Eberspächer not firing up

[westhinder]

My Eberspächer 3DL (20 years old) refuses to start up. When I turn it on, you hear the ventilator starting and after a few seconds, at the moment when normally the pump begins to tick, the system simply shuts down.
I have already removed the glowplug, which is only 2 years old and in good condition. I now suspect the pump. Any suggestions as to what I could do to check the pump? Or any other suggestions?

 

[baggypipes]

major problem with ebs, you do need a lot of battery power so make sure your batteries are fully charged. we just had the same problem & thought it was a fault with the unit, however on charging the batteries all ok. better to go this route before stripping down.
best of luck

 

[pvb]

Yes, it could well be a low voltage problem. Have you tried starting the heater whilst the engine is running?

 

[JerryHawkins]

Disconnect the pump from the Eber and connect a couple of wires to it such that you can connect it to 12v battery (or 24v if you have a 24v system). Yo need to be able to repidly connect and disconnect (flash the connection) at which point the pump should tick once for each time you make the connection. If it doesn't tick, the pump is suspect. If it does tick, re-connect it to the Eber and try again. AFAIK they are not serviceable and you would have to buy a new one - they're not cheap as they precisely meter the fuel not just pump it.

 

[Otter]

Jerry is 100% right. Just to add that if it does tick you may still have a fuel blockage, check the pipe and I think there is a tiny filter at the inlet of the pump? In any case, flash the pump as Jerry suggests and check diesel is coming out of the disconnected fuel line at the eber end. handy way of confirming that it's not a fuel related problem.

 

[castaway]

2 things have prevented my Eber firing up: 1st as mentioned is that it likes to have the engine running or at least very well charged batts...

2nd.. is that one year the exhaust swan neck was full of water.. and that took me ages to discover !

Good luck , Nick

 

[Cantata]

My 3DL takes 17A for about 2 minutes during start-up. If your battery is not in good condition the voltage will drop below the point where it can supply this current, and the Eber will shut down again.

 

[westhinder]

Thanks for the suggestions. Battery voltage is not the problem, as batteries are kept fully charged by wind generator. When I tried to start the heater today, voltage was over 13V, generator spinning merrily in the strong breeze. I'll try to check the pump and the fuel pipe.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't forget that it's the voltage at the terminals to the heater that we are talking about. Commonly, fuses age and go high resistance or the terminals or wiring corrode. Try putting your voltmeter directly across the heater itself, when firing up.

 

[Peanuts]

Hi
I am surprised no one has mentioned the fuse holder, these are a source of problems especially on the older units, inspect this before taking anything apart on the actual heater.

 

[mbay]

I have 3dl and had a similar problem, turned out to be the heat sensor, I'm not saying this is the fault you have just a posibility. check the pump as others have suggested, and check ALL electrical connections making sure they are nice and tight and free of corosion.

 

[chriscallender]

I had a very similar problem with a D1LC, the internal temperature sensor was open circuit due to a crack on a connector on the PCB.

Spent ages headscratching before I bouht a combined 7 day timer/diagnostic unit from Ebay for about £50 if I remember properly. Knowing the fault code it was dead easy to find the PCB crack and fix the heater, I've had one or 2 fault codes since (usually low volts, nothing serious).

Anyway for me its an excellent addition to the Eberspacher installation, allowing lock outs to be reset etc. The other neat thing is it allows you to set the heater to come on half an hour before you want to get up on a cold winter morning....

Maybe something worth considering not just for this fault, but for any funnies that might happen in the future, and a lot cheaper than an Eberspacher dealer....

 

[mbay]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe something worth considering not just for this fault, but for any funnies that might happen in the future, and a lot cheaper than an Eberspacher dealer

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed The parts are very expensive, I'm lucky and have a mate that works at the local Scania truck dealers so he tests mine if plays up /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif