Webasco heating (1 Viewer)

irnbru

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Can someone tell me how to work this please. We turned the knob and it flashes green but we have no idea why it wont work, any covers or anything we need to remove.??We arrived at our new van last night and lay chittering in the cold all night. :cry:
 

jonandshell

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OK

Flashing means something is going on!

Have you got a Dualtop or an Airtop?

Does it do water and air or just air?
 

Snowbird

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Try starting the van engine and leave it running whilst the heater goes through its start up cycle. They draw quite a few amps on start up, but once running draw very little power. For some reason mine will only start whilst the engine is running but once its started its fine.

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jonandshell

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If you have Dualtop (water and air), turn the mode selector knob fully anticlockwise for five seconds, the flashing will stop.
Then select a heating mode and everything will work fine.

Your boiler will have got below 6 degrees and the antifrost valve is dumping water!
 
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irnbru

irnbru

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If you have Dualtop (water and air), turn the mode selector knob fully anticlockwise for five seconds, the flashing will stop.
Then select a heating mode and everything will work fine.

Your boiler will have got below 6 degrees and the antifrost valve is dumping water!


No idea as yet what we have, all I know is one green knob, and like a trauma boiler button in a different area. Will look closely tonight and maybe upload a few photos if necessary.
 

jonandshell

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It sounds like you have an Airtop then!

The blinking led will be indicating an error code.
In the instruction manual, the error codes will be listed.
Its a case of reading the book I'm afraid! It will probably be something simple like low voltage. Many motorhome manufacturers, Chausson included, don't put sufficiently thick cable in the supply to these heaters. This results in low voltage faults even though your battery is fine.

You need to identify the error code first before you get carried away though.

Check this thread-

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I have a Webasto duel top and the user manual. If you need the error code deciphered send me a pm and I will dig it out and let you know what the code means.
Sounds to me that the safety valve on the boiler has opened and henve the flashing light. This is normal in cold weather unless the anti frost setting is selected. I tend to let the boiler dump the water then fill it up the following morning, saves on energy consumption.
 

eddie

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Count the flashes. We are Webasto service agents (undercover)

The most common is low fuel :Eeek: Unless you have over 1\4 tank of diesel the system will not work

If you look at the flashing it will start off appearing random and eventually make sense

Eddie
 
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irnbru

irnbru

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It sounds like you have an Airtop then!

The blinking led will be indicating an error code.
In the instruction manual, the error codes will be listed.
Its a case of reading the book I'm afraid! It will probably be something simple like low voltage. Many motorhome manufacturers, Chausson included, don't put sufficiently thick cable in the supply to these heaters. This results in low voltage faults even though your battery is fine.

You need to identify the error code first before you get carried away though.

Check this thread-

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I think this is indeed the problem. Just plugged in elec hook up and heater is now working but Im getting puzzled here because the previous owner called me from Spain and told me the heating is run by gas:whatthe: I said I was sure it was diesel, he said noooo, but he did declare he wasn't really a motorhomer, and hadn't used it much.

My battery is full so why do Chausson put too thin of cables on to start with. Looks like we are now going to have to fork out more money and pay a dealer to fix this or freeze:Sad:

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jonandshell

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Its not a difficult job really.
You need to feed the heater fuses with a bit of 2.5mm twin core flex directly from the B2 and B neg terminals on the CBE fuse box/distribution board.
Routing can be along underneath the floor where it joins the cab.
The terminals on the CBE panel are accessed by removing 2 screws and removing the front cover. The CBE panel is located under the RH bench seat, the Webasto fuses are located on the left of the lounge I believe.
A quick PM to Kelpbeds might be worthwhile.
 

Snowbird

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As I previously posted, try switching the heater on whilst the engine is running. Once the heater has gone through the start up cycle it should run without problem.
 
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irnbru

irnbru

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As I previously posted, try switching the heater on whilst the engine is running. Once the heater has gone through the start up cycle it should run without problem.

Great idea. Will try that 2mor..THANX, at least I know its working with ehu but no consolation if wilding. Keep you updated.

