Ebersprächer during night...

[Jonas R.]

Hi all!

Driving a vw cali exclusive -01.

Have som thoughts about the function in my Ebersrächer. It starts up, and gives plenty of heat. But...

If I set it to 19 degrees, isn´t it suppose to keep that temperature inside during all night? My experience is that it doesn´t start up again when temperature falls inside. My leisure battery gives me 12.7 V, and the fridge is on. That would be enough battery power to start the heater?

Best regarsds!
Jonas

 

[WelshGas]

Hi all!

Driving a vw cali exclusive -01.

Have som thoughts about the function in my Ebersrächer. It starts up, and gives plenty of heat. But...

If I set it to 19 degrees, isn´t it suppose to keep that temperature inside during all night? My experience is that it doesn´t start up again when temperature falls inside. My leisure battery gives me 12.7 V, and the fridge is on. That would be enough battery power to start the heater?

Best regarsds!
Jonas

The Eberspacher has a very rudimentary temperature control . It does not run continuously to maintain a temperature, especially if set to a high temperature. The temperature sensor on most factory fitted heaters are in the R hand front footwell air intake and until that cools down it won’t fire up. It would seem to be about a 5c temperature change between high temp cut-off and low temp restart of the heater.

 

[Jonas R.]

Thanks!

So, u mean that the "termostat" is in the airintake by the floor? As shown in picture...

I thought (after reading somewhere else, long time ago) that the knob close to the door had something to do with temperature regulation... But i might be way out....

Last night we had the ebersprächer on 24degrees, but maximium 17 inside. It warmed ut, but after a while it didn´t come on again...

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks!

So, u mean that the "termostat" is in the airintake by the floor? As shown in picture...

I thought (after reading somewhere else, long time ago) that the knob close to the door had something to do with temperature regulation... But i might be way out....

Last night we had the ebersprächer on 24degrees, but maximium 17 inside. It warmed ut, but after a while it didn´t come on again...

View attachment 57709

View attachment 57710

Ok. I’m not familiar with that Heater Installation.
is that an Outlet or Inlet vent?
if it is the Heater Outlet ie: warm air, then there should be an Inlet somewhere. That is normally where the Inlet Temperature Sensor is located.

 

[AndyWT]

The later T4 Eberspächer should run continuously regardless of temp setting, temp setting regulates heat output via fan speed and fuel pump pulse, it does not shutdown when reaching set temp just reduces heat output to low. In winter we run the heater sometimes for days, it idles away happily on low.

 

[AndyWT]

The temp sensor is on the sliding door pillar

 

[Jonas R.]

The later T4 Eberspächer should run continuously regardless of temp setting, temp setting regulates heat output via fan speed and fuel pump pulse, it does not shutdown when reaching set temp just reduces heat output to low. In winter we run the heater sometimes for days, it idles away happily on low.

I guess that this means that there is something wrong with mine... I´ll run some more tests - otherwise, where do I start the troubleshooting?

I´m looking forward to a summer with plenty of camping in sweden this year. Thats not like southern europe where we usally go - so, we really need that heater..

 

[Jonas R.]

Update!

I let my diesel heater on for a few hours now. It´s a D3L P.

The heater heats up the cabin - a lot. I mesured the air coming out with two different termometers. Both showed 90+ celcius!!!

The temperature in the display is set to 17c.

I guess i have a problem with reading the temperature, maybe a heat sensor. Anyone familiar with these symptoms?

 

[AndyWT]

Hi Jonas, 2 things,

1. does the temp sensor on the door pillar work? i.e. does it show the correct interior temp on the control panel display and does it vary as expected
2. is there any fault codes on the control panel

The temp sensor is directly connected to the control panel, not the heater, the eberspacher's own temp sensor is not connected on VW campers relying on the VW control panel.

Fault codes on the display are not well explained in the vans instructions.

If you PM me your email I can send you the VW wiring diagram for the heater and maybe I have the fault codes somewhere if I can find them..

 

[Jonas R.]

@AndyWT Thanks a lot for your reply! This is the reason why i love these kinds of forums! Hopefully i will contribute just like u, under another topic!

First - no fault code in sight. Never seen one ever in the display during my 4 years with my cali.

I did a test - took my "home termometer" and put the display on the table, and the sensor right next to the temp sensor right next to the one in the sliding door pillar. The result is that my termometer and the temperature in the control panel shows the same. (Appx 1 degree warmer shown on the control panel...)

But, I maybe learned something else. I tried to adjust the temp on the control panel while the heater was on. From 20 to 12. The outgoing air temp didnt change at all. I then turned it of, waited a few minutes, set the temp on 12 and started the heater. After 45 min the outgoing air measured 88. So, we went from 103 - 88.

