Member Since: 12 Aug 2018
Location: Henley in arden
Posts: 515
Sorry Fuel burning heater.
Sorry guys, fbh stopped working towards the end of last winter so I serviced it as Robbie’s guide and it worked fine afterwards but only twice. It will start but only run for a minute, I know this is covered a lot but can’t find an answer on the search.
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Couple of pics off gap tool, shortly after the pic was taken the fuel pump came on then a minute later the glow plug went off.
Should I bite the bullet and get a new chamber and glow plug.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
6th Dec 2023 7:04 pm
Bracechenko
Member Since: 29 Jun 2021
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 178
Hi Lee - I am currently in exactly the same boat as you. Same symptoms, same diagnosis that I've done with my IID.
With the recent cold weather, I have been proactively taking the opportunity to start the car with IID readings on display and if the FBH fails to fire then I toggle the climate control off and on again to make it try again until it fires. I have then ensured that I keep the car running (but not driving) with the idea that I want the FBH to burn hot on full burn for as long as possible to clean it out.
I am starting to notice an improvement and would say that it now fires up automatically on the 1st time of asking over 50% of the time. Previous to this, it would never fire at all and required the Webasto WTT software with multiple attempts to get it finally running.
I'm going to keep doing this and see if the hot long burns clean the thing out a bit making it more likely to fire on 1st attempt. If this doesn't keep improving, my next option would be to consider buying a new unit.
EDIT : Just re-read your post and see that you serviced it so assuming it's already nice and clean? May well be poor glow plug then....this is still my suspicion with my unit too but I'll persevere with my approach for a little while longer (or until it's Spring again )
You really need the wabasto software and a laptop, with a interface from ebay, this will allow you to test each component on the FBH and not just trying to guess it.
One trick I use is to a quick spurt of brake cleaner with the intake tube removed just as the FBH is trying to run up.
Flack
7th Dec 2023 1:42 pm
Lee Trinder
Member Since: 12 Aug 2018
Location: Henley in arden
Posts: 515
Thanks for the replies, thought about the webasto diagnostics but it looks like I need windows and we have a MacBook.
I did find sometimes if I turned the cabin heater on whilst I was already up to speed it would be working when I got to my destination, almost as if forced air helped it.
7th Dec 2023 5:34 pm
Lee Trinder
Member Since: 12 Aug 2018
Location: Henley in arden
Posts: 515
Just to add, I have a controller fitted that I use the third button on remote so I always used to preheat, even in the summer sometimes. Problems started when the kids thought the car was on fire one day and it was just belching out smoke.
7th Dec 2023 5:38 pm
Bracechenko
Member Since: 29 Jun 2021
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 178
Lee Trinder wrote:
Thanks for the replies, thought about the webasto diagnostics but it looks like I need windows and we have a MacBook.
I did find sometimes if I turned the cabin heater on whilst I was already up to speed it would be working when I got to my destination, almost as if forced air helped it.
The cabin heater needs to be on for it to even attempt. For some reason, this often gets missed when people state the operating criteria. Most people will tell you that it needs to be 5 degrees or below and not to have the low fuel light on but never mention that the cabin heater also needs to be active for it to attempt.
This caught me out for ages as I never turn on the cabin heater until the engine is warm as what's the point in blowing cold air and slowing the heat up of the engine. I wondered for ages why my FBH wasn't even attempting!
Re: Not having a Windows PC. Might not be worthwhile but I bought a 2nd hand laptop from Ebay for about £60 which was enough to do the job. It's kind of my diagnostic PC as I also need it to run Power Commander software for my 2007 motorbike when I want to play around with the fuel map....just a thought
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