Mercedes W176/C117, A45/CLA45 AMG Performance Radiator & Intercooler Heat Exchanger Kit

Stop your Mercedes-AMG A45 or CLA45 pulling timing on the second run with this Performance Radiator and Intercooler Heat Exchanger Kit — an oversized front-mount heat exchanger paired with an auxiliary side radiator, replacing the single undersized factory unit.

The M133 does not use an air-to-air intercooler. It runs a water-to-air charge cooler, and the charge air temperature is set by how well that coolant circuit sheds heat. From the factory the circuit is small, and on a hot day or a second hard run it saturates — coolant temperature climbs, intake temperature follows, and the ECU pulls timing and boost to protect the engine. The car does not break, it just quietly gets slower, and most owners put it down to the weather.

This kit attacks that directly. The factory front heat exchanger is replaced with a far larger aluminium core, and a second radiator is added in the wheel arch to raise total coolant volume and surface area. More coolant takes longer to heat, and more surface area sheds it faster, so the circuit recovers between runs instead of stacking heat.

Key Features:

Oversized Front Heat Exchanger
A full-width aluminium core replacing the factory unit, mounted at the original locations in front of the main radiator.

Auxiliary Side Radiator
A second core mounted in the wheel arch, adding coolant capacity and surface area the standard circuit simply does not have.

All-Aluminium Construction
Aluminium cores and end tanks throughout, TIG welded, with machined hose barbs rather than crimped fittings.

Attacks Heat Soak, Not Peak Power
The gain is consistency. A standard car is quickest on its first run; this one holds its timing on the third.

Direct Bolt-On Fitment
Uses the factory mounting points and hose routing. No cutting and no fabrication.

Essential Above Stage 1
Any tune raises boost and therefore charge temperature. Cooling is what lets a tune actually deliver what it promises in Australian conditions.

Dimensions:

Front Heat Exchanger
Core: 24.8" (630mm) wide × 14.37" (365mm) high × 1.29" (32.9mm) thick
Mounting width: 23.6" (600mm)
Inlet and outlet: 0.73" (18.5mm) internal diameter

Side Radiator
Core: 8.46" (215mm) wide × 9.84" (250mm) high × 2.76" (70mm) thick
Overall depth including tanks: 3.15" (80mm)
Inlet and outlet: 0.638" (16.2mm) internal diameter

Manufacturing tolerance +/- 0.08" (2mm).

Performance Benefits:

Substantially lower charge air temperatures under sustained load

Far less timing pulled on a second or third hard run

Consistent power on a hot day instead of a car that fades

Greater coolant volume, so the circuit takes longer to saturate

More surface area, so it recovers faster once it does

Headroom for a Stage 2 tune to be worth what it claims

Vehicle Fitment:

Mercedes-AMG A45 - W176 (2013-2018)

Mercedes-AMG CLA45 - C117 (2013-2019)

Mercedes-AMG GLA45 - X156 (2014-2019)

2.0L Turbocharged M133 Engine, 265-280kW / 360-381PS

M133 Only - This Will Not Fit a Newer A45:

This kit fits the W176, C117 and X156 cars. If you have a W177 A45 S, C118 CLA45 S or H247 GLA45 S, that is the M139 and its cooling package is different.

Please Note:

The cooling circuit must be drained and correctly refilled and bled on installation. Professional installation is strongly recommended — air trapped in a charge cooler circuit will undo everything this kit is for.

This kit is shipped as two units and is bulky. Freight is quoted separately where required.

Why Choose Proven Performance Parts:

We specialise in high-performance parts for European vehicles — Volkswagen GTI & R models, Audi S/RS platforms, BMW M cars and Mercedes-AMG. Every product we offer is carefully selected for its quality, fitment, and real-world performance — tested by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts.