With their characteristics of low specific gravity, low melting point, excellent castability and good corrosion resistance, aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) alloys are extensively employed in automotive applications. Castings produced from these alloys range from transmission cases and intake manifolds to more critical components such as engine blocks, cylinder heads and wheels.Two of the most popular commercial alloys used in such applications are the A356 and 319 type alloys, belonging to the Al-Si-Mg and Al-Si-Cu alloy systems. The casting quality and properties are determined by the quality of their microstructure, controlled by various parameters such as the dendrite arm spacing (DAS -as determined by the solidification rate), the degree of eutectic Si modification and grain refinement, and the amount of microporosity, intermetallics and inclusions observed in the microstructure. Among these, solidification rate is the most important, as it directly or indirectly affects almost all the other microstmctural parameters.Modification of the eutectic silicon morphology from its acicular, flake-like form to a fibrous form is usually carried out through the addition of strontium (Sr) to improve the alloy ductility. Intermetallics commonly present in these alloys are the P-AlsFeSi and a-Al 5 (Fe,Mn) 3 Si2 iron intermetallics, sludge, Mg2Si and, in the case of 319 alloys, the copper intermetallic, CuAl 2 . Due to its brittle, platelet-like nature, the P-AlsFeSi iron intermetallic can be quite deleterious to the alloy properties, as can the presence of porosity, particularly in terms of surface quality and soundness.The aim of the present work has been to investigate the metallurgical parameters controlling the microstmctural evolution of Al-Si-Mg and Al-Si-Cu alloys, through a study of the microstmctural characteristics of directionally solidified A356 and 319 type alloys as a function of iron content, Sr addition (~250 ppm), and cooling rate. The iron levels selected varied from 0.12 to 0.8 wt pet, and cover the range of Fe levels found in commercial casting alloys. The use of an end-chill mold provided different cooling rates along the height of the same casting, with DAS values that varied from ~23 to 85 |^m, corresponding to levels of 5, 10, 30, 50 and 100 mm above the chill end.The effects of these variables on the precipitation of the P-Al 5 FeSi phase, the characteristics of the a-Al dendrite stmcture, eutectic silicon modification, and porosity formation were examined in detail. Various techniques were used for microstmctural characterization and phase identification, including optical and scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) facilities, and thermal analysis. An image analyzer was used in conjunction with the optical microscope for quantification purposes.