[tiffy]

Aberspacer diesel fired heater, won`t fire-up, reading, understanding the error codes ?

A work colleague uses an Aberspacer diesel fired heater unit on his boat and this has gone faulty, won`t light-off and producing error codes on lock-out. I know that these units are now quite common on many motorhomes and I was wondering if anyone could help with location of information / diagnostics for the unit, lots of manuals on the Aberspacer site but nothing in enough depth to diagnose the problem.

I can find out the unit model number and a listing of the fault codes produced if anyone can help further.

Any assistance appreciated.

Tiffy

 

[karlb]

ask here eberspacher

 

[bognormike]

8O

isn't it supposed to be Eberspacher?

http://www.eberspacher.com/

 

[karlb]

8O

isn't it supposed to be Eberspacher?

http://www.eberspacher.com/

indeed it is ,but spelling it correctly still dosnt cure the problem :roll:

 

[bognormike]

8O

isn't it supposed to be Eberspacher?

http://www.eberspacher.com/

indeed it is ,but spelling it correctly still dosnt cure the problem :roll:

maybe not, but it would make any internet searches a bit more relevant!! :roll: :lol:

 

[Patrick_Phillips]

They are also sold under the brand name "Webasto"
See http://motorhome.webasto.co.uk/uploads/media/AirTop_RV_productsheet_en_05.pdf

We have one but have limited understanding of it - very good when we have managed to set it right :lol: but otherwise ask almost any HGV driver for advice...
Patrick

 

[buttons]

Possibly not related but had problems with mine recently. It wouldn't fire up on battery power alone. The start sequence needs plenty of power for the igniter. My fault was a corroded earth shunt but low battery charge can have the same effect.

 

[bognormike]

For the sake of anybody searching on here (and of course linked into Google), I've changed the spelling in the title to Eberspacher. 8)

 

[Zozzer]

Possibly not related but had problems with mine recently. It wouldn't fire up on battery power alone. The start sequence needs plenty of power for the igniter. My fault was a corroded earth shunt but low battery charge can have the same effect.

I agree, this happened to me. Changed the battery and the heater fired up without a problem. So check your battery.

 

[TR5]

Eberspacher UK are based in Ringwood, Hampshire.

If you phone them and speak to Jon Jennings I am sure they will help and advise.
Most problems are caused by low power, either the battery or charger being faulty and not holding a good charge, or the wiring from the battery to the heater being too small (a common Autocruise problem around 2004-2007), or poor connections between.

 

[tiffy]

Many thanks to all for support, lots of very useful information.

Apologies for the spelling, was working from memory, thanks to bognormike for the title correction.

Can`t try any testing as yet as we are both at work location until 10/06 but keenly following all the leads.

Tiffy

 

[106559]

The most common problem is simply fluff collecting on the air intake grille. Nice easy fix. Hope that's all that's wrong with yours.

 

[skiboycey]

I've got one of these that I've used intensively in my self build van in the Alps for the last few years. Here's the problems that you can easily fix.

Fluff in the intake grille. This will cause the unit to overheat and then it will shut itself down for an hour or so, usually refusing even to respond to controls. Cleaning the fluff out cures it, usually every few weeks is enough.

Running out of diesel. If the van is low on fuel the intake pipe sometimes is not in fuel at the bottom of the tank even though the engine will run and the unit often lights but then flames out after a few seconds due to insufficient pressure.

White smoke and failure to start up. This can be the glow pin. They are supposed to be replaced every couple of years. You get a kit with the glow pin and the ignition screen in a box. You also need a special socket for a about £6 to change it. When you take the old ignition screen out you'll destroy it so make sure you have another with the new glow pin before you start.

