Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
FBH Altox Controller Battery Related Shutdown Issue
Further to the other FBH thread my FBH is working well but there is a major obstacle to using it as a pre-heater rather than as an assistant for faster warming of the engine - after starting.
If I turn on the FBH from the house using the Altox Controller the FBH starts and runs for only about 2 minutes before shutting down.
I of course thought (as others) that this was due to the heater being coked up re the cleaning/ram air post on the other thread.
However I have been doing a bit of testing and it would seem to be a voltage/battery issue rather than an ignition or running issue.
First i want to point out that I have a brand new premium Excide Battery 900 crank in good order.
As previously stated if in the morning I use the controller to start the FBH is will start and run for two minutes only. When starting on a cold morning the battery is indicated at 12.5/12.6v but this starts to drop and when at about 12.3 or 12.2 after around two minutes the FBH stops!
However, If I attach the trickle charger and repeat the above the FBH will run beautifully for a full 30 minutes or whatever time period is requested.
Therefore the FBH is using significant battery voltage and shutting itself off before it has had a chance to warm the engine sufficiently.
So the question is..
Is there a way of changing the car FBH settings to shut down the FBH at a lower voltage say 12.0v to stop the FBH from turning itself off and therefore being quite useless as an engine pre-heater?
I think its using between 0.5 - 0.7v in operation...
(I note that many of my previous Range Rovers have pre-heat that includes running the internal fans and this does not seem to cause the battery to stop sufficiently low to stop the FBH and certainly not withing 2 minutes)
Any answers appreciated either here hopefully or by PM.
Many thanks
Gary
15th Jan 2017 5:26 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
Any ideas?
15th Jan 2017 7:32 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
The under-voltage lockout is less than 11.5v for 20 seconds.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
It was a guess and I may have been wrong.
This morning it all worked fine...
I switched on from bedroom for 30 minutes before leaving and it fired up and ran the whole session get the car up to quarter heat on the dash gauge.
I realised I had bought the battery new but never charged it or gone on a longish run. I trickle charged it for 3 to 4 hours yesterday evening.
All good this morning but it could be a combo of the action I have taken:
1. Altox Fitted
2. Ram Air Brake Cleaner Decoke (1 hour)
3. Wynns Diesel Injector Cleaner in Fuel
4. New Battery
5. Charged new Battery
16th Jan 2017 1:48 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Ok, we will set aside the guess for a moment.
A more probable sequence is that your FBH is still struggling to breath and sustain a flame. Running the FBH at a higher voltage allows for a higher fan speed and a stronger glow plug output. It is often the case that an FBH that refuses to sustain with the engine off (with or without a charger) can do so when run off the 15v from the alternator.
The cleaner it is the better the FBH will run, even at lower voltages.
Good luck.
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16th Jan 2017 4:53 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
I await Robbies answer before switching it back on for another 30 minutes now there is injector cleaner in the tank....
16th Jan 2017 5:01 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Yes it should but ultimately it only got coked-up through combustion so it will probably do so again. Running air or solvent through it during a burn to raise temperatures does help to clear the carbon but it comes at a price. I'm still a novice at repairing FBHs (done about a dozen or so) but melted or failed fuel cups seem reasonably common and elevating burn temps does them no favours.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
Well I just ran it normally with no issues (again) for 30 minutes and battery voltage remained at 12.6/12.5 throughout. Hopefully each 30 minute run with Wynns diesel injector cleaner is helping to remove the carbon deposits.
16th Jan 2017 5:39 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
Quick update.
I had issues with non starting yesterday before I realised the fuel was low and the FBH had been locked out.
After clearing the code it started this morning on the Altox App timed schedule at 07.10 and ran the full 20 minutes requested until 07.30 no issues no codes and coolant up to nearly 70c.
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