Eberspacher - lots of white smoke!

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Moodyman

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I've had a look at previous posts to see if there was anything related to my problem but drew a blank.

My Eberspacher DL5 struggles to fire up when first swithced on - a very definite rumbling noise as it attempts to do so. Sometimes it does on the secong or third attempt - tries 3 times before shutting down automatically if no success. During this time a lot of white smoke comes from the exhaust - and I mean a lot!. If it does fire up then the smoke disappears as it warms up and it works OK. It has not been serviced for some time, mainly because I can't find a reliable engineer. Any advice appreciated and/or name of a recommended (and reliable) engineer who could help. Boat is berthed in Chichester Harbour.
 
Try Kruger's

Moodyman said:
I've had a look at previous posts to see if there was anything related to my problem but drew a blank.

My Eberspacher DL5 struggles to fire up when first swithced on - a very definite rumbling noise as it attempts to do so. Sometimes it does on the secong or third attempt - tries 3 times before shutting down automatically if no success. During this time a lot of white smoke comes from the exhaust - and I mean a lot!. If it does fire up then the smoke disappears as it warms up and it works OK. It has not been serviced for some time, mainly because I can't find a reliable engineer. Any advice appreciated and/or name of a recommended (and reliable) engineer who could help. Boat is berthed in Chichester Harbour.
Click to expand...

Kreuger's-www.kruger.co.uk- we have found their people very helpful, and one of their engineers, Richard, has been very helpful at diagnosing faults and suggesting remedies to keep heater going til we get home again.
It sounds as tho it might be your controller unit by the heater- we had a similar problem 2 seasons ago.

No connexion, just a happy customer.

pm sent
 
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Moodyman said:
I've had a look at previous posts to see if there was anything related to my problem but drew a blank.

My Eberspacher DL5 struggles to fire up when first swithced on - a very definite rumbling noise as it attempts to do so. Sometimes it does on the secong or third attempt - tries 3 times before shutting down automatically if no success. During this time a lot of white smoke comes from the exhaust - and I mean a lot!. If it does fire up then the smoke disappears as it warms up and it works OK. It has not been serviced for some time, mainly because I can't find a reliable engineer. Any advice appreciated and/or name of a recommended (and reliable) engineer who could help. Boat is berthed in Chichester Harbour.
Click to expand...
Probably the gauze in the combustion chamber is dirty/frazzled/, Classical symptom, lots of white smoke until it warms up.
Stu
 
As Stu says.. a coked up gauze causing insufficient burning.. topped up with a combustion chamber that is carboned up as well... A clean of the chamber, new gauze and glow plug (unless it's a glow pin then stay with with one that's in) and you should be back working again. When it is put back together a couple of new gaskets are required (at a couple of pounds each).

Oh - and change the fuel filter at the same time...

Edit - I should have read your post. You wanted details of someone who can do it. Sorry - but one option is to take your unit out yourself and and next time you pass Kreuger (in the New Forest) drop it off and they will service/decoke it for you.
 
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Martin_J said:
As Stu says.. a coked up gauze causing insufficient burning.. topped up with a combustion chamber that is carboned up as well... A clean of the chamber, new gauze and glow plug (unless it's a glow pin then stay with with one that's in) and you should be back working again. When it is put back together a couple of new gaskets are required (at a couple of pounds each).

Oh - and change the fuel filter at the same time...

Edit - I should have read your post. You wanted details of someone who can do it. Sorry - but one option is to take your unit out yourself and and next time you pass Kreuger (in the New Forest) drop it off and they will service/decoke it for you.
Click to expand...

They've got a base in Pompey area too, and will do 'shared site visits' if you don't mind waiting til there are other jobs in your area. Check out the website.
 
Mine failed in the same way with clouds of white smoke and even when it did fire up the exhaust was very sooty. It eventually failed to start at all. Krueger wrongly diagnosed the problem as a 'faulty computer'. Because they were so expensive I decided to not have it repaired. They attempted to charge me for a service but it was obvious it had not been stripped down. No payment was made.

