or bearing failure. If the supercharger fails these inspections, it will be replaced.

Replacing a supercharger is much like changing an intake manifold. In fact, they bolt directly to the intake manifold in nearly every case. First, the supercharger belt tensioner and pulley will be removed, and any cooling lines or driven components will be removed. The air inlet or intercooler piping must be removed, and, finally, the supercharger mounting bolts or nuts can be removed to free the supercharger unit. Note that some vehicles will require extreme deconstruction of the vehicle or removal of the engine to remove or inspect the supercharger. This is because some transverse mounted engines in front wheel drive vehicles will have the supercharger mounted underneath the intake manifold.

Many aftermarket kits are available to spin the supercharger faster than originally designed. This increases power and intake pressure, but will reduce the service life of the supercharger. While the supercharger may still last a significant amount of time, the supercharger drive gears and coupler, which is typically a composite, non-metallic material, will likely fail prematurely. We here at RepairPal do not recommend altering the functionality of the supercharger without consulting the original equipment manufacturer. Note, it may also void the warranty for the supercharger and other components.