Heating - Ebasher not working - SEA OTTER

[R Dixon]

Ok can't spell Ebasher (sp) but need help.

 

The Ebasher heating is not working on the Sea Otter we have, come here again for advice. The heating turns on, smokes away then cuts out (hence the smoking)

 

I have bleeded the rads which didn't need bleeding, out comes the antifreeze, checked and topped up the antifreeze bottle, was low but not empty.

 

Have tried turning it on each time it smokes but doesn't work for longer than a minute, on last try rads got hot. Not sure what to do next, currently its turned off will try again in half an hour or so.

 

PLEASE HELP!!!

Its a WEBASTO not a ebacher

Edited February 22, 2008 by R Dixon

[NB Willawaw]

Is the engine running when you start up the Eberspacher ??

If not, try it with engine on and leave the engine running once the Eber has fired up.

 

The purpose of this is to remove the possibility of low battery volts.

[WJM]

Check the recirculation pump - if there is no flow in the system then the heater will run hot, overheat and trip out.

 

 

You didnt just pour neat antifreeze into the header tank did you? I cant remember the explanation but I have ben told that should never be done, you must premix it with water first. Something about the neat antifreeze settling in the system and blocking it, cant remember exactly.

Edited February 22, 2008 by WJM

[R Dixon]

Ok, will try with the engine on next time, We are currently on shorepower, connected and had run the engine for 15 minutes prior to the last startup.

 

No I didn't chuck pure antifreeze in, I mixed it as I went, so did a measure of AF to water.

 

What is the "recirculation pump"?

As it was put in by Sea Otter, I am unsure which part is which, just going to dig out them manual now (not that that will help!) is it the part that is going to come from the fuel tank?

 

Thanks guys for help so far.

[WJM]

Not every system will be the same but...

 

Mine has the heater which is connected to the C/H system. In oder to move the water through the heater and then on to the rads, there is a small electric pump that continuously moves the water. In my case, this pump is behind the fridge and has its own switch. You can hear it running when everything is quiet. If for any reason it does not run then the heater unit runs very hot and turns itself off.

[blackrose]

You say you're on shore power so do you have a 3 stage battery charger switched on constantly (or most of the time?) If so running the engine won't make any difference as your batteries will be charged (assuming you've been maintaining your batteries by topping them up every couple of months.)

 

Also be aware that after 10 non-starts the erber may shut itself down completely.

 

(You've got plenty of fuel in your tank haven't you?)

 

Edit: Does your erbaspacher control unit display fault diagnosis reference numbers? Mine doesn't so I bought an erbaspacher 7 day programmable unit off ebay for £50 which includes a diagnostic function. I see from your profile that you're in Hayes - is that Hayes Middx? This unit isn't wired up yet so you can borrow it from me if you want. I'm not far away.

Edited February 22, 2008 by blackrose

[R Dixon]

You say you're on shore power so do you have a 3 stage battery charger switched on constantly (or most of the time?) If so running the engine won't make any difference as your batteries will be charged (assuming you've been maintaining your batteries by topping them up every couple of months.)Also be aware that after 10 non-starts the erber may shut itself down completely.(You've got plenty of fuel in your tank haven't you?)

Yes have pleny of fuel - 3/4 of a tankAnd our charger is on andon stage 3.Thanks for the 10 times thing, reading the Sea Otter manual now. (this is only one of many issues we have had!!)EDIT - NOT A EBACHER ITS A WEBASTO!!! opps.

[blackrose]

Yes have pleny of fuel - 3/4 of a tankAnd our charger is on andon stage 3.Thanks for the 10 times thing, reading the Sea Otter manual now. (this is only one of many issues we have had!!)EDIT - NOT A EBACHER ITS A WEBASTO!!! opps.

 

Well in that case you're probably in luck as Webastos can be user serviced much more easily.

[WJM]

You have not accidentally switched the fuel supply off - there will probably be a tap in the engine bay near the tank and another one near the unit itself?

 

A bit obvious I know but that was the cause of a recent C/H 'failure' on mine!

[R Dixon]

No I don't think so, the heating gave up before I went into the engine compartment.

 

Just rung Sea Otter, they are getting back to me.

 

Will see what they say!

[norman18grp]

Sounds suspiciously like your glow plug is failing .

You are getting unburnt fuel in the exhaust and when it does start you get one hell of alot of smoke.

The only other possibility is an expensive one and thats a faulty control box .

[Patterdale]

Well in that case you're probably in luck as Webastos can be user serviced much more easily.

Hi, any chance of a bit more info there....?

 

Thanks.

[Dominic M]

Hi, any chance of a bit more info there....?

 

Thanks.

I don't know but I know a man who almost certainly does. His name is Phil Galvin and he is fantastic with these things. And he's a very nice genuine bloke. He lives on a boat at Crick (on the Northants/Leics/Warks border) - I don't know where you are. His number is 07768 028258 and if he doesn't know the answer I'd be very surprised.

 

And no, I'm not on commission!

