Aux Heating completely Dead!

[Barryjm]

My auxillary heater seems to have stopped working, it started up blew out cold air for a while then stopped and now no longer starts!

The control panel works OK, apart from the display which is breaking up and the control knob which I have just superglued together! The heating button goes yellow and all looks to be OK but nothing happens with the heater at all, not a single noise!

I have checked both fuses under the passenger seat; the batteries have a good charge and I have even plugged in the mains. There is plenty of fuel in the tank.

I have no idea if my van has the earth shunt fix, I have never had a problem before and I have had the van almost 4 years. I did get some flickering of lights when the heater worked?!

Everything else still works.

I have checked the heater in the back under the cover by the rear door and there does not seem to be any power to any of the wires. Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the Cali? I was just poking around trying to pick up 12volts.

Are there any other fuses I should be checking?

I really don't want to have to take this to VW?! :crazy

 

[calikev]

Hi Barry sorry to hear your problem. Not much help I know but in the download section the Cali training manual does have some wiring diagrams to look at hopefully they may help I may well be a corroded earth shunt

 

[Barryjm]

Thanks Calikev I'll take a look at the download section. Would a corroded earth shunt affect anything else, i.e. the fridge?

 

[calikev]

Not sure really Barry. The heater does draw a large current on start up so needs a good earth
A bit like the starter motor on the engine.

 

[Barryjm]

Good point, definitely worth checking before visiting VW. I'll also download the earth shunt instructions... could be a busy weekend.

 

[Andresz]

If I remember well, my heating was working fine with the engine being running when earth shunt issue emerged. problem was only with engine stopped. Of course the flickering internal lights and flickering blue central panel backlight, are the very much symptoms of earth shunt...

 

[Yelekreb]

Have you got enough fuel? I seem to remember reading that the aux heater won't function if you are low on fuel.

 

[briwy]

Just a thought, is the temperature selection turned up?
Ours takes a while to get going, couple of minutes at least and then the pump starts ticking before anything else happens.
The Eberspacher (are these Eberspacher or Webasto) manual says it won't start with a voltage under 10.5v.
It pulls around 8/9 amps starting and about 3A when running flat out.
I can email you the manual if it's any help but the wiring diagram obviously doesn't show the Cali setup, only the standard Eberspacher.

Manual says this:

In the event of a malfunction, check the following points
If the AIRTRONIC does not start when it is switched on:
• Switch off the AIRTRONIC and then switch it back on
again, but no more than twice in succession.
If the AIRTRONIC still does not start, then check:
• Is there fuel in the tank?
• Have any fuses blown?
AIRTRONIC 12 V – main fuse 20 A
AIRTRONIC 24 V – main fuse 10 A
AIRTRONIC 12 / 24 V – fuse, actuation 5 A
• Are all electric wires and connections ok?
• Are the heating-air duct, combustion-air duct
or the exhaust-gas duct blocked?
• If the AIRTRONIC unintentionally remains in ‘ventilating’
mode after it is switched on, the control element has to
be checked for a short circuit – compare fault
description of fault code 063 in this regard. If this fault
occurs, no fault code will be displayed.
If these points are OK, then proceed with a diagnosis test
using the JE diagnosis unit or the module clock, and
check the control unit

 

[Barryjm]

Briwy, yes please to the manual. Voltages, fuel, temp selection all ok, thank you all for suggestions.

I am puzzled that nothing runs, not even the blower which shouldn't require much current, it looks like a power issue to me, however the fuses are ok. I will try and check that the fuses have 12v running through them, though access under the seat is very difficult!

Regards Barry



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[briwy]

Barry, can you pm me your email address and I'll get the manual to you. It won't attach to a pm on here.

 

[scotty.aka.dan]

Hello, first post for me and unfortunately it's with the exact same problem, the stationary heating is completely dead!

I've read through pretty much all of the threads on the forum, and it all starts to look as if there could be a solution arriving and the thread stops with no further replies or updates :cry: so here I am!

I'll try my best to explain what i've tried so far, but please feel to ask me for clarification...

The heating was working on both hookup and battery, on trying to start the heating recently from the battery, there was the usual clicking sound followed by nothing, if I tried again to start the heating you wouldn't hear anything unless you turned off the control panel, turned it back on and tried again, this would then produce the same clicking but no fan and no heat followed by nothing. Unfortunately I did not take a note of the volts or amps during this start attempt.

If I now try to start the heater, the button turns yellow and the symbol is on the LCD but there is no drain on the battery whatsoever, the volts and amps do not change, there is also no clicking or any sounds that would suggest its even trying to start.

I have removed and looked at the two fuses under the drivers seat (this is a LHD) and both the 80 and 25 look fine.

When the heating was working, the lights used to flicker, so I removed the fridge to check if the earth shunt had been replaced/repaired, it hadn't! So I connected a jump lead from the negative terminal on the rear battery to the chassis (tow loop) unfortunately nothing changed, the heater still does not start. (I will undertake the earth shunt repair anyway).

I have obviously tried to start the heater on hookup, and also with the engine running, again it doesn't work.

I have also checked the 50A fuse on the Positive+ terminal on the rear battery, all ok!

I have also disconnected both leisure batteries in an attempt to reset everything, still no change.