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Feb 4, 2010
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I hope this is not hijacking the thread too much, but I've got an Airtop 2000ST and was wondering if anyone knows...

...is the part of the heating cycle where the Webasto draws a lot of current, when it kicks in fully, the same every time or is it worst when starting from cold and then occurs less often as the heater (and 'van) gets warmer?

The reason I'm asking is that once the 'van gets nice and toasty eventually my Webasto switches off the heater and the fans slows right down, so it's just circulating the air. After a while the van cools down and it kicks off again. I'm wondering if at this stage it's hammering the battery as much as when I first switched it on.

If it is, I might as well switch it off for a while after the heater switches off and switch it back on when I get cold, rather than rely on the Webasto's thermostat. It'll save the battery getting drained by the fan just running and freezing my ankles! :Smile:

Or am I inflicting more grief on the battery by switching the heater on and off?
 

jonandshell

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Newer diesel heaters are best left on ticking over. Ours will run for days with no problems.
You are correct in thinking its the startup cycle which hammers the battery. The glowplug is the culprit! The dosing pump and fans use very little power.
As for starting the van to start your heater, in my opinion that is curing the symptom, not the disease. The only fix is to sort out the wiring.
Chausson tend to use one big connector block for all the 12 volt electics on the left side of the van. In the case of ours, a main negative connection was loose causing our Webasto low voltage problems.
I rewired anyway just to ensure we had no future problems.
 

Snowbird

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I hope this is not hijacking the thread too much, but I've got an Airtop 2000ST and was wondering if anyone knows...

...is the part of the heating cycle where the Webasto draws a lot of current, when it kicks in fully, the same every time or is it worst when starting from cold and then occurs less often as the heater (and 'van) gets warmer?

The reason I'm asking is that once the 'van gets nice and toasty eventually my Webasto switches off the heater and the fans slows right down, so it's just circulating the air. After a while the van cools down and it kicks off again. I'm wondering if at this stage it's hammering the battery as much as when I first switched it on.

If it is, I might as well switch it off for a while after the heater switches off and switch it back on when I get cold, rather than rely on the Webasto's thermostat. It'll save the battery getting drained by the fan just running and freezing my ankles! :Smile:

Or am I inflicting more grief on the battery by switching the heater on and off?

Leave the thing on Niel, it uses next to nothing once its gone through the startup cycle. The biggest pull is during the startup so its best done whilst the engine is running.

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Ed Excel

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We have a Dualtop. It's central heating with automatic thermostatic control. I'll switch ours off when the van goes back to storage.
 
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Newer diesel heaters are best left on ticking over. Ours will run for days with no problems.
You are correct in thinking its the startup cycle which hammers the battery. The glowplug is the culprit! The dosing pump and fans use very little power.

Leave the thing on Niel, it uses next to nothing once its gone through the startup cycle. The biggest pull is during the startup so its best done whilst the engine is running.

Thanks :thumb: Maybe one day I'll stick a proper meter on it and try to get a better idea of how long things take a hit each time it kicks in. At the moment all I see is that my simple LED voltage display occasionally dips each time the heater re-starts and then everything settles back after a few minutes even though there's no audible change, i.e. it still sounds like a jet engine ::bigsmile:

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irnbru

irnbru

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I have pmd kelpbeds as suggested.

This is a photo of whats in the single seat. Under the passenger seat there is a battery which says 850 A and under the drivers seat there is a battery that says "Ford"

The webasto knob blinks 3 times slowly.
 

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eddie

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I have pmd kelpbeds as suggested.

This is a photo of whats in the single seat. Under the passenger seat there is a battery which says 850 A and under the drivers seat there is a battery that says "Ford"

The webasto knob blinks 3 times slowly.

Three slow flashes indicates undervoltage. The picture is of a CBE battery charger

Eddie
 

jonandshell

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If you want to pick up a supply for the heater, you need to look at the box to left of that charger. The B2 and Neg terminals are the place to connect a fused supply to the heater fuses.
If you are unsure at this stage, a KNOWLEDGEABLE auto electrician or caravan mech would be the way forward.:thumb:

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eddie

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How old is the van? It is unlikely that the manufacturer would have put the wrong gauge wire in and the heater, never worked, more likely that there is another fault.

