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Eberspacher Failing in New and Exciting Way

Patrick_C

By Patrick_C
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Patrick_C Engager

Patrick_C

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Hello

 

Just when i thought I'd got our Eberspacher D4 Hydronic sorted out ... something new, which I have not seen discussed elsewhere (apart from maybe in a section of the Murkin Bros' site under 'Weird Faults'.

 

Ebbie had failed a few times so took it to bits and found it was in a bit of a state - badly coked, gaskets falling to bits, glow-pin screen coked and blocked. Sorted all of these out.

 

Still not happy on restart and showing a code 052 so replaced (rather than just cleaning) the fuel intake filter and made sure no gunk in the fuel intake pipework.

 

Now it starts up, runs for about 25-30 minutes, though not sounding 100% happy - labouring a bit. Then smokes, makes a booming/honking sound which causes a bit of vibration, and cuts out. Error code 030 which is: "Fan impeller of combustion air fan motor blocked (frozen, dirty, stiff, lead chafes at end of shaft …)".

 

There doesn't appear to be any blockage or damage to the fan, and I am puzzled as to why it runs for the length of time it does before conking out. Any experience of this or similar problems? I've learned that error codes tend to report only the last in a sequence of things going wrong (!) so trying to understand what root cause of this might be ... wiring/connections to the impeller motor?

 

Any thoughts? Before I go and buy a whole new impeller unit which I might not actually need?

 

Patrick

 

 

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Patrick_C Engager

Patrick_C

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Update: took the eberspacher to pieces *again* and had a good look at the fan. Manual says clearance should be 0.3mm so had a poke with a feeler gauge and the clearance was less - also lots of sooty gubbins in there (maybe soot escaping from the blown gasket into the area where the fan lives - it was pretty dirty when I replaced the gaskets and you could see where stuff had escaped).

 

So I used a fine brush (and the feeler gauge) to scrape this out. Ran 8V through the motor (as manual recommends) and sounded much better - less grindey. Then tried measuring the speed with Android app ('Strobe Tachometer') which gave a value of 4000rpm+. This may not be accurate (proper non-contact tachometer ordered).

 

Reassembled the whole lot (which I could now do with my eyes closed, I think), refitted, fired up and sounding better - has now run for an hour without labouring, honking or moaning sounds. I still think I'm going to get a fan/motor unit in (£120 eek) as well as the tool you need to disconnect the old one (£35 eek twice) as I don't know if the motor itself has taken a bit of a bashing but .... right now, the rain is starting but it's toasty on board :D (touch wood).

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Sea Dog Veteran II

Sea DogDonate to Canal World

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.... right now, the rain is starting but it's toasty on board :D (touch wood).

Interesting read for those of us with Ebers and crossed fingers! Thanks for the update Patrick.

 

Glad to hear you're now toasty but, of course, you would have been all along if you also had a stove and had been burning the wood instead of just touching it! ;)

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Patrick_C Engager

Patrick_C

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Interesting read for those of us with Ebers and crossed fingers! Thanks for the update Patrick.

 

Glad to hear you're now toasty but, of course, you would have been all along if you also had a stove and had been burning the wood instead of just touching it! wink.png

 

Multiple redundancy is the name of the game on NB Bumblebee so thankfully we are not dependent on the eberspacher ... but sadly I think my suspicions about the additional friction causing the motor problems may be correct - we're getting about two hours out of the eberspacher before it trips out. Once I have the new impeller unit installed I will take the old one to bits and try and find out what's caused the problem inside the motor and is causing it to struggle. It's a typical ebbie problem - one thing causes another ... still, it made it (almost) through the winter!

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Loafer Veteran

Loafer

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My memories of being ruled by an EverBastard were that you buy 8 servicing kits, a spare burner pot and a fan motor.

 

That lot got me through 5 years of yachting with a strip-down every 6 months. Then I spent the next 6 months chiselling out the carbon build up, with weird hand-made tools, to get the carbonned-up burner pot ready for the next change.

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Patrick_C Engager

Patrick_C

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OK so ... new fan unit arrived and installed. Happyspacher :D

Looking at all the bits and pieces and thinking through the sequences of error codes and various coked and cooked components my interpretation is:

 

Motor comes to end of life at c. 4000 hours running, starts degrading, stops running at full speed.

Fan gets clogged with debris from motor so these two factors reduce air flow.

Wrong air/fuel mix leads to coking up of chamber, glowpin screen and smokiness.

Failing gaskets also don't help as they allow additional soot to escape and clog fan further.

Eventual failure with a range of error codes and lots of frustrating cleaning, decoking and replacing but really all this only made a difference with a new motor.

 

So ... resolutions. 6 monthly serious cleaning and decoking from now on. Replace gaskets and glowpin screen, and check motor/fan speed as part of this. Buy in several full sets of gaskets, glow pin screens, and a replacement motor and fan unit. Think about a back-boiler for the stove.

 

Thanks for all the advice and support.cheers.gif

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

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Mine has been condemned to death, the only bit of any use is the very clean fuel filter.

 

Now to a replacement - thinking the D4 may be a better bet as less likely to have problems with my usage pattern, and still fits the existing pipework.

 

Why is it impossible to buy just a heater - not the full kit. (Midland swindlers can get you a heater - at the same price as a full kit)

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

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thankyou for that. It knocks all the others into rip-off mode (except for one turkish supplier)

Prices are plus vat!

It almost made my refurb decision at £305 difficult

Edited by Loddon
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NMEA Rising Star

NMEA

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Motor comes to end of life at c. 4000 hours running, starts degrading, stops running at full speed.

Fan gets clogged with debris from motor so these two factors reduce air flow.

Wrong air/fuel mix leads to coking up of chamber, glowpin screen and smokiness.

Failing gaskets also don't help as they allow additional soot to escape and clog fan further.

Eventual failure with a range of error codes and lots of frustrating cleaning, decoking and replacing but really all this only made a difference with a new motor.

Exactly why a proper regular non invasive service is useful thing, the CO2 analysis of the exhaust output picks these things up early. Primitive brushed motors are not much help either, always look for a heater with brushless air motor and circulation pump..

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