Early T4 California heater operations

[Mikey]

Folks,

Mikey here - picked up a '91 T4 California from Germany recently (I'll start a show thread soon).

I'm looking for some tips on working the heating, I've an early westfalia with no controls on the central board screen that controls the fridge.

The heater controls are above the sink, one Side of the switch for hot air and the other for cold.

1). If I just leave the hot air on will it reach a thermostat? And kick in/out so I can leave it on all night.

2). I'm presuming the smaller white bar is for min amount of hot air and largest white bar is vents fully open?

 

[Hotel California]

Hi and welcome on your first post , i can not help with your Q but in short time other members will give you some tips ( Dan , @TwentyOneThirtyFive is one of the T4 wizzards...)

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Been called lots of things before, but never a wizard

1). If I just leave the hot air on will it reach a thermostat? And kick in/out so I can leave it on all night.

Yep. Is it a diesel? Eberspacher diesel heaters work by reducing the fuel flow to 25% when they are above the set temperature. Petrol heaters are little different, but don't remember exactly what they do.

2). I'm presuming the smaller white bar is for min amount of hot air and largest white bar is vents fully open?

Sort of, although sets a thermostat cool through to hot rather than restricting vents.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Westies!

 

[Mikey]

Yep. Is it a diesel? Eberspacher diesel heaters work by reducing the fuel flow to 25% when they are above the set temperature. Petrol heaters are little different, but don't remember exactly what they do.

Thanks for that, yeap it's the diesel 2.4

I've had it on for the past hour and it hasn't cut off.

Also, silly question but I set the tempered via the round dial - presume the temp gauge is only a display (at 15 degrees now).

 

[2into1]

Mine is digital from the control panel but tends to ignore the thermostat....or simply is so efficient that even with minimum fuel flow it does get rather warm, so I have to open the top windows.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Yes, that temp gauge is display only, it's not anything to do with the heater.

If it's showing 15c after an hour, something may be wrong. Is the van warm? Do you have heat coming from the vent nearest the kitchen cupboards? (the vent nearest the door, if you have one, is for the rear driving heater). Before it died, my original heater heated the van well.

You won't hear the heater cut off and don't think the fan speed alters on the D2L heaters. It should just start to put out less heat and the clicking noise (the fuel pump) will slow.

Peter, think it's likely that the heater is working on the temp of the air inlet at the heater, rather than cab temperature. I've just installed a D2 Airtronic in my van and decided to use this method rather than the remote sensor on the controller (because the controller is above the cooker). In the current weather I've found I've needed to set the thermostat 5 or 6c cooler than the temperature I want. Wish I'd used the remote sensor now!

 

[2into1]

Peter, think it's likely that the heater is working on the temp of the air inlet at the heater

Thanks Dan but not sure if I understand fully. My eber is controlled from the controller near the rear view mirror. I can start / stop it from here, plus set timer intervals, and set the desired temperature.
I understood it measures the temperature from a 'sensor' by the sliding door.
Even with the temp turned down to 10C, temperature measures about 20C on my independent thermometer, when it was close to freezing outside. But, the pump ticking had slowed and the fan was slow and steady. Perhaps I'm so well insulated that's all I'm going to achieve? (Unless you hopefully know better )

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Didn't know they had another sensor, sounds like it is all working okay and you are just well insulated.

 

[sidepod]

I believe the thermostat sensor is located inside the heater unit, mounted on a small PCD in the intake throat. In other words it takes its reference from cabin air. The intake vent is below the small fuse panel behind the drivers seat.

I've attached stuff relating to heater controls. It's all available online.
Ivev scribbled some notes relating to fault finding.


https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/attach...8/?temp_hash=e604df6a3e5c8ad24d03570f908f0ba7