Webasto would have signed of the installation, checked all components and taken photographs of every aspect of "what they'd signed off" and by virtue taken on responsibility for by way of warranty.

If the unit works when the van is plugged in, your battery or charging regime sounds suspect, rather than the wire

Just a though

Eddie
 

jonandshell

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Both Kelpbeds and I have had volt drop issues with the original Chausson wiring to the Webasto loom. They simply try to put too much current through the electrical connectors on the left side.
It tends to manifest itself with pulsing interior lights along the left side of the van when the glowplug is drawing power on startup. The heater sees low voltage and shuts down.
On hookup, another volt or so is being applied to the heater causing the low voltage error to go away.
A more substantial power supply is the answer.:Smile:
 
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irnbru

irnbru

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How old is the van? It is unlikely that the manufacturer would have put the wrong gauge wire in and the heater, never worked, more likely that there is another fault.


Eddie

The van is a 2010

Would this battery be suitable? I can get a USED one for £60 as opposed to £200 new.

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eddie

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Hi John suggests that it is a "Known problem" on your chassis

That being the case I would try beefing up the supply to the Air Top before spending money on batteries.

It is frustrating when manufacturers don't bother to install things correctly

Eddie
 

kelpbeds

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Have been chatting to Sarah via PM.

( Hi Jon, hope you are good! You off skiing this year? Broke my shoulder last year snowboarding so giving it a miss this year as still waiting for op!)

I digress.

Sarah,
Your 3 blinking lights are a low voltage problem. This isn't helped by the fact that you only have one leisure battery, another (in parallel) will help. However the issue then (at least this was the issue for me) is getting the current from the batteries to the heater. At the moment the wiring you have in, basically, is not thick enough to carry the amount of current that the heater requires. You would need to get some cable run from the positive of one of the leisure batteries to the fuse of the heater (cable needs to be as thick as your little finger approximately) These steps should cure your problem.

Tim
 
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irnbru

irnbru

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Thanks, I will show my neighbour the thread and hopefully he can do the wiring part.

Eddie what do you mean by beefing up the supply?

Thanks
Sandra

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eddie

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Eddie what do you mean by beefing up the supply?

Thanks Sandra

Sarah,
Your 3 blinking lights are a low voltage problem. This isn't helped by the fact that you only have one leisure battery, another (in parallel) will help. However the issue then (at least this was the issue for me) is getting the current from the batteries to the heater. At the moment the wiring you have in, basically, is not thick enough to carry the amount of current that the heater requires. You would need to get some cable run from the positive of one of the leisure batteries to the fuse of the heater (cable needs to be as thick as your little finger approximately) These steps should cure your problem. Tim

:thumb:
 
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Have been chatting to Sarah via PM.

( Hi Jon, hope you are good! You off skiing this year? Broke my shoulder last year snowboarding so giving it a miss this year as still waiting for op!)

I digress.

Sarah,
Your 3 blinking lights are a low voltage problem. This isn't helped by the fact that you only have one leisure battery, another (in parallel) will help. However the issue then (at least this was the issue for me) is getting the current from the batteries to the heater. At the moment the wiring you have in, basically, is not thick enough to carry the amount of current that the heater requires. You would need to get some cable run from the positive of one of the leisure batteries to the fuse of the heater ([HI]cable needs to be as thick as your little finger approximately[/HI]) These steps should cure your problem.

Tim


Tim, a cable as thick as someones little finger would be about 25mmsq, which could easily carry the power to your house !! It's also pretty expensive and impossible to crimp without special tools.

Have you any idea of the ampage the cable needs to carry ? Then it would be possible to accurately size the cable.
 

TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
16mm/2 would normally do the job and doesnt have to cost a fortune. use welders cable
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just buy as many metres as required for the job. available in black and red :thumb:

25mm/2 is also available for not much more cost

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