Diesel heater not firing up

[wonkywinch]

How long have you left it before giving up? The Webasto on our boat took about 20 minutes of repeated start attempts before it ran after being dormant for quite some time. For info the "repeated start attempts" are by the Webasto system, not me pressing any buttons. After advice from a friend, I pressed the buttons to start as normal and left it for 20 mins of clicks etc before it finally burst into life and has started first time ever since.

 

[dunedin]

How long have you left it before giving up? The Webasto on our boat took about 20 minutes of repeated start attempts before it ran after being dormant for quite some time. For info the "repeated start attempts" are by the Webasto system, not me pressing any buttons. After advice from a friend, I pressed the buttons to start as normal and left it for 20 mins of clicks etc before it finally burst into life and has started first time ever since.

I have no idea if my approach is soundly based, but I have the view that it is worth firing up the Eberspacher at least every couple of months to keep it in good fettle. Easy enough through the winter, when fire it up some days when going sailing or doing work jobs. But also try to fire up occasionally in summer on a colder / damp day.
(Similar approach to running a car air conditioning at least every month, although in that case there are clear technical reasons for doing so.)

 

[ylop]

I have no idea if my approach is soundly based, but I have the view that it is worth firing up the Eberspacher at least every couple of months to keep it in good fettle. Easy enough through the winter, when fire it up some days when going sailing or doing work jobs. But also try to fire up occasionally in summer on a colder / damp day.
(Similar approach to running a car air conditioning at least every month, although in that case there are clear technical reasons for doing so.)

Well I don't know if its needed or not, but running it on a marginal day at least means if there's a problem you find out when it doesn't really matter rather than when there's snow on deck!

 

[fredrussell]

I have no idea if my approach is soundly based, but I have the view that it is worth firing up the Eberspacher at least every couple of months to keep it in good fettle…

I think Eber actually recommends this in their manuals.

 

[DJE]

Mine's an Ardic unit and getting a bit old. I worked out that it was struggling to lift fuel all the way from the boat's main fuel tank ( about one metre vertically). So I put in a small tank about level with the heater and fed it from there. No problems since then.

 

[jwilson]

Some models of Eberspacher have a deliberate feature that "locks them up" after a number of repeated failures to start - needs a service technician to "unlock".

 

[PaulRainbow]

Some models of Eberspacher have a deliberate feature that "locks them up" after a number of repeated failures to start - needs a service technician to "unlock".

That was true of some older models John, but i'm sure that hasn't applied for a few years now.

My Webasto will lock out after x failures, but all i have to do is remove the main fuse and press the power button to reset it.

 

[jwilson]

Mine was fitted new with the boat in 2005. It definitely does this.....

 

[PaulRainbow]

Mine was fitted new with the boat in 2005. It definitely does this.....

"That was true of some older models John, but i'm sure that hasn't applied for a few years now."

I think 18 years old qualifies as an "older model" John

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I have had 4 ebismokers or similar and all gave trouble - though eventually 3 gave heat.

The first was an ancient D4 or its predecessor and would only start with engine running on our old boat. Happily giving it bigger supply cable and cleaning glow plug sorted that after 3 seasons of crouching in side locker. Pump failed much later but I was onto it and simply bought a new one - £46 that time

On next boat, an ancient D1 (1kw) just would not run its fan so after taking it to pieces and deciding ancient bolt on side controller was to blame, and its 1kw out put not really sufficient I threw it in skip. I doubt side mounted controller was still available but did not seek

A replacement 2nd hand D2 was aquired (2kW). Worked in sellers garage but not on boat. Applied wiring upgrade, but still no joy and found fuel pump had now failed. OEM pump for £18 and ran sort of ok but not giving enough heat in cabin due to 5m airduct run through cold bilges - so sold it at knock down price to fellas with smaller duct run and smaller cabin.

A replacement 2nd hand D4 (4kw) was bought and worked in our back yard, but would not work in boat - white smoke but no continuous ignition. Pump seemed ok and guaze and bleedhole clean, but gave it new guaze anyway to no avail. Sent it to Halls Electrical who after much fuss and bother fixed it at nearly 4 times the cost of a new chinaspacker. Which still beat cost and fitting work in getting new airduct and exhaust outlets as chinaspackers are copies of planar not ebi. The flame sensor was faulty and the pump was better suited to lower capacity model such as D1 or D2.

Oh and at first refit it did not work as fuel cap on concave side deck was leaking so water in bottom of tank and unlike the engine, there was no water extractor on heater feed.

I would say that my propane heater in camper was easier, but thats now got flame sensor issue and with Propex dealer as shuts down after 3 minutes.

Things designed to use on 24v circuits in nice dry truck cabs suffer with infrequent use in marine or other damp environments

 

[PaulRainbow]

chinaspackers are copies of planar not ebi.

I think you'll find that's backwards.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I think you'll find that's backwards.

the chinaspackers I could see had bigger exhaust pipes and fittings, seemed to be 24mm for exhaust which if I recall is same as planar. Its certainly not ebi which I think is 22mm.

The planar ones have 90mm duct not 75mm. The chinaspacker ones I could see at reasonable price had 90mm and as it had taken several days to get 75mm fitted and damaged pump hosing and electrics getting it through I didnt want to do that ever again.

Who knows what the chinese copy or if there is any consistency?

