Date
1 - 10 of 10
Webasto heater trouble on A54 #replacement
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Dear Forum,
I realize this is of little interest to many of you that enjoy better temperatures than we are currently having. I found that our Webasto diesel Airtop 5500 EVO build in 2008 has problems with the software inside the heater. We noticed the heater going into error mode (Error F2) with some regularity. So we decided the unit could do with a service as it had been just sitting there for more then 10 years. The Webasto dealer replaced the burner and ignition coil, cleaned it and did a test-run. All fine. After the re-install the heater appeared to be fine. After half a day it went back into error mode (Again F2). Next we replace the pump as it was severely corroded and included small air-bubbles in the feed line to the heater. The bubbles went away but not the trouble. Sometimes it would run for 12 hours, sometimes it would cut out at 2 or 3 hours, again with code F2. Talking to the service point and him talking to Webasto apparently there is a series of this heater that have a poor software version that sort of panics under certain circumstances when the heater output needs to change (because of settings change or a thermostat response). You can change the software only by replacing the brains of the heater at half the cost of a new heater. So I decided to buy a new one (AirTop 55 EVO, notice the difference in number) that has an new brain version that can be updated in situ and also has a more modern control unit with timer function and temperature setting in degrees. Putting in the new unit was fairly simple as the cable harnas is the same, only the cable to the pump uses a different connector and you must replace the pump as well for the newer model. You need to provide a cover plate for the old thermostate hole as the new one is much smaller. All ducts can remain the same as well as the mounting spot. From the outside the heater looks exactly the same. The new one has ran for several days now with no problems. Cheers, Arno Luijten SV Luna, A54-121 Rotterdam |
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It is a complicated issue. You have to turn it on even for a short time so it works and shut it down properly. The fuel supply is very important and Amel has done a very good job by positioning the pump after the Racor filter so the fuel is always in the pump.
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================= Στάλθηκε από το iPhone of Dimitris Krasopoulos Mob Greek +306944302318 Mob Dubai +971564602575 On 18 Dec 2022, at 1:47 PM, Arno Luijten <arno.luijten@...> wrote:
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Vladan SV PAME
Hi Arno,
I replaced my originally installed Airtop 5500 with new Airtop 55 almost two years ago. Old one was showing error F05 and after examination by Webasto service / dealer they estimated cost of repair to 3/4 of the price of new one. As old unit has 10.000 hours on it I went for new one. Replacement was straight forward job but among fuel pump that is must to be replaced on advice from dealer / service I replaced exhaust pipe as well. Also if I remember well I needed to change electrical connectors on fuel pump for sure but on main unit as well. I used old control panel until recently when I installed new digital one. I noticed that with new digital control panel heater responds more faster and much more accurate to chosen temperature. Best Regards, -- Vladan A54 #157 SV PAME |
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Gerhard Mueller
Ever heard of the China Diesel Air Heaters? They are copies of the Webasto or Eberspaecher but for less than a tenth of the price. I bought one years ago for about 100 Euro. Works perfectly.
-- Gerhard Mueller Amel Sharki #60 Currently North Sea, Germany |
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ianjenkins1946 <ianjudyjenkins@hotmail.com>
A non-Amel friend ( we do have some!) bought a Chinese " Eberspacher ". It lasted a year. Not
worth repairing. He has bought a second.
Our Eberspacher ( a real one, made in Germany ) is 22 years old with one service. Hasn't missed
a beat.
The maths is irresistible. We support European engineering at our cost but it would be be shame to lose it. Thankfully, there is no Chinese " Amel ".....yet.....
Ian and Judy, Pen Azen, SM 302, Kilada, Greece
From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> on behalf of Gerhard Mueller via groups.io <carcode@...>
Sent: 18 December 2022 16:28 To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Webasto heater trouble on A54 #replacement Ever heard of the China Diesel Air Heaters?
They are copies of the Webasto or Eberspaecher but for less than a tenth of the price. I bought one years ago for about 100 Euro. Works perfectly.
-- Gerhard Mueller Amel Sharki #60 Currently North Sea, Germany |
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Gerhard Mueller
Ian and Judy
I do have a MacBook laptop and will not miss it. It is fabricated in China as most of all devices from Apple. -- Gerhard Mueller Amel Sharki #60 Currently North Sea, Germany |
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To the Chinese heaters:
Not to be rude but I have a problem putting a non-certified underpriced heater that is very much able to ignite the whole boat in a boat that holds most of my life savings. They may be safe but they also may not be safe, who can say? Also a well known problem are the motor bearings and the brushed motor. I’m not saying the Webasto is the best heater ever, but three years guarantee does mean something when provided by a reputable company. Lots of car and truck manufacturers use these units as well. I was disappointed by my old unit as it did only 750 hours, but the dealer gave me a good trade-in price and none of the units on my previous boats ever missed a beat. Also you could argue the unit developed these problems because of lack of usage. Nothing gets better by sitting idle in the tropics for more then 10 years. Of course no all stuff made in China is bad but if the origins are unclear and not backed up by a reputable company that build a name for itself I’m not buying a potential hazardous device from China. Arno Luijten SV Luna A54-121 |
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I have a rule that I will not break. When the product you are adding to your boat can ignite and comes from a source or country that is proven to be unreliable in design or quality, I will not add it to my home or boat.. I urge all of those who have not experienced this to take this rule into consideration. Bill
On Sun, Dec 18, 2022 at 11:58 PM Arno Luijten <arno.luijten@...> wrote: To the Chinese heaters: |
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As far as I know there are two manufacturers, webasto (recently bought by a bigger company) and espar.
After research I bought an espar from an online store in the UK, great service, great price and I will happy to share their name. The box arrived with the connections. Espar includes all fittings for all models. Don't be surprised if you have parts left after the installation. Just throw them away after testing. Don't assume you forgot something. It took me two days to run the wires, the exhaust, etc...It was not complicated and I had to look at some youtube videos. I personally don't think the risk of fire is the most important here, it is CO/CO2 exhaust gases. They will kill you. Unlike previous gas boilers (and gas engines) the risk of fire and explosion is limited with diesel. BUT make sure you have proper clearance everywhere: SS plate, insulation around exhaust (buy online those built for motorbikes). That thing gets pretty hot, no contact with combustible (GRP, paper, hoses) 1. the boiler is small, very efficient a marvel of engineering. You will have to get access to the right fitting to connect to the diesel tank. 2. Plan VERY CAREFULLY your exhaust and you air intake. Keep the two as far away as you can. Avoid long exhaust pipes and avoid turns if you can. At our local ski resort we have at least one death every year from those units. Snow piles up, blocks the exhaust and you find dead bodies in the morning. A lot of things can block the exhaust on your boat, and you have to watch that all the time. Make sure your crew understands that as well and double check. Buy a CO/CO2 tester and use that after the installation and on a regular basis. -- John Bernard "JB" Duler San Francisco Meltem # 19, Western Med |
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Scott SV Tengah
My Webasto through hull exhaust pours out rust like crazy when we're even using the fan without diesel heating. Attached is a pic, admittedly bad as we're on the hard and the cradle is right at the exhaust! Corrosion primarily occurs when we're sailing as that's when it gets sprayed/submerged in saltwater.
Today, for kicks, I tested the outlet and found that it was definitely negatively charged. I was getting around 200ohms continuity between 24v negative and the Webasto through hull exhaust. Has anyone else had this issue? I am thinking perhaps carbon dust has built up in the fan motor and caused the fan case to be negatively charged? -- Scott 2007 A54 #69 SV Tengah http://www.svtengah.com |
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