Flame outs and general problems with lighting especially long streams of white smoke from the exhaust before it lights up. If changing the glow pin doesn't work or you're getting general error codes then it probably needs de-coking. You have to take the unit apart but it's very easy and you only need a decent Torx bit for your socket set. Takes about ten minutes. You'll need the central gasket as this will fall apart when you separate the combustion chamber from the blower. Once it's apart you can put a new burner tube in (about £115) along with glow pin and ignition screen or you can just get a big blow torch and heat the whole lot to cherry red and bang it with a plastic mallet to dislodge the carbon. This smokes a lot and takes ages to do. You can try caustic soda as well coupled with scraping what you can see by peering down the combustion tube. You can grind the three rivets off the back of the combustion tube to get better access then peen them over to replace the stainless steel cover once you're done. There's a gauze screen inside the combustion tube which gets coated in a white deposit that looks a bit like scale in a kettle. It's this that slowly creeps across the gauze till there's not enough surface left to sustain combustion (anyone got any idea what it is?!). It's a bugger to get off, rather like trying to get set plaster out of a tea strainer. It's all quite obvious once it's apart. The tech guy I spoke to at Hall's Electrical (who also stock all spares) said they last about '3 to 4 years' before needing a de-coke or combustion tube replacement in moderate use.

Low voltage won't help things along as they need 100 amps to start and although the battery is looking good there may not be enough to get the glow pin going.

If you get two lighting failures then disconnect the battery before trying again as on some models the third try locks it out. On others I think it's ten tries. Either way it's a pain if it locks itself but I think this was mainly older units.

Having said all this mine's been fantastic till I started having a few problems with it coking up and that was easily solved once I got stuck in and took it apart. It's kept me happily warm with -20 outside the van and is very economical. The electicals are very solid with them so if there is a problem it's normally a de-coke/fluff/glow pin type of thing which needs doing.

Hope this helps, Mark

 

[buttons]

I've got one of these that I've used intensively in my self build van in the Alps for the last few years. Here's the problems that you can easily fix.

Fluff in the intake grille. This will cause the unit to overheat and then it will shut itself down for an hour or so, usually refusing even to respond to controls. Cleaning the fluff out cures it, usually every few weeks is enough.

Running out of diesel. If the van is low on fuel the intake pipe sometimes is not in fuel at the bottom of the tank even though the engine will run and the unit often lights but then flames out after a few seconds due to insufficient pressure.

White smoke and failure to start up. This can be the glow pin. They are supposed to be replaced every couple of years. You get a kit with the glow pin and the ignition screen in a box. You also need a special socket for a about £6 to change it. When you take the old ignition screen out you'll destroy it so make sure you have another with the new glow pin before you start.

Flame outs and general problems with lighting especially long streams of white smoke from the exhaust before it lights up. If changing the glow pin doesn't work or you're getting general error codes then it probably needs de-coking. You have to take the unit apart but it's very easy and you only need a decent Torx bit for your socket set. Takes about ten minutes. You'll need the central gasket as this will fall apart when you separate the combustion chamber from the blower. Once it's apart you can put a new burner tube in (about £115) along with glow pin and ignition screen or you can just get a big blow torch and heat the whole lot to cherry red and bang it with a plastic mallet to dislodge the carbon. This smokes a lot and takes ages to do. You can try caustic soda as well coupled with scraping what you can see by peering down the combustion tube. You can grind the three rivets off the back of the combustion tube to get better access then peen them over to replace the stainless steel cover once you're done. There's a gauze screen inside the combustion tube which gets coated in a white deposit that looks a bit like scale in a kettle. It's this that slowly creeps across the gauze till there's not enough surface left to sustain combustion (anyone got any idea what it is?!). It's a bugger to get off, rather like trying to get set plaster out of a tea strainer. It's all quite obvious once it's apart. The tech guy I spoke to at Hall's Electrical (who also stock all spares) said they last about '3 to 4 years' before needing a de-coke or combustion tube replacement in moderate use.

Low voltage won't help things along as they need 100 amps to start and although the battery is looking good there may not be enough to get the glow pin going.

If you get two lighting failures then disconnect the battery before trying again as on some models the third try locks it out. On others I think it's ten tries. Either way it's a pain if it locks itself but I think this was mainly older units.

Having said all this mine's been fantastic till I started having a few problems with it coking up and that was easily solved once I got stuck in and took it apart. It's kept me happily warm with -20 outside the van and is very economical. The electicals are very solid with them so if there is a problem it's normally a de-coke/fluff/glow pin type of thing which needs doing.

Hope this helps, Mark

Thanks Mark I will keep this for future ref.

 

[tiffy]

Again,

Many thanks to all who offered support and advice.
Have passed all the information on to my friend and will post his findings when I get some feedback.

Tiffy

 

[tiffy]

Again,

Many thanks to all who offered support and advice.
Have passed all the information on to my friend and will post his findings when I get some feedback.

Tiffy