bleeding webasto 2000 heater

[Erwin Swart]

Hi all,

maybe a stupid question...
How can I bleed the webasto airtop2000 system.

is the system doing it automaticly?
I dont see a location where i can bleed the system

suggestions are welcome

grtz

 

[prv]

Do heaters need bleeding? I don't actually know, but they don't have a high-pressure injector pump, so it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't.

Pete

 

[davidwf]

I bled mine when I installed it using a small syringe to pull the fuel through the line, then reconnect to the heater and start as normal.

 

[david_bagshaw]

If you have a long fuel supply pipe, it can help, as avoids multiple starts to get the system going.

quite important for some of the modern ones with a dealer reset lock out after failure.

personally with an ancient erbbersplutter I disconnect the glow plug, and do a few start cycles. (anything to avoid damaging the glow plug at 80 a pop!)

 

[pcatterall]

Bleeding may be a misleading term. Sometimes though it is worth manually pumping the fuel through the lines before starting when a new system is set up. You can do this by attaching one of the pump leads to battery positive then taping the other lead quickly to the other terminal ( about two clicks per minute).
If you don't do this then I find it can take several false starting attempts for the heater to get the fuel through ( depending on the length of fuel pipe).

 

[Erwin Swart]

thanks for replies
can draw fuel by using vaccuum or is this bad for the pump?

 

[pcatterall]

You probably can't use a vacuum beyond the pump. but in any case it is a one off operation ( once 'bled' you shouldn't need to do it again)

 

[rivonia]

Hmm..I don't get this at all. My heater went back to the UK and I installed it again. No bleeding just turned the thermostat and the pump went click click click as it does, for quite a long time. Obviously it was pumping the fuel through. Then suddenly it fired up and all is well. After a few mins out comes hot air. Left it for a few days and as it was a little chilly the other night, we put it on again and soon had hot air again.

 

[pcatterall]

Hmm..I don't get this at all. My heater went back to the UK and I installed it again. No bleeding just turned the thermostat and the pump went click click click as it does, for quite a long time. Obviously it was pumping the fuel through. Then suddenly it fired up and all is well. After a few mins out comes hot air. Left it for a few days and as it was a little chilly the other night, we put it on again and soon had hot air again.

Exactly as it should be!! Installations with a very long fuel line will take a lot of pumping to initially get the fuel through sometimes the heater gives up and has to switched off and on again several times before fuel gets through. Once fuel is through the heater should remain 'primed' ready for the next start. My test rig only has one metre of hose attached but it still takes a good minute of pumping to get fuel through.

 

[Zanziba]

Exactly as it should be!! Installations with a very long fuel line will take a lot of pumping to initially get the fuel through sometimes the heater gives up and has to switched off and on again several times before fuel gets through. Once fuel is through the heater should remain 'primed' ready for the next start. My test rig only has one metre of hose attached but it still takes a good minute of pumping to get fuel through.

I ran out of Diesel this morning - filled up and it wouldn't work... there is no "bleed valve" or obvious method of getting fuel to the unit or removing air so I just kept retrying.

Mine has about 2.5m of line and took 6 attempts to get it started (which the unit does 3 attempts before failing so 18 attempts all together)

All working fine now.

250cm / 18 means somewhere in the region of 1 attempt per 15cm of line that you have.

 

[Steve Clayton]

Never had to bleed our AirTop when the tank gets low and AT stops. Top up with diesel and restart. Might get a few fail to start attempts as fuel is pumped but it eventually fires up OK.

 

[pcatterall]

Yes, 'bleeding' is a misnomer, priming is a better term, the heater can cope with the odd air bubble or two!
If you have a long fuel line it can take some time to get the fuel through on the first start up or if you have run dry.
Either let the heater do it which may take several start attempts or do it 'manually' by connecting one pump lead to the battery and quickly tap taping the other lead to the other terminal about two taps per second will do. Your fingers may get very tired!!
Some people use a pulsing device to make things easier.

 

[lw395]

I bled mine when I installed it using a small syringe to pull the fuel through the line, then reconnect to the heater and start as normal.

That's what I did.
As our eber is fed via a filter, it would have been a long time priming otherwise.
Not sure what's inside the pump, but most of these things pump diesel a lot better than they pump air.

 

[David2452]

Not sure what's inside the pump.

Simle solenoid operation with a spring and ball bearing aganst a seal to creat a one way pump.

 

[Zanziba]

I ran out of Diesel this morning - filled up

I put 60 litres in (Red Diesel) and just ran out. 60l / month is a little more than I thought I would use for a few hours in an evening plus weekends.

Oh well, roll on Summer.

 

[David2452]

I put 60 litres in (Red Diesel) and just ran out. 60l / month is a little more than I thought I would use for a few hours in an evening plus weekends.

Oh well, roll on Summer.

60l should give 180 to 240 hours running on an AT2000 so it may be running rich, or perhaps the standpipe is maybe a bit short.