 

[PaulRainbow]

the chinaspackers I could see had bigger exhaust pipes and fittings, seemed to be 24mm for exhaust which if I recall is same as planar. Its certainly not ebi which I think is 22mm.

Eber, webasto and Planar exhausts are 24mm, i have replaced Eber and Webasto with Planar heaters and the exhausts interchange. some really old Ebers had 22mm exhaust.

The planar ones have 90mm duct not 75mm. The chinaspacker ones I could see at reasonable price had 90mm and as it had taken several days to get 75mm fitted and damaged pump hosing and electrics getting it through I didnt want to do that ever again.

Who knows what the chinese copy or if there is any consistency?

Eber and Webasto ducting comes in a variety of sizes, including 90mm. Planar 4kw models are 96mm.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Eber, webasto and Planar exhausts are 24mm, i have replaced Eber and Webasto with Planar heaters and the exhausts interchange. some really old Ebers had 22mm exhaust.

Eber and Webasto ducting comes in a variety of sizes, including 90mm. Planar 4kw models are 96mm.

Exactly my point. I have 22mm exhaust so changing to new chinaspacker or anything else has an additional cost, similarly changing to something with 90mm or 96mm ducting. I dont think my second hand D4 is that old either. I could not give a flying fig who makes the wretched replacements or who plagiarises whose design

 

[Plum]

I have had 4 ebismokers or similar and all gave trouble - though eventually 3 gave heat.

The first was an ancient D4 or its predecessor and would only start with engine running on our old boat. Happily giving it bigger supply cable and cleaning glow plug sorted that after 3 seasons of crouching in side locker. Pump failed much later but I was onto it and simply bought a new one - £46 that time

On next boat, an ancient D1 (1kw) just would not run its fan so after taking it to pieces and deciding ancient bolt on side controller was to blame, and its 1kw out put not really sufficient I threw it in skip. I doubt side mounted controller was still available but did not seek

A replacement 2nd hand D2 was aquired (2kW). Worked in sellers garage but not on boat. Applied wiring upgrade, but still no joy and found fuel pump had now failed. OEM pump for £18 and ran sort of ok but not giving enough heat in cabin due to 5m airduct run through cold bilges - so sold it at knock down price to fellas with smaller duct run and smaller cabin.

A replacement 2nd hand D4 (4kw) was bought and worked in our back yard, but would not work in boat - white smoke but no continuous ignition. Pump seemed ok and guaze and bleedhole clean, but gave it new guaze anyway to no avail. Sent it to Halls Electrical who after much fuss and bother fixed it at nearly 4 times the cost of a new chinaspacker. Which still beat cost and fitting work in getting new airduct and exhaust outlets as chinaspackers are copies of planar not ebi. The flame sensor was faulty and the pump was better suited to lower capacity model such as D1 or D2.

Oh and at first refit it did not work as fuel cap on concave side deck was leaking so water in bottom of tank and unlike the engine, there was no water extractor on heater feed.

I would say that my propane heater in camper was easier, but thats now got flame sensor issue and with Propex dealer as shuts down after 3 minutes.

Things designed to use on 24v circuits in nice dry truck cabs suffer with infrequent use in marine or other damp environments

Just in case others reading about problems with Eberspacher heaters think they are all bad, they are not. Mine is 8 years old and despite it laying unused for over 6 months every year and mostly only used on a low heat setting for long periods, it has not given a single problem.

 

[Hoolie]

I can better that! Our Eberspacher D3L (I think) was fitted by the PO maybe around 2000. Not long after buying the boat in 2005 I did a major service replacing the gauze and glowplug etc because it wouldn't fire up. We test it now and again but it is still working well all these years later!

 

[fredrussell]

…A replacement 2nd hand D2 was aquired (2kW). Worked in sellers garage but not on boat…

…A replacement 2nd hand D4 (4kw) was bought and worked in our back yard, but would not work in boat…

That sounds to me like an issue with the wiring/fuel setup on your boat, no?

In my experience, a ‘modern’ Eberspacher (any of the Airtronic ones really) is a very well made bit of kit and if fed a healthy level of voltage and fuel should run for years and years. The one in my van is coming up for 17 years old and has never missed a beat. I’ve got a Chinaspacher on the boat, and same in my caravan - both are excellent but were bought knowing that their lives will probably be shorter, but cheap as chips to replace.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

That sounds to me like an issue with the wiring/fuel setup on your boat, no?

Indeed for the D2, as my post clearly explains. The failure of my D4 controller between purchase and installation is harder to explain

Boatyards however seem full of folks complaining about ebis so its not just me. I notice that chinaspackers are often sold with header tank, which of course deals with the inadvertent sucking up of the lees of boat diesel tank (though hardly very satisfactory in most boats), and of course if fitted in vans the wiring run is often much shorter so there is less risk of voltage at fire up being below 10.5V

 

[NormanS]

My Eberspacher is wonderful. It must be 10-12 years old now, and gets used. I burn about 100 litres (of Kerosene) per year. Fuel obviously coming from a dedicated tank. I wonder if the ones that are reported as troublesome, are the ones that are hardly ever used. Realistically, if it died on me, it would be replaced in a heart beat by a Chinese model.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Boatyards however seem full of folks complaining about ebis so its not just me.

How much of that is a reflection on the folks themselves, and the knowledge of their equipment? There are an awful lot of people around, on these forums and in clubs and yards who know that a kettle boils water but not how.
"A bad workman blames the tools"!!