Webasto Thermo Top C not starting?

[Canal321]

Hi all,
I'm on a new, to me, boat that has a webasto thermo top c fitted for heating the calorifier and radiators, problem is I can't get it started. I've never had one of these systems before so don't really know how it should work. 
It's got a Heatmiser timer that I've set for countdown mode, so it should just run the boiler for a set amount of time. 
I have removed the fuse to clear the lockout fault, I can get it to make some noise for a few minutes but then it shuts down. Nothing gets hot. 
I've read about low battery voltage, but I'm on shore power with the batteries fully charged. I have a full tank of diesel. The radiators are all full and the header tank is at the correct level. 
I have also read that the fuel dosing pump should tick but I'm not getting that, so that may be something. 
Please has anyone any advice on what i should be doing/checking to get it up and running. That would be great. Thankyou.  
 

[blackrose]

Lockout fault? Are you reading a fault code on the timer or something?

 

You say your batteries are fully charged so presumably you have a mains battery charger or combi switched on, but what is the battery voltage?

 

It could be as simple as a loose or dirty electrical connection somewhere.

Edited December 1 by blackrose

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, blackrose said:

You say your batteries are fully charged so presumably you have a mains battery charger or combi switched on, but what is the battery voltage?

Put your voltmeter across the terminals of the webasto. What voltage do you get? Push the button to start the webasto, with the meter wires still on the terminals. Now what voltage do you get while it is trying to start?

[Canal321]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

Lockout fault? Are you reading a fault code on the timer or something?

 

You say your batteries are fully charged so presumably you have a mains battery charger or combi switched on, but what is the battery voltage?

 

It could be as simple as a loose or dirty electrical connection somewhere.

Hi. 

The webasto locks out after 3 failed attempts to start and you have to remove the fuse to reset it. 

Yes, batteries are on Victron Multiplus charger/ inverter, plugged into mains.

Thanks. 

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Put your voltmeter across the terminals of the webasto. What voltage do you get? Push the button to start the webasto, with the meter wires still on the terminals. Now what voltage do you get while it is trying to start?

Hi, I have pulled the main plug off the webasto it was getting 13.8v. how would I measure the voltage once it's plugged back in as it's all sealed? Thanks. 

[matty40s]

Was the boat lying idle before you took it over??

The most probable fault is that the modern sticky diesel has stuck the fuel pump ball bearing( the clicking is it being shunted back and forth).

The only way to fix ( unless you are lucky and it frees itself) is to remove the pump, spray carb cleaner or similar down both ends, then use a blast or several of pressure down the wrong way and right way through. This should free the pump. 

You need to run the unit regularly(daily or a couple of times a week) even in Summer, to stop this happening again.

[Canal321]

31 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Was the boat lying idle before you took it over??

The most probable fault is that the modern sticky diesel has stuck the fuel pump ball bearing( the clicking is it being shunted back and forth).

The only way to fix ( unless you are lucky and it frees itself) is to remove the pump, spray carb cleaner or similar down both ends, then use a blast or several of pressure down the wrong way and right way through. This should free the pump. 

You need to run the unit regularly(daily or a couple of times a week) even in Summer, to stop this happening again.

Thanks, yes the boat had been empty for a few months. I will take the pump off tomorrow. 

[cuthound]

17 hours ago, matty40s said:

Was the boat lying idle before you took it over??

The most probable fault is that the modern sticky diesel has stuck the fuel pump ball bearing( the clicking is it being shunted back and forth).

The only way to fix ( unless you are lucky and it frees itself) is to remove the pump, spray carb cleaner or similar down both ends, then use a blast or several of pressure down the wrong way and right way through. This should free the pump. 

You need to run the unit regularly(daily or a couple of times a week) even in Summer, to stop this happening again.

 

Inspired by your post I started my Webasto today. It hasn't run since early June.

 

Much to my surprise it started first time.

 

I will start it a couple of times a week from now on.

[blackrose]

I think it's a good idea to run Webastos for an hour a couple of times over summer. If you leave them too long without starting it can't help.

 

I start my petrol generator and outboard occasionally for the same reason just to keep them maintained. 

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

I think it's a good idea to run Webastos for an hour a couple of times over summer. If you leave them too long without starting it can't help.

 

I start my petrol generator and outboard occasionally for the same reason just to keep them maintained. 

 

I agree, historically I have run the Webasto for about an hour a month, but since June this year, life has got in the way and I hadn't started it.

 

Matty's post reminded me that I hadn't run it for a while and got me worried about the "sticky fuel" causing starting issues.

[Canal321]

So today I had the dosing pump off. Carb cleaner down it, then did a bench test with it tapping a positive and negative lead on the connectors, with the end in a small pot of diesel. It shot fuel out fine. 

While I had it off I checked the fuel lines. Plenty of diesel coming through the filter to where the pump connects. Removed the pipe from side of webasto and blew that through, so that's clear. 

Put it back together and still no ticking of the pump. 

Then I wired the webasto positive and negative leads direct to a brand new battery incase that was the problem but it's exactly the same. 

It seems to me that the webasto is not telling the fuel pump to kick in somehow.

This topic by PhilP from 2007 is very similar. 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/10986-webasto-heating-problem/

I have also measured a steady 9.85 volts at the pump connection while the webasto is trying to start.