Webasto failed to start

[blackrose]

2 years after installing a reconditioned eBay Webasto and using it daily for a few hours over winter it's now failed to start this morning. Well it started but shut itself down almost immediately and there's a smell of unburned diesel exhaust fumes. I ran it last night for a couple of hours and thought it was a bit odd when I switched it off and it didn't seem to go through its full cool down cycle and shut itself down prematurely.

 

After using it for 2 years as a liveaboard I was expecting to have to service it this summer so it's fine, but any tips on what's happened here would be appreciated. Voltage was about 12.7v when it shut itself down this morning.

Edited April 6, 2023 by blackrose

[Tracy D'arth]

First, as always, check the state of charge of the batteries. Check the voltage at the Wabby as it starts.

[blackrose]

Ok, I don't think it's a voltage issue. I just put the battery charger on and started the Webasto again and the same thing happened even with 13.8v going into the batteries.

[David Mack]

Was that voltage measured at the battery or at the webasto during startup?

[Dinz]

Are you getting any warning light flashes?

https://www.jpcdirect.com/webasto-heater-fault-codes-a-guide/#:~:text=If your heater has a,heater has experienced a fault.

[nb Innisfree]

You might have some iffy fuel, try it with white diesel just to eliminate that, until ultra low sulpher diesel was introduced (2007?) it was a common prob. 

[matty40s]

Need more info, which Webasto, which controller etc? You should have got it to break down at the weekend, I could have plugged our diagnostic thing in.

Edited April 6, 2023 by matty40s

[blackrose]

3 hours ago, David Mack said:

Was that voltage measured at the battery or at the webasto during startup?

 

Battery

3 hours ago, Dinz said:

Are you getting any warning light flashes?

https://www.jpcdirect.com/webasto-heater-fault-codes-a-guide/#:~:text=If your heater has a,heater has experienced a fault.

 

No I only have a generic programmer which I use to manually start the heater. I'm not getting any flashes.

2 hours ago, nb Innisfree said:

You might have some iffy fuel, try it with white diesel just to eliminate that, until ultra low sulpher diesel was introduced (2007?) it was a common prob. 

 

Ok. I'll probably just change the heater over this weekend as I have a spare for just this sort of eventuality. Then I'll have a look at the faulty heater.

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Need more info, which Webasto, which controller etc? You should have got it to break down at the weekend, I could have plugged our diagnostic thing in.

 

Thermotop C 5kw water heater with a Sinotimer controller. It's not the proper controller but was working fine for 2 years.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

Battery

Worth checking at the webasto in case a fuse, switch or connection in the wiring has gone high resistance.

[Mad Harold]

Had a cheapie Chinese heater and had the same symptoms . ie starting and immediately shutting down.

The cause was water in the exhaust from a leaky lock.

Worth checking?

[Naughty Cal]

When our Webasto did similar it was the fan unit that had failed.

[blackrose]

8 hours ago, David Mack said:

Worth checking at the webasto in case a fuse, switch or connection in the wiring has gone high resistance.

 

Ok I'll do it tomorrow. Thanks

5 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

Had a cheapie Chinese heater and had the same symptoms . ie starting and immediately shutting down.

The cause was water in the exhaust from a leaky lock.

Worth checking?

 

I doubt it's that. I haven't moved in weeks. The exhaust faces downwards at the skin fitting so it can't be rain in the exhaust.

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

When our Webasto did similar it was the fan unit that had failed.

 

Well if the voltage at the heater is the same as the battery when I check it tomorrow the plan is to take off and replace it with a spare I have. I'll fix/service this one on a bench then I've always got a working spare.

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

When our Webasto did similar it was the fan unit that had failed.

I almost posted the same yesterday, but didnt as there was no clue to model. It could well be the blower motor, if everything starts overheating quickly, it shuts down pronto, and that's the same for eberbastard and Mikuni.

[Dinz]

Wet or Air?

If wet could be air in water pump.

This causes swift temp rise that trips on overheat.

I have a generic timer so wired an led across start switch. This gives me the fault code lights.

[blackrose]

I'm checking the voltage at this connector and I'm only getting 2v? I don't really understand it.

 

Is that the correct place to check voltage coming into the Webasto?

 

 

As I don't have the Webasto I'm actually using my panels to run my mains immersion heater today! First time I've tried it.

 

I've got about 40 - 50 amps coming into the batteries and 30 - 40 amps being drawn, so around 80 amps in total which makes sense as it's a 1kW immersion. It's been on for about 40 mins and the batteries have dropped from 100% this morning on my Smartgauge to 84% now. I'll switch the immersion off in another 20 mins. 

 

I'm not running much else today and thought it would be shame to waste this glorious sunshine!

Edited April 7, 2023 by blackrose

[blackrose]

Saw-id! 🙂

 

It turned out to be a dodgy fuse holder near the batteries that the builder installed years ago when they fitted the original Eberspacher. When I replaced it and fitted the Webasto a couple of years ago I spliced into the same 12v cables and left that fuse & holder in place. Anyway I did a few continuity tests this afternoon in various places and discovered it was faulty. Replaced and all good now - thanks for the advice.