So, my problem might be that i have tried to change the temp setting while the heater was running?

 

[AndyWT]

Any luck fixing the heater...
Could be the control panel, should be able to adjust temp when the heaters running, did the fan slow and fuel pump tick slow when you set it to a lower temp?.
The control panels not cheap if you can find one!
Also check the 12pin connector on the heater duct next to the heater, if they get knocked water can corrode the connectors.
The Eberspächer is quite simple except that VW used none Eber controller and the internal circuit board in the heater is not available from Eber only from VW which means it’s nearly the price of a new heater.

Gothenburg, that’s Volvo land, been in Sweden many times so yes I know you need the heater even in summer, remember being at a Scandic Södertälje in August with ice on my car, spent winter 99/20 at Södertälje OMG +5 raining horizontally one day -20 next day

 

[Jonas R.]

Hi!

1. No it didnt react at all when adjusting the temp. The fan didnt slow down, nor did the pump tick slower =(

2. The 12 pin connector - thats a tricky one. Just went under my van and realized i couldnt find it. Yes, i do feel a bit stupid. I took some photos of what my heater + air intake looks like. Maybe u can identify where the 12pin connector is hidden...

IMG_20200421_161830.jpg ---> from the air intake. Shows some kind of connection...
IMG_20200421_161814.jpg ---> the heater + air intake
IMG_20200421_161741.jpg ---> Heater + air intake AND a very nasty located plug.. Probably not the 12pin plug thou, rather small. The cable is dm long and gets into the air intake.

No I live even more north than Gothenburg, so even more in need of a fully functional heater!

 

[AndyWT]

Hi!

1. No it didnt react at all when adjusting the temp. The fan didnt slow down, nor did the pump tick slower =(

2. The 12 pin connector - thats a tricky one. Just went under my van and realized i couldnt find it. Yes, i do feel a bit stupid. I took some photos of what my heater + air intake looks like. Maybe u can identify where the 12pin connector is hidden...

IMG_20200421_161830.jpg ---> from the air intake. Shows some kind of connection..

1st picture is the 12 pin connector, it looks in good condition.

Sorry! what I meant about slower speed was after you stopped the heater and restarted at a lower temp if it was slower, if so the control unit is only sending signal to the heater when stopped, not when running.

Maybe a voltage issue when the heaters running, the display voltage is battery not voltage from the display itself it comes from a shunt near the house battery.

Check the voltage on the heater fuse stopped & running should be similar as displayed or could be an earth problem, the heater earth is through the 12 pin connector in the van somewhere, on an Exclusive I don't know.

This is difficult to help at distance, it looks simple but its not with a fault like this, apart from wiring theres 3 control units etc, 1. control panel above interior light, 2. in the ducting behind the 12pin connector and 3. control unit in the heater.

I'm sending 2 wiring diagrams,

Camping equipment - California exclusive Aug 1998> No 72.pdf
Additional aire heater B3LP/D3LP > Models with camping equipment Aug 1998> No.57.pdf

Unfortunately they contradict each other as to the interior temp sensor connection to the control panel, which can be popped out if you remove the interior light.

As the heater is working but uncontrollable it may be better to leave it until it actually stops, not good I know for cold weather, but...

And, hows your German? the Eberspacher_VW_T4_California_D3LC_heater_install_252142050000 in German, sorry don't have an english version, last page is the wiring diagram for the T4 Westi maybe a bit better to read than VW's

 

[Jonas R.]

Thanks again!

I´ll look into those files! Big thanks.

Just for curiosity i just started the heater. Got 32degrees C in the car at the moment. Set the heater to 16celsius... It started quick to blow out 87c warm air... Souldent be nessesery if the heater were aware of the actual temp inside the van...

The struggle continues...

 

[Jonas R.]

My german is not perfect, but folks around me (and google) might help me out! So, pls, send me the german files as well!

 

[AndyWT]

Thanks again!

I´ll look into those files! Big thanks.

Just for curiosity i just started the heater. Got 32degrees C in the car at the moment. Set the heater to 16celsius... It started quick to blow out 87c warm air... Souldent be nessesery if the heater were aware of the actual temp inside the van...

The struggle continues...

To me that’s normal, if set on a lower temp than actual the heater doesn’t stop it goes to low heat output, it idles with low speed and slow pump, although low heat is 1,000kw it’s pretty toasty in our pop-top, if it had to shutdown and re-start to maintain temperature it would soon flatten the battery as it takes 10 amp to start

 

[orbital]

Maybe a little off topic but are these heaters genuinely safe to leave on overnight? I have a new T6 Cali Ocean (bought last November) with the standard diesel heater. I’ve never risked running it overnight because I’m concerned about fumes and carbon monoxide sneaking into the cab via the heater’s blowers. Is the air heated completely separately from the ‘furnace’ via a heat exchanger or something similar? What I mean is, am I worrying unnecessarily? I have a carbon monoxide alarm in the cutlery draw just in case!