I have read somewhere that if the heater fails to start on multiple start attempts it will go to a permanent lock out? has anybody heard of this or experienced this? I'd also like to have a look at the heater to make sure that it is receiving power and fuel but haven't got a clue where it is on the cali? can anyone shed some light?

Thanks to you all in advanced and keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Barryjm]

Hi Dan,

Just responded to your personal message; mine behaves exactly the same!!! Checked pretty much all the things you have and have also checked the input to the Webasto under the van. I removed the covers and pulled out the plug, it had power on various pins but I did not have the info to check if all was correct at each pin.

The Webasto is under the the van, under the driver's seat, close to door (right hand drive van). You will need to remove a small section of plastic floor protection to get access to it. This is fairly easy if you can get under the van. There is then a central plastic cover on the Webasto that comes out with the aid of a screw driver to reveal the plugs. That is as far as I got, I can do electrical, but fuel and further Webasto work was out of my depth, at least with the little room I had to work and the uncomfortable position I was in to get this far!

I suspect a Webasto fault, but I think I'll have to visit VW to diagnose! My worry is they'll have little idea and will resort to component swapping to find the problem!

But that will have to wait a few months for my cash flow to improve.

Cheers
Barry


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[Retiredron]

Hi Dan,

Just responded to your personal message; mine behaves exactly the same!!! Checked pretty much all the things you have and have also checked the input to the Webasto under the van. I removed the covers and pulled out the plug, it had power on various pins but I did not have the info to check if all was correct at each pin.

The Webasto is under the the van, under the driver's seat, close to door (right hand drive van). You will need to remove a small section of plastic floor protection to get access to it. This is fairly easy if you can get under the van. There is then a central plastic cover on the Webasto that comes out with the aid of a screw driver to reveal the plugs. That is as far as I got, I can do electrical, but fuel and further Webasto work was out of my depth, at least with the little room I had to work and the uncomfortable position I was in to get this far!

I suspect a Webasto fault, but I think I'll have to visit VW to diagnose! My worry is they'll have little idea and will resort to component swapping to find the problem!

But that will have to wait a few months for my cash flow to improve.

Cheers
Barry


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This company in your neck of the woods www.bae-bristol.co.uk for the repair of webasto
heaters.
Ron.

 

[Barryjm]

Thanks Ron, I'll give these guys a call. I am hoping they can perform some simple checks to prove whether the Webasto is functioning or not.

Regards
Barry


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[Barryjm]

Finally got this fixed thanks to a very helpful and knowledgeable person (Rob) in Gloucester at Cotswold Vehicle Electonics. He had the VAG diagnostics tool/PC and the knowledge to interpret the codes coming from the Webasto Air heater. In fact, all he needed to do was reset the Webasto to the factory original settings, which removed the fault codes locking the unit, and now it works again.

I did visit VW for an hours investigation and they were not able to find the fault. As I thought they requested I leave the van with them for a few days and wanted to quote for a replacement Webasto, I believe to them it is a replaceable unit and not something they are trained on.

So what caused the lock up? I am not sure but suspect the lack of earth strap under the fridge and resultant fluctuating voltage to the Webasto, plus my impatience switching it on and off trying to get it to work may have contributed to it locking up. The earth strap is now installed and I feel a little wiser over the heater and it's operation so fingers crossed it doesn't happen again.

Hope this helps anyone else having similar problems.

Cheers Barry


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[Andy]

Excellent, that's a result.

Good to know that they can be reset by someone with the software & knowledge.

 

[Andresz]

Finally got this fixed thanks to a very helpful and knowledgeable person (Rob) in Gloucester at Cotswold Vehicle Electonics. He had the VAG diagnostics tool/PC and the knowledge to interpret the codes coming from the Webasto Air heater. In fact, all he needed to do was reset the Webasto to the factory original settings, which removed the fault codes locking the unit, and now it works again.

I did visit VW for an hours investigation and they were not able to find the fault. As I thought they requested I leave the van with them for a few days and wanted to quote for a replacement Webasto, I believe to them it is a replaceable unit and not something they are trained on.

So what caused the lock up? I am not sure but suspect the lack of earth strap under the fridge and resultant fluctuating voltage to the Webasto, plus my impatience switching it on and off trying to get it to work may have contributed to it locking up. The earth strap is now installed and I feel a little wiser over the heater and it's operation so fingers crossed it doesn't happen again.

Hope this helps anyone else having similar problems.

Cheers Barry


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Hello
Good to know that such thing may happen due to presence of alarms. Thank you for letting us know.

I wonder if you did try to remove the alarms by holding the right bottom button of the control panel pressed?.
I surely does clear the alarms, but possibly only inside the control panel. Anyway it managed to cure miraculously my fridge when it was dead.

Regards
Andrzej

 

[Barryjm]

Andrzej,

I did not have any alarms on the control panel, even when looking under the diagnostic menu, it seems these alarms could only be seen when looking through the VAG diagnostic tool at the Webasto and could only be reset from here.

Cheers Barry



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[Andresz]

Andrzej,

I did not have any alarms on the control panel, even when looking under the diagnostic menu, it seems these alarms could only be seen when looking through the VAG diagnostic tool at the Webasto and could only be reset from here.

Cheers Barry



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Thank you Barry, this is really good to know. Very dodgy fault,
Regards
Andrzej