 

Dominic

[Patterdale]

I don't know but I know a man who almost certainly does. His name is Phil Galvin and he is fantastic with these things. And he's a very nice genuine bloke. He lives on a boat at Crick (on the Northants/Leics/Warks border) - I don't know where you are. His number is 07768 028258 and if he doesn't know the answer I'd be very surprised.

 

And no, I'm not on commission!

 

Dominic

 

 

OK, mate. Thanks very much for that.

[Mr Jinks]

Ok can't spell Ebasher (sp) but need help.

 

The Ebasher heating is not working on the Sea Otter we have, come here again for advice. The heating turns on, smokes away then cuts out (hence the smoking)

 

I have bleeded the rads which didn't need bleeding, out comes the antifreeze, checked and topped up the antifreeze bottle, was low but not empty.

 

Have tried turning it on each time it smokes but doesn't work for longer than a minute, on last try rads got hot. Not sure what to do next, currently its turned off will try again in half an hour or so.

 

PLEASE HELP!!!

Its a WEBASTO not a ebacher

Hi,

 

We had this problem, the problem was air in the system,you will have to have the burner de-coked , we contacted Toby @ Keto marine in Poole, he is great for advise. It took us many hours of bleeding the system and re-topping the expansion tanks, each time it ran for a miniute longer before it shut down, you must make sure antifreeze it kept at the correct level. We were also advised that you shouldn't run the heater for longer than 45mins at a time, 45 on 10 off, as they are not designed to run longer as they can overheat and coke up.

Also you must bleed the system without the circulating pump on

 

Good luck

 

Wendy

 

Mr Jinks

[WJM]

What was the outcome?

[chris w]

We were also advised that you shouldn't run the heater for longer than 45mins at a time, 45 on 10 off, as they are not designed to run longer as they can overheat and coke up.

 

Wendy

 

Mr Jinks

 

If it's a Webasto, that's not correct. You can run them for hours and hours as they have their own automatic cycle.

 

The Webasto comes on at full power to heat the water up to 62C. It then switches to half power and continues to heat the water to 72C. At this point, it automatically switches off the burner and enters its "idle" phase where only the water pump runs and the water is allowed to cool back down to 62C at which point the Webasto fires up again on half power and heats the water back up to 72C...... and so on ad infinitum.

 

Chris

[R Dixon]

After the initial problem, we have lived at the moment without heating, only an electric heater on. We only stayed on the boat during the week.Basically Sea Otter have asked us to get it looked at and serviced. The heating is covered by warranty anyway, it came with 24months and we havent had the boat that long.Yes we do run the heating but as has been said it does turn itself off but we havent been told any different, ie turn it off etc.It wasnt until the heating broke did I realise that it needed antifreeze. It was never told to us on the hand over (so I am told, I was not there!)We did have a guy contact us on Monday evening and he was going to get the local engineer to contact us. Heard nothing, so tomorrow I am going to sort this out myself to arrange an engineer to come. Good job we have gas cooker and shorepower, electric heater and underblanket on the bed!Thanks for the advise, oh and we are in the West London area!Oh I bled the system without the pump on and it spat out the antifreeze mixture on all 3 heaters (we are a small boat). the "spare" supply tank was low when it went wrong but wasnt empty, so there was enough to go round

[Mr Jinks]

If it's a Webasto, that's not correct. You can run them for hours and hours as they have their own automatic cycle.The Webasto comes on at full power to heat the water up to 62C. It then switches to half power and continues to heat the water to 72C. At this point, it automatically switches off the burner and enters its "idle" phase where only the water pump runs and the water is allowed to cool back down to 62C at which point the Webasto fires up again on half power and heats the water back up to 72C...... and so on ad infinitum. Chris

Hi, Just quoting what we have been told, after we eventually got all of the air out of the system (it did take many hours !), with the header tank kept topped up, we have kept to the 45min on 10 min off, and have had no problems, we were told these heaters were initially designed for heating truck cabs. It works extremely well, we also control it by text, so we always have a warm boat to go to !Mr Jinks

What was the outcome?

Working well now, no problems Mr Jinks

[chris w]

Hi, Just quoting what we have been told.................

 

Well they told you wrong. The only stipulation Webasto make is to allow a complete cool down period (ie: switch OFF) once every 24 hours.

 

Chris

[blackrose]

Hi, any chance of a bit more info there....?

 

Thanks.

 

Sorry I haven't looked at this thread for a few days. I don't know because I have an erbaspacher which is not very user serviceable, but others with Webastos have told me they can service their heaters themselves. Your problem could be as simple as a sooted up glowplug.

Edited February 28, 2008 by blackrose

[R Dixon]

As an update, have an engineer/service guy coming out on Wednesday. Shame we can't turn wind power into heat, its windy over here!!!

[R Dixon]

Engineer turned up and we have heating again. Thanks to Tim for doing it. I am now on his list for servicing. He had to change some part that got sooted up with diesel carbon and was unable to clean it.

 

I am no heating serviceman so dont know exactly what it was but have the old one! (Give me a PC anyday and I'll be at home!!)

 

Thanks for your help.

 

If anyone needs a number for the Webasto engineer PM me and as its on my phone I'll pass it on.