Webasto Airtop 3500 Fuel Pump advise pls

[moonshine]

My heater fuel pump seems to be sick and does not 'tick'.

I almost had heart failure at the price in UK of a replacement £200++. Looking on eBay I came across this website, £65

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEBASTO-A...?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item19d3c6d862 inc p&p.


Has anyone bought from them ?

The picture on the website shows the same pump as I have fitted, whereas the UK suppliers seem to show a different external shape pump (revised design ?).

Your advise please !

A

 

[David2452]

Just what you need, assuming you have a petrol heater that is!!!
Look at the part # never mind the appearence.

I particularly like their Webo TTC mount bracket at over double list price, among othrer anomilies and non standard products.

Are you sure its the pump BTW, have you flashed 12v cross the terminals, if it doesnt tick then give it a good whack as you have nothing to lose, they sometimes do stick, a bit like giving an old car starter solenoid a sharp rap, after all that's what is is anyway.

 

[thalassa]

My heater fuel pump seems to be sick and does not 'tick'.
A

Have you tested the pump if it's really dead? Disconnect the pump, and test the pump poles with small 12 V battery (as from a motorcycle or electric screwdriver). The pump has no polarity, but connect one wire and then BRIEFLY touch the other connector with the remaining lead. You should hear a click each time you touch the connector. Also check the little filter in the fuel line. A dead burner will also prevent the pump starting. Even more expensive.

 

[David2452]

Have you tested the pump if it's really dead? Disconnect the pump, and test the pump poles with small 12 V battery (as from a motorcycle or electric screwdriver). The pump has no polarity, but connect one wire and then BRIEFLY touch the other connector with the remaining lead. You should hear a click each time you touch the connector. Also check the little filter in the fuel line. A dead burner will also prevent the pump starting. Even more expensive.

You are misinformed on both counts, firstly a burner fault, i.e coked or clogged would not prevent the pump pulsing on an AT heater, secondly list price for a burner including glowpin is £177.64 + VAT (a bit more with gaskets) and a pump is £243.54 + VAT so quite a bit cheaper than a pump.

 

[jdc]

Seems expensive

...) and a pump is £243.54 + VAT...

I don't doubt you - you're professionally involved - but why is the fuel pump so expensive do you know? The fuel lift pump for my Mikuni cost ~1/10th of this price. Is there something special about the Webasto pump?

 

[thalassa]

You are misinformed on both counts, firstly a burner fault, i.e coked or clogged would not prevent the pump pulsing on an AT heater, secondly list price for a burner including glowpin is £177.64 + VAT (a bit more with gaskets) and a pump is £243.54 + VAT so quite a bit cheaper than a pump.

You are right about the price of the parts, but when my 3500 was not pumping, I tested the pump, very easy to do, and it was OK. Replacing it would have been a DIY job for amateur, so just the cost of the part would have been involved. I took the 3500 to the service center, because it seemed to me I wasn't really qualified to service and test it properly, and it would very probably need new gaskets too. In any case, I was charged for replacing the burner (not for a glowplug) + labour. The VAT was got lost somewhere in the process, but it added up to about 330 €.
I just wanted to prevent the OP buying a new part when the old part was still OK.

 

[David2452]

You are right about the price of the parts, but when my 3500 was not pumping, I tested the pump, very easy to do, and it was OK. Replacing it would have been a DIY job for amateur, so just the cost of the part would have been involved. I took the 3500 to the service center, because it seemed to me I wasn't really qualified to service and test it properly, and it would very probably need new gaskets too. In any case, I was charged for replacing the burner (not for a glowplug) + labour. The VAT was got lost somewhere in the process, but it added up to about 330 €.
I just wanted to prevent the OP buying a new part when the old part was still OK.

I could change a burner without glowpin and give the AT a little bit of a decoke (not full service clean) for about the price of a pump, and that is as an appointed Webo dealer so even with actually doing the job there is still little in it, BTW 330 Euro is about £270, still cheaper than a pump.

 

[David2452]

I don't doubt you - you're professionally involved - but why is the fuel pump so expensive do you know? The fuel lift pump for my Mikuni cost ~1/10th of this price. Is there something special about the Webasto pump?

I am a Mikuni, Webo & Wallas dealer so have the price lists here in front of me, a Mikuni list price for say an MY30 pump is certainly not 1/10th of a Webo one i.e. £24 but they are cheaper at about 2/3rds of a Webo / Ebo / Wallas one, as for why, I suspect that as the Mikuni one (and the rest of the heater for that matter) hasn't changed in many years that all costs other than actual production have been absorbed years ago. I say suspect as truth to tell, I really don't know. Of course all these parts are available cheaper from other sources, some genuine some not but if you want stuff now to get the heater running then the stocking costs and wholesale buying price means the price is the price. I could (I don't) buy stuff much cheaper elsewhere than I do direct but if we all did that then eventually I guess there would be do proper factory trained and supported dealers left in UK, no warranty support etc. etc.

 

[Steve Clayton]

No one appears to have asked the obvious question:

What's the error flash code??

It may be a blocked fuel filter; you can't service or see if it is blocked without destroying it. To replace with a webby filter it is about £25; or £3 from Halfords

 

[pcatterall]

Blooming ek!! ..... just test the pump as recommended. If it is the pump you can get one on ebay although, as stated, you must check the part number. I must have tested 100s of heaters over the years, pump failure is one of the rarer issues.

 

[David2452]

Blooming ek!! ..... just test the pump as recommended. If it is the pump you can get one on ebay although, as stated, you must check the part number. I must have tested 100s of heaters over the years, pump failure is one of the rarer issues.

Well I did start out with that simple advice Pete, but as usual it always winds up with why is this stuff so dear........