 

[westfalia]

Maybe a little off topic but are these heaters genuinely safe to leave on overnight? I have a new T6 Cali Ocean (bought last November) with the standard diesel heater. I’ve never risked running it overnight because I’m concerned about fumes and carbon monoxide sneaking into the cab via the heater’s blowers. Is the air heated completely separately from the ‘furnace’ via a heat exchanger or something similar? What I mean is, am I worrying unnecessarily? I have a carbon monoxide alarm in the cutlery draw just in case!

No worries at all there.
Just make sure that your sliding door is shut and you
can keep cosy for about 2weeks in there.

 

[flying banana]

Maybe a little off topic but are these heaters genuinely safe to leave on overnight? I have a new T6 Cali Ocean (bought last November) with the standard diesel heater. I’ve never risked running it overnight because I’m concerned about fumes and carbon monoxide sneaking into the cab via the heater’s blowers. Is the air heated completely separately from the ‘furnace’ via a heat exchanger or something similar? What I mean is, am I worrying unnecessarily? I have a carbon monoxide alarm in the cutlery draw just in case!

Worrying unnecessarily. The combustion chamber exhausts externally under the van. The heat is done via a burner tube inside a heat exchanger where the air from inside the van in the stepwell is passed over the heat exchanger using a fresh air fan. You can see this fan if you take the pipe off the cold end of the heater. I leave mine all night no problem

 

[WelshGas]

Maybe a little off topic but are these heaters genuinely safe to leave on overnight? I have a new T6 Cali Ocean (bought last November) with the standard diesel heater. I’ve never risked running it overnight because I’m concerned about fumes and carbon monoxide sneaking into the cab via the heater’s blowers. Is the air heated completely separately from the ‘furnace’ via a heat exchanger or something similar? What I mean is, am I worrying unnecessarily? I have a carbon monoxide alarm in the cutlery draw just in case!

As @westfalia has said. You are worrying unnecessarily. Commonly used on HGV sleeping cabs.

 

[orbital]

Thanks (and also to @westfalia). Now I just have to wait for the cold weather to return!

 

[kurienp]

Maybe a little off topic but are these heaters genuinely safe to leave on overnight? I have a new T6 Cali Ocean (bought last November) with the standard diesel heater. I’ve never risked running it overnight because I’m concerned about fumes and carbon monoxide sneaking into the cab via the heater’s blowers. Is the air heated completely separately from the ‘furnace’ via a heat exchanger or something similar? What I mean is, am I worrying unnecessarily? I have a carbon monoxide alarm in the cutlery draw just in case!

Like all have said - nothing to worry. However, keeping the CO alarm in the cutlery drawer will not help at all. Stick it up on the rear drop down shelf or near the front cupboard (above fridge) and it will become useful.

 

[AndyWT]

Started using Eberspächer”s nearly 40 years ago, by using I mean every day in winter for months and installing probably 100+, I have only seen one instance of fumes in the cabin due to a fault, this was someone installing a new motor and not using the new gasket provided between the burner and the heat exchanger, this is applies to underslung as the Cali is or installed internally...

Yes use the CO detector as a precaution, if everything is correct the only way you can get fumes in the cabin is if the wind is in the wrong direction and blowing the fumes to an open window, skylight or vent. Have spent a few cold night not being to move to a better location.

If want to see scary heaters look at YouTube for Chinese diesel heaters, some are mounted remotely with exhaust pipe internally, this is crazy, some will be sleeping for a long time

 

[Borris]

Thanks!

So, u mean that the "termostat" is in the airintake by the floor? As shown in picture...

I thought (after reading somewhere else, long time ago) that the knob close to the door had something to do with temperature regulation... But i might be way out....

Last night we had the ebersprächer on 24degrees, but maximium 17 inside. It warmed ut, but after a while it didn´t come on again...

View attachment 57709

View attachment 57710

Nice van

 

[Thecommguy]

@AndyWT - I'm new to the forum but see you seem to have much experience with these heaters. Mine is factory and hasn't been used in 10 or more years (previous owners say they never used it). I have a 1995 T4 California with a gasoline 2.5 liter engine. My wife and i were in Norway last year and the heater would have been a very welcome option had it worked. So, I'm wanting to get as much info on it as I can. Such as error coded or error lights and what they mean. I'm very sure I can repair it if i know more about how it works and what components it has and what they do.
How do I find out the exact model that is in the van? I figure that's a good starting place.