T5 California webasto heater

Swompy · Jun 11, 2017

Hello all,
I am hoping someone can help with my California webasto airtop diesel heater. It shows on the control panel it's on but nothing happens. I have checked the fuses it has half a tank of diesel and is on mains. Has anyone any ideas. I have removed the unit checked the glow plug re fitted and nothing. There is no sign of life.

Emil Silenhag · Jun 11, 2017

My friend had to replace the diesel pump when his stopped working...

briwy · Jun 11, 2017

Unless it was different on earlier vans you should have two diesel heaters.
The Webasto one heats the engine coolant when the temperature drops below 4/5 C and is controlled automatically. This one is one the left hand side of the van.
The other one is the Eberspacher on the right hand side and is the one which heats the interior of the van and is controlled from the control panel.
Perhaps you're looking at the wrong one and your Eberspacher still has a fault.

WelshGas · Jun 11, 2017

Also, so I understand, if the Eberspacher Heater fails x3 times it gets locked out and has to be fixed and reset via Diagnostic Computer.

Swompy · Jun 15, 2017

WelshGas said:
Also, so I understand, if the Eberspacher Heater fails x3 times it gets locked out and has to be fixed and reset via Diagnostic Computer.

Thanks for the reply. I have removed the unit located under the drivers seat. It is a Webasto Airtop 3500. Sent it away to a company for checking. Just had report back all works fine but can not check the ECU as it is a VW unit so it could be locked out. Does anyone know who can unlock it?

WelshGas · Jun 15, 2017

Swompy said:
Thanks for the reply. I have removed the unit located under the drivers seat. It is a Webasto Airtop 3500. Sent it away to a company for checking. Just had report back all works fine but can not check the ECU as it is a VW unit so it could be locked out. Does anyone know who can unlock it?

VW or someone with VCDS, the VW software.

Or possibly accessing the Control Panel Diagnostic menu and clearing any codes registered.
Hold R lower button and then Press Knob for 5-10 seconds. New Menu. Scroll to VW Diagnostics. Note any codes and then Delete/Reset codes. Switch off using L lower button and wait 30 secs then press L lower button again.

Scotclimb · Apr 10, 2019

Swompy said:
Thanks for the reply. I have removed the unit located under the drivers seat. It is a Webasto Airtop 3500. Sent it away to a company for checking. Just had report back all works fine but can not check the ECU as it is a VW unit so it could be locked out. Does anyone know who can unlock it?

Hi
Can you tell me how easy it was to remove it from the van.
I have the same problem as you. I need to take it off the van to run tests on the unit itself. But can’t see any fixings other than the inlet and outlet plastic pieces which attach at either end and go up in to the bae of the van.
Thanks
Scott

Emil Silenhag · Apr 10, 2019

Scott Gordon said:
Hi
Can you tell me how easy it was to remove it from the van.
I have the same problem as you. I need to take it off the van to run tests on the unit itself. But can’t see any fixings other than the inlet and outlet plastic pieces which attach at either end and go up in to the bae of the van.
Thanks
Scott

It’s pretty easy. If you can do regular service such as replacing engine oil and filters you could probably remove the Webasto heater. The following link is in Norwegian, but there are some pictures from when I replaced the burner and glow plug.

T5 California, skifte brenner/glødeplugg i bodelsvarmer - vwbus.no

Scotclimb · Apr 13, 2019

Emil Silenhag said:
It’s pretty easy. If you can do regular service such as replacing engine oil and filters you could probably remove the Webasto heater. The following link is in Norwegian, but there are some pictures from when I replaced the burner and glow plug.

T5 California, skifte brenner/glødeplugg i bodelsvarmer - vwbus.no

Thanks that’s really helpful I can now attempt to remove it and replace the part that stopping it working. The control panel is sending signal to tge unit and back from the unit but the unit itself does nothing.
Do you have any tips/ideas on what would cause it not to work,what would be likely to fail first?
Thanks again
Great link.
Scott

Emil Silenhag · Apr 14, 2019

Read out fault codes.
Could be a lot of things. Lock out due to low diesel, lock out due to low voltage, bad batteries, Earth Shunt, blown fuse, blocked fuel line or burner, defect control unit (mounted on the Webasto, horse shoe shaped thing, defect fuel pump, defect combustion fan and so on....