Eberspatcher D2 service costs or DIY?

W

wipe_out

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Feb 2013
Messages
1,399
Location
Bournemouth
Visit site
In the spring our heater stopped working.. It came with the boat so I have no idea when (if ever) it was last serviced.. I want to get it working again before it starts getting chilly.. What do these units cost to service and does anyone in Poole/Bournemouth service them? Alternatively is it possible to get the service items and any special tools easily to service it myself?
 
When I investigated the cost of having my ancient D3 serviced a year or so ago I received and estimate of over £200 (can't remember exact figure). That's more than the cost of an unbranded Chinese cheapie replacement, or a significant contribution to a branded and CE marked Russian replacement. As my heater is still working, and I don't have the time or patience to service it myself, it's remained unserviced.
 
wipe_out said:
In the spring our heater stopped working.. It came with the boat so I have no idea when (if ever) it was last serviced.. I want to get it working again before it starts getting chilly.. What do these units cost to service and does anyone in Poole/Bournemouth service them? Alternatively is it possible to get the service items and any special tools easily to service it myself?
Click to expand...

They're easy enough to take apart and rebuild. However, you need to diagnose exactly why yours stopped working. The "Fault Codes" troubleshooting manual may help, you can download it from the excellent Butler Technik website. If you can't diagnose the fault, taking it to an Eberspacher service agent may be a good idea, and you might consider choosing a truck diesel company rather than a marine company, as pricing might be a bit more appealing. Dealer list here - https://www.eberspacher.com/dealers/dealer-listings/heating-dealers.html
 
Good bit of advice I got from this forum re my D3L was to run it occasionally at full blast on good quality paraffin,
this evidently gets it very hot and burns of the diesely deposits.
Never had to service mine in 20 years.

Plank
 
Try DIY.
Has it just simply stopped or did it get worse and worse and then gave up?
If the former you need to look for a fault if the later then probably a decoke but check all wiring first as that can fail gradually over time.
Check power AT HEATER under start load.
 
Unless you can service it yourself (quite easy and cheap as long as new components are not required), just bin that thing and buy one of the chink copies. I've done it 3 years ago replacing 2 of my Ebers for half of the cost of servicing one (needed a new ECU). Never looked back. Both work spotlessly and efficiently and I have no worries about servicing if something should go wrong. I would just buy a new one... Just one gripe: the instruction manuals are the worst pieces of literature ever produced - just after the Holy Bible - and you need some time to get thru them. But with a bit of help from U-tube this can be sorted out easily.
 
Junk it ?

If its going to cost you more than £150.00 to service might simply be worth junking it.
If previous personal and annecdotal experience is anything to go by, suspect it will cost you more than that in bits, let alone labour.
Worth remembering you will be spending £150.00 on some old kit with the likelyhood of something else failing soon after .............ad infinitum .
A new unit will usually ,with few minor mods , slot into your old system with ease.
My only real grief was running electrical wiring through boat for new temp control unit in cabin down to heater.
 
Last edited:
Re: Junk it ?

Thanks for all the good information.. Might start with the electrical connections followed by taking it apart to see if the issue is obvious and then move onto either replacement parts or a replacement unit..
 
Re: Junk it ?

When these heaters stop it’s usually one of three things: poor 12v supply, poor diesel supply or the glow plug screen sooting up.
 
Re: Junk it ?

Have always found primary failing seems to be as per John-morris says - if you are ok with power ( on shore power?) then fuel would be likely -on ours a small pump with a filter which might be worth checking ie is it drawing fuel? You could if all else fails take unit out and ask for it to be bench tested by suitable installer. They might just tell you its the expensive control unit in which case solutions above re alternate makes might be tempting.
 
Re: Junk it ?

red deisel is a problem as it seems to choke everything up. If you get it started use parrafin i also cleaned mine out by using parrafin which i think should be done once a year easy to do. Also get an in line filter for the fuel.
 
Paraffin is now sold as Kerosene or 28 (Redwood) second heating oil, as opposed to red diesel which is 35 Redwood second heating oil. I run my Chinaspacher on kerosene. So far it hasn't missed a beat. The complete install including ducting et al was less than £250. I think that barely pays for a new glow plug for an Eberspacher - I expect the German rip off merchants will be toast within a year or two.
 
superheat6k said:
Paraffin is now sold as Kerosene or 28 (Redwood) second heating oil, as opposed to red diesel which is 35 Redwood second heating oil. I run my Chinaspacher on kerosene. So far it hasn't missed a beat. The complete install including ducting et al was less than £250. I think that barely pays for a new glow plug for an Eberspacher - I expect the German rip off merchants will be toast within a year or two.
Click to expand...

A touch of hyperbole?

An Eberspacher D4 glow plug is about £14

Life is full of choices but at least be accurate in describing the options. available. I was annoyed at having to replace the ecu on our Eber but since then it’s given over ten years of fault free reliable service.
 
john_morris_uk said:
A touch of hyperbole?

An Eberspacher D4 glow plug is about £14

Life is full of choices but at least be accurate in describing the options. available. I was annoyed at having to replace the ecu on our Eber but since then it’s given over ten years of fault free reliable service.
Click to expand...
Er ... that will be the Chinese copy then and likely not the OEM supplied item, although yes I did mis-suggest the price - an apparent OE glow plug on Ebay is £44, compared with a complete new Chinese heater is £123. A pattern glow plug is indeed £14, although the place of origin is less clear.

But then a compliment to the copy versions when the copy part is reported as the real thing.

That the Germans were ripping everyone off with price fixing was proven in the EU Courts, not just my innuendo ...

https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5214_en.htm
 
Last edited:
Re: Junk it ?

wipe_out said:
Thanks for all the good information.. Might start with the electrical connections followed by taking it apart to see if the issue is obvious and then move onto either replacement parts or a replacement unit..
Click to expand...

Light corrosion in power connections is a major culprit with diesel heaters. They require substantial amperage to start properly - and if the amps can't get through due to dirty contacts =unreliable or no starting at all..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top