I took the heater to a truck repair dealer in Guilford who confirmed that the computer was fine and that the heater had never been taken apart. The found the heat exchanger to be very coked up; though they cleaned it they couldn't guarantee it would be perfect. I opted to have a new heat exchanger as I couldn't be bothered to refit it only to find it wasn't 100%. Since refitting it's worked flawlessly.

I've since spoken to an Engineer in Chichester Marina, who services Eberspachers. He tells me he has good results by cleaning the exchangers using a combination of a sand blaster with custom made nozzles followed by a soak in an ultrasonic tank. I'm going to have him clean my old exchanger so I've a spare available when I next service the heater.

I think I've got the Engineers number at work, let me know if you want his details.
 
It is for all the reasons above, and more, that I am in the process of replacing my Eber with a simple, reliable, more efficient and bullet-proof Refleks diesel stove.
 
I had problems starting the Eber. I found that running on white diesel with a bit of injector cleaner improved things dramatically. I read up a bit on the Eberspaechers and it seems they're not supposed to run on red diesel. The manual could be renamed 101 reasons why your heater won't start.

I'd certainly be inclined to fit another brand next time. I liked the look of the Wallis heaters although so far I have no practical experience of them.
 
Martin_J said:
As Stu says.. a coked up gauze causing insufficient burning.. topped up with a combustion chamber that is carboned up as well... A clean of the chamber, new gauze and glow plug (unless it's a glow pin then stay with with one that's in) and you should be back working again. When it is put back together a couple of new gaskets are required (at a couple of pounds each).

Oh - and change the fuel filter at the same time...
Click to expand...

Agree on this fully. Had the same problem, not a difficult DIY job if you remove the heater and do it on the bench. Got the gauze and gaskets from a local supplier, who also supplied the special split socket to remove the glow pin. Approx £40 for all the bits (without glow pin or plug) and running perfectly ever since.

Ebers get a bad press here but just use it regularly and decoke it when it gets smokey- no problems!
 
dt4134 said:
I had problems starting the Eber. I found that running on white diesel with a bit of injector cleaner improved things dramatically. I read up a bit on the Eberspaechers and it seems they're not supposed to run on red diesel. The manual could be renamed 101 reasons why your heater won't start.

I'd certainly be inclined to fit another brand next time. I liked the look of the Wallis heaters although so far I have no practical experience of them.
Click to expand...

Prior to having the heat exchanger replaced it had worked well. It had been running in excess of 2200 hours according to the controller. Not too bad considering it's always been run on red and never had a service.

Providing it keeps performing I'll leave it alone till it's clocked up another 1500 hours and then service it.

My previous boat also had a smaller Eberspacher which worked perfectly over four seasons with only one service the year before we sold it. I'm still in contact with the new owner and it's still working fine after another three years.

So my experience of them is good and I'd fit another one as and when we upgrade boats.
 
heaters

I am based at Chichester marina, I had my heater serviced by Kruger, based in Portsmouth. They do two types of service, general clean and adjustment etc on the boat or a full dismamtle, de-coke new seals back at their workshop. since my is some 15 years old I has the full works, cost a fair wack but hopefully will be ok for years.
 
Cleaning

Whats the best way of cleaning the heater exchanger and combustion chamber?
Its seems the proffesssionals have a grit blaster.
Is there a fluid that will de-carbonise it?
 
Andrew_Fanner said:
ISTR some folk have suggested running it on paraffin for half an hour or so, it burns hotter and burns off the carbon deposits.
Click to expand...
Paraffin is a lighter oil than red diesel so it doesnt burn "hotter" The heavier the oil, the more carbon there is in it, therefore more bang for your buck!
Stu
 
Andrew_Fanner said:
ISTR some folk have suggested running it on paraffin for half an hour or so, it burns hotter and burns off the carbon deposits.
Click to expand...
WD40 will loosen the sot. when you start the thing up again, you will get a very gratifying machine gun noise and even more smoke, then it will settle down fine
 
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