Auxiliary Heater only works intermittently

[pwicke]

Just been away for a few days and the heater will only work sometimes Appears completely random when it decides to work, Have solar panel and used EHU, Plenty of diesel Have reset control panel and checked for errors of which there were none It says is no programme set Any ideas ? Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Just been away for a few days and the heater will only work sometimes Appears completely random when it decides to work, Have solar panel and used EHU, Plenty of diesel Have reset control panel and checked for errors of which there were none It says is no programme set Any ideas ? Thanks

Not knowing which vehicle you have means I'm unable to help I'm afraid. Not all Californias have the same control system.

 

[pwicke]

Sorry I should have said It’s a 2011 T5

 

[WelshGas]

Sorry I should have said It’s a 2011 T5

OK.
The requirements are;
At least 1/4 tank of diesel.
The voltage on the Control Panel must never drop to 11.5v or less at any stage.
The Heating Level must be above ambient temperature in the van. So Level 1 or 2 may not cut it unless the van is cold.
Switch one of the kitchen lights on when you next start the heater. If it flickers when the heater tries to start then you might have a poor connection on the Earth Shunt relay.
You said you have Solar but if the Cube fuse has gone on the rear leisure battery then you will only be running on 1 leisure battery, the front battery , and solar could only be charging the rear battery, depending on how it is connected.
Likewise, if on EHU, I presume you have the Plug symbol on the Control Panel when connected, will only charge the front Leisure battery.
Lastly, if these are original leisure batteries they may charge OK but fail to deliver the required current, upto 15+ amps when starting the heater .

 

[pwicke]

Thanks for your reply - we’ll try and investigate further with your ideas They are the original leisure batteries but I don’t understand why suddenly it decides to work as soon as we switch it on but other times seems dead !
I’ll report back

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks for your reply - we’ll try and investigate further with your ideas They are the original leisure batteries but I don’t understand why suddenly it decides to work as soon as we switch it on but other times seems dead !
I’ll report back

If the batteries are 12 yrs old then they may just not be able to cope and the variability might be vdry dependant on the time when last fully charged, especially if only running on 1 battery because the cube fuse has blown.

 

[pwicke]

Thanks very much for your help - we’ll look at it all and let you know

 

[flying banana]

What does the control panel say on start up? Does it show a big current draw? It would show that on start up to indicate the glow pin is glowing inside the heater

 

[KGCali]

If you don't run the heater regularly the glow plug/flame sensor can coke up, ideally run it 30-60 mins every month on a high temperature - perhaps whilst your charging the batteries on EHU)

 

[pwicke]

Update The cube fuse is fine, the kitchen light didn’t flicker when trying the heater The heater started once on EHU yesterday but not started again either on or off EHU
Removed EHU last night after 24 hours plugged in and control panel showing 12.8v and -0.2 A
The heater either occasionally just fires up as normal and seems to work normally or is completely silent We’ve got it set at level 7
Thanks for the help so far - any more ideas of things to check ?

 

[Kingfisher]

Keep an eye on the voltage on the display while starting the heater. As the glow plugs start to draw a large current, the voltage goes down slightly. If it goes down a lot, say around 12.0 V, then the batteries are your culprit. 11.6 V is the cutoff voltage that shuts down the heater, if I remember correctly. The display may not update fast enough four you to see it reaching that far down.

Alternatively, you could have a loose electrical connection somewhere. Never heard of that happening before, though.

 

[flying banana]

Pull out the control panel and check the plugs on the back are clicked in place. You may be looking at removing the undertray and dropping the heater out. There will be a plug into the heater control unit. Check that too. As said though it looks like batteries are good but poor batteries sometimes show a good steady voltage but drop rapidly under load

 

[pwicke]

It has started with the engine running and the batteries dropped from 12.8 v down to 12.2 v straight away - the batteries are 12 years old so does that indicate we need new batteries ?

 

[KGCali]

It has started with the engine running and the batteries dropped from 12.8 v down to 12.2 v straight away - the batteries are 12 years old so does that indicate we need new batteries ?

No as there is a huge current drawn on start up of the aux heater so the voltage will drop initially but shouldn't keep falling, just check the voltage rises to around 12.4V to 12.6V once the heater has been on for 10 minutes plus and once it's off. If the voltage keeps falling then get the batteries checked at a moto store and replace with Varta LA80 batteries.

 

[WelshGas]

It has started with the engine running and the batteries dropped from 12.8 v down to 12.2 v straight away - the batteries are 12 years old so does that indicate we need new batteries ?

If the voltage dropped that far with the engine running then there is a problem.

1. Was the engine actually running! with the “G” symbol in the bottom R of the Control Panel screen?
2. What is the Control Panel voltage with the engine running?

 

[pwicke]

Update -13.8v not on EHU and without engine running then 14.2v when start engine with G in bottom R corner of control panel but sadly no heater this time !

 

[Murray]

Sorry to but in on this, but here are some guys that know their stuff
When the heater is on it sounds like a fan with dust in the workings. What is the fix?

 

[WelshGas]

Sorry to but in on this, but here are some guys that know their stuff
When the heater is on it sounds like a fan with dust in the workings. What is the fix?

Probably needs removing and cleaning/servicing. They are robust units and can work for many years but occasionally do go wrong. They do require regular use for longevity.

 

[Murray]

Thant is what I thought , but where do one begin to remove the unit apart from paying extensively for labour cost?

 

[WelshGas]

Thant is what I thought , but where do one begin to remove the unit apart from paying extensively for labour cost?

It is relatively easy. Firstly you have to remove the plastic undershield under the drivers seat RHD.
There will be a fuel line to disconnect and a wiring loom. The air intake tube and outlet to disconnect , possibly exhaust and the heater is held in by a metal bracket.
These heaters are commonly found on HGVs and yachts/Cruisers so there might be a local service agent.

 

[Murray]

Will have a look see, If to complicated I will get it to a agent as you suggested. Thank you.

 

[flying banana]

Thant is what I thought , but where do one begin to remove the unit apart from paying extensively for labour cost?

With some basic mechanical knowledge and electrics you can buy a kit to service it. But the noise you describe sounds like a dry bearing, or a loose air fan. There's 2 air fans in them. A combustion air fan that sucks air into the combustion chamber and the fresh air fan that blows over the heat exchanger. A bit like a jet engine. Its Nothing to worry about in the short term,apart from the noise, but getting bearings on and off shafts are more tricky. You need pullers. Presses etc. I've never stripped one of these things down yet. Best bet is remove the unit and look online for service exchange?

 

[Murray]

Busy redoing the interior of my Beach and once that is done it is time to get that sorted. Tanks again