Webasto Smokin'

[Nine of Hearts]

My little Webasto gave up the ghost this morning. Didn't see it's first failed start as was in bed, but got whiffs of diesel even inside and half way down the boat. 2nd attempt when I was up and about produced some desultory ticking from the pump and plumes of white smoke from the exhaust. After which it switched itself off. (With no error lights that I could see - odd). I've done some digging on the forums and this looks likely to be a fuel problem, probably a blockage. I'm going to try disconnecting the pump to see if it squirts, but in the event that it doesn't, does any one have any tips on unblocking one of these chappies?

 

(PS: I've already checked my exhaust for root vegetables)

[Denis R]

From my experience, the fact that you've got clouds of white smoke coming out the exhaust suggests that the fuel is getting through. The fact that the fuel pump is ticking also indicates that the glow plug circuit is intact. At this point after two non-starts, the unit is probably flooded. In this situation I remove the fuel connection at the Webasto and place a catch pot to collect the fuel then start it again. Typically you'll find a plume of white smoke coming from the steel fuel pipe attached to the burner as well as from the exhaust. (This at least confirms that your fuel pipe is clear.) A finger over the end stops it... Generally it takes four or five starts to clear the burner to the point where there is no smoke. I then re-attach the fuel line and start 'for real'. If it doesn't start and goes through the plumes of smoke routine again, it's probably time for a de-coke, guide available on this forum...

Even if it does re-start and continue to do so, it's often an early symptom of coking.

Edited to add: Usual caveats about checking battery voltage apply - Webasto's play up if the batteries are low...

Edited November 3, 2010 by Denis R

[Pretty Funked Up]

Even if it does re-start and continue to do so, it's often an early symptom of coking.

Edited to add: Usual caveats about checking battery voltage apply - Webasto's play up if the batteries are low...

 

Yep and Yep.

Next time you try the start up have the engine running (cures low voltage)

Get the de coke done now while its still warm ish, hard doing it with cold stiff fingers.

[Nine of Hearts]

Yep and Yep.

Next time you try the start up have the engine running (cures low voltage)

Get the de coke done now while its still warm ish, hard doing it with cold stiff fingers.

 

Thanks, but I know fer sure it's not low voltage. I was hooked up to shore power at the time, the invereter/charger was on and the batteries had so much electricity in them it was leaking into the boat. Ok, the last bit's an exaggeration.

 

Looks like I'm on de-coking duty. And I don't know where my torx bits are, either.

[jenlyn]

My little Webasto gave up the ghost this morning. Didn't see it's first failed start as was in bed, but got whiffs of diesel even inside and half way down the boat. 2nd attempt when I was up and about produced some desultory ticking from the pump and plumes of white smoke from the exhaust. After which it switched itself off. (With no error lights that I could see - odd). I've done some digging on the forums and this looks likely to be a fuel problem, probably a blockage. I'm going to try disconnecting the pump to see if it squirts, but in the event that it doesn't, does any one have any tips on unblocking one of these chappies?

 

(PS: I've already checked my exhaust for root vegetables)

 

with mine, i frequently put redex diesel in the tank (stops the carbon build up, trust me, it works) secondly, i have found that if i dont bleed the radiators and make sure they are balanced correctly, the webasto will play silly beggers. I have found water in mine a couple of times in the past, so now i put an additive in the tank i get from halfords, it stops the water, again, i find this works.

[boots]

Hi,

 

if you think it might be a blockage, don't know if this will help?

 

- might be worth checking how much fuel is getting through - when we got our boat the Webasto refused to start - no error messages, - would go through the start-up sequence, lots of white smoke but refused to continue running (just shutting down at the end of the start-up sequence),

 

After a visit to Kings Lock chandlery (who were very helpful) who confirmed that the unit was OK - went back and checked the fuel flow - I removed the fuel pipe from the unit, and allowed it to flow into a small measuring cup and allowed the unit to go through the start up sequence - I collected about 4ml of fuel, where as the start-up sequence should dispense about 9.5ml.

 

Turned out I did have a blockage - and it has worked OK since.........

 

regards,

 

martin

[pearley]

When this happened to us I was advised to turn the fuel supply off then restart the Webasto until it shut down. Turn the fuel back on and restart it. It worked OK after that. Over fueling for some reason.

[Nine of Hearts]

Having had the opportunity to inspect it in daylight at last, turns out the diesel feed exits the tank at quite a high level. Obviously a safety precaution so that if the Webasto runs out, I then know I've only got 35 litres to get to the nearest diesel outlet (Where the **** did they think I'd be?) I remember it being higher than the engine feed, but not that bloody much! So I just need to fill up. Whoops.

[Nine of Hearts]

Filled up boat, but that wasn't it, alas. So down into engine hole with one less than the number of tools needed (as always) to fix. Turned out to be a blocked pipe which I cleared by the tried and tested expedient of blowing up it. Still took two goes to get it fired up, though (presumably first fail was due to pipe being empty after fannying about with the pump).

 

Whilst down there also noted that pump had been installed with usual rubber damped clamp, but that the clamp went around both pump AND the steel support. Clever. No wonder the ticking wasn't suppressed. So I packed before reassembly and it's now much quieter. Which perhaps isn't a good thing, because then I spent most of this morning in bed thinking ,"shit, has it cut out again?", because I could barely hear it.