Troubleshooting Webasto Diesel Heater

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Webasto ST2000 which are very popular across Europe. Can't believe the prices of the units in the US ($2200) compared to £770 ($1200) in the UK, someone is taking the mickey.

Isn't that the turth!!! A quick check for duty fees stills shows a huge saving by buying from a UK seller and shipping to the USA.

And the USA sellers say the list price is like $3000.

WTF!

So getting via the internet from the UK brings the price down to close to being a no-brainer compared to mounting something on the wall and cuttting a big hole in the deck!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

I have a Webasto Hydronic, but the error code is the same. This is a common problem. Here are the reasons why mine has failed to fire in the past (in order of likely reasons):

1. Fuel pump has lost prime and/or no fuel in heater supply line. This is common when first starting the unit at the beginning of the chilly season. Re-prime lines and try to restart.

2. Carbon/"coke" build-up is causing the unit to not be able to fire. If it fires up sporatically, say once every 2-3 attempts, this is likely your problem. Clean burner unit and glow plug/ignitor.

3. Fauly glow plug/ignitor. Replace with new. In a pinch, very light sanding with 400 grit sandpaper will temporarily get you going, but only count on a few weeks of use doing this (long enough for new part to come in).

4. Faulty temp sensor. The unit fires up fine, but doesn't recognize it and shuts down. Replace sensor.

5. Cracked burner unit (you would notice this when you clean it for step nr 2 above.)

Good luck!

Frank

6. Insufficient voltage at the unit when the glow plug is glowing (check this first -- the easy one).

7. Bad circuit board (I had this one - fun!).

8. Heater got out of bed on the wrong side today . . .

9. ?

10. ?

11. . . .

[knottybuoyz]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Isn't that the turth!!! A quick check for duty fees stills shows a huge saving by buying from a UK seller and shipping to the USA.

And the USA sellers say the list price is like $3000.

WTF!

So getting via the internet from the UK brings the price down to close to being a no-brainer compared to mounting something on the wall and cuttting a big hole in the deck!

I got my ST2000 off of e-Bay for $775. I highly suspect it might have fallen off the back of a truck!

120911162457

[GeoPowers]

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

I am actually planning on doing this maintenance again soon myself. My unit still fires up, but I can tell it is coked up from the carbon buildup just outside the exhaust port. I'll try to remember to take some pics and post here. Basic steps are unmounting unit, taking it apart, and cleaning the inside, esp the burner. I use lotsa paper towels, q tips, and rubbing alcohol.

If you haven't already, you should visit the Sure Marine site: www.suremarine.com . They have lots of good info on their site.

Frank

I finally got around to cleaning my heater (no rush as it is hotter than hell outside!). Here's some pics I took of the process. It is pretty straightforward- take it apart and clean out all the black soot! Be gentle on the burner head assembly, though. Here's the first set of pics:

[GeoPowers]

Originally Posted by GeoPowers

I finally got around to cleaning my heater (no rush as it is hotter than hell outside!). Here's some pics I took of the process. It is pretty straightforward- take it apart and clean out all the black soot! Be gentle on the burner head assembly, though. Here's the first set of pics:

And here's the second set of pics. Unfortunately, as you can see in my pic my burner assembly is cracked (again!). I'm planning on giving it a shot for another season and order a replacement burner for when it fails completely. But now the unit will burn cleaner and hotter, with no soot markings on the hull from the exhaust.

IMO and experience, non-dyed diesel creates much less soot than the pink stuff. I hear kerosene is even better, but I don't have a dedicated tank.

Frank

[martin2017]

Try EBay and look for Webasto fuel primer, this device can save you hours of frustration and less than £25.

[teddythetwig]

Originally Posted by martin2017

Try EBay and look for Webasto fuel primer, this device can save you hours of frustration and less than £25.

This +1. I was about to rip out the whole heater in anger. The stupid thing would just make some clicky noises then not do anything. Thankfully, someone recommended this too me, and now the heater starts up properly! Good thing too, a few days it dropped down to -8 at night!