Webasto Heater problems

[cazzyblues]

I have recently purchased a Bongo with the above heater.
The bongo has a zig unit. On the zig unit panel there is another panel with switches that work the fans. Next to that on the same panel is a switch that controls a little green light. Now....these all work. The green light comes on, the fans work but even with the thermostat up high we don't get any heat.

There is a header tank (at least that is what I think it is) in the back of van under the sink area. The taps to sink work but no hot water. We have instructions but can't find the switch described in the instructions or a timer control box that is also in the instructions. The heater works we think using the bongos diesel but we can't find the switch that would ignite the flame.

We have tried the heater using the main battery and the leisure battery. The only thing we haven't tried yet is EHU as we haven't been on site with that facility yet and anyway we would want to use the Webasto when wild camping. We also can't find a yellow 20amp fuse that is described in the instructions.

The main water tank in fitted under the bongo with the cap next to the tool box on the step to the sliding door entrance.
Any ideas please.
Caz

[mikeonb4c]

Generally speaking, Webasto heaters fitted in Bongos are for hot air heating only and don't have anything to do with heating water (though I believe water heating ones can be got). You shouldn't need any electric hook up in order to use a webasto heater. Its a diesel heater and the only electricity it needs is for igniting it and to do with timer/thermostat etc. Are you not able to speak with the previous owner for advice? If not, I'm sure a webasto heated Bongo owner will be on here shortly to advise.

[cazzyblues]

Hi Mike
Thanks for your reply. I have emailed previous owner but I have a feeling they probably don't know the answer. I guessed it would be the diesel that would heat it. It is a Webasto Thermo Top C300 hot water and heating system. At least that is what the instructions say. I am wondering if the instructions are the right ones now. Caz

[mikeonb4c]

Hi Mike
Thanks for your reply. I have emailed previous owner but I have a feeling they probably don't know the answer. I guessed it would be the diesel that would heat it. It is a Webasto Thermo Top C300 hot water and heating system. At least that is what the instructions say. I am wondering if the instructions are the right ones now. Caz

How interesting - not heard of one of those being fitted to a Bongo before. A bit ominous if previous owners don't know the answer as it suggests it might not have been used for some time? Unless you've got DIY skills and someone here can advise (and even then it might be dodgy) I suspect you may need the services of a Webasto engineer. But maybe wait and see who pops up on here with suggestions as there are a fewwho have fitted Webasto heaters, albeit the hot air type I think.

Good luck and keep us posted - an interesting one this .

[cazzyblues]

Will keep you all posted. It is interesting one. The previous owners only had it a short while and purchased it from Ian Taylor so he is the next one to email for info. The conversion was done by Lifestyle and is the fibreglass u shaped one. They are no longer in business. Caz

[mikeonb4c]

Will keep you all posted. It is interesting one. The previous owners only had it a short while and purchased it from Ian Taylor so he is the next one to email for info. The conversion was done by Lifestyle and is the fibreglass u shaped one. They are no longer in business. Caz

Ah yes I've seen those u-shaped ones in pics. I wonder if Ian will know much about the Webasto side of things. However, he may be able to point you to someone good who does, though not necessarily in Hampshire. Have you tried googling generally to see what there is on blogs and chat lines. Canal boat community use Webastos (and more likely to use water heating ones maybe) and there could be clues there.

[cazzyblues]

Hi Mike
Yes tried Google briefly but no luck so far. I have had a reply from previous owner who tells me that the garage she bought it from ( I assume she means Ian Taylor) tried to get it working and has stripped it out but couldn't get it working so didn't advertise it as having a heater and to be fair neither did the lady I bought if from. So not going to be a straight forward one I fear. Next port of call is a Webasco engineer I guess. Caz

[cazzyblues]

The fuse is apparently found in the heater wiring harness. So when I have a few spare moments I will go looking for it as I suspect it has gone to lock down and the fuse needs to be taken out to reset it. That will be a starting point but I still suspect that will not be the end to it all. Caz

[mikeonb4c]

Hi Mike
Yes tried Google briefly but no luck so far. I have had a reply from previous owner who tells me that the garage she bought it from ( I assume she means Ian Taylor) tried to get it working and has stripped it out but couldn't get it working so didn't advertise it as having a heater and to be fair neither did the lady I bought if from. So not going to be a straight forward one I fear. Next port of call is a Webasco engineer I guess. Caz

Hmmm yes good luck. I was looking at Hiace campervans at an importers recently. I asked if he got many that came in with diesel heaters. He said he got some but that generally they were more trouble tan they were worth as they rarely worked properly. This may be a similar case - fixable in theory but uneconomical in practice especially if Webasto engineers are specialist and charge £s. I can't remember the canalboat forum my narrowboat owning friends put me on to a few years back, but it was very good and you might be able to ask on one of those forums how much a Webasto repair might cost etc if you can't get an answer on here.

[cazzyblues]

Thanks Mike,
I have had a look on some forums for boats etc. not helping so far. I have an inkling that if I can locate that fuse and take it out and put back it may kick start it as we were trying to get the heater to work without any water/coolant in the header tank to start with and may have got it locked out. Having said that is seems that Ian Taylor had problems so could be a lot more than that but I live in hope lol. It isn't the end of the world as we are normally camping in warm weather. Caz

[cazzyblues]

Oh and yes on one of the boat forums someone after trying different things spent nearly as much as having a new one fitted.

[mikeonb4c]

Thanks Mike,
I have had a look on some forums for boats etc. not helping so far. I have an inkling that if I can locate that fuse and take it out and put back it may kick start it as we were trying to get the heater to work without any water/coolant in the header tank to start with and may have got it locked out. Having said that is seems that Ian Taylor had problems so could be a lot more than that but I live in hope lol. It isn't the end of the world as we are normally camping in warm weather. Caz

I'd make it a fun 'nice to have' project - it would be cool (or is that hot) if you could get it working. Yours news from the boat forum though is where my fears lie. Much cheaper to get a good 4 seasons sleeping bag and a poncho, but not quite so exciting

In passing, I've always thought a diesel water heater with a radiator would make for much more pleasant heating than hot air, which I hate as its so dry and not a 'deep' radiant heat source.

[Northern Bongolow]

have you seen this link.

http://www.melloronline.co.uk/product_u ... 755151.pdf


this may also help.

http://butlertechnik.com/download/A7/We ... Manual.pdf

lots of stuff on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ROVXbKMag

[sotal]

Not directly related but I have stripped down and repaired a couple of Eberspacher heaters that work in the same way.

Normal faults are:

Glow plug failure (very common)
Blocked gauze filter (Filter around the glow plug)
Failed fan (inside heater unit itself)
Failed dosing pump (Pump that supplies diesel from the cars fuel tank)

The problem with the eberspacher heaters was that if they had a flame out error they would shut down for safety. If the flame out error happened 5 times in a row then the heater is locked out and you have to plug in a diagnostics cable to unlock it. The particular ones I used had a K-Line diagnostics wire which you could hook up to a VAGCOM cable and use VCDS to clear the fault.

I don't know if the Webasto ones are the same but you may need to fix the fault and then clear the error in order to get it to start up.

They were common for failing as they weren't used all summer, then kicked back in again when it got to winter. They can create quite an impressive smoke screen which gets people worried!

[cazzyblues]

Northern Bongolow,
Thanks for the links but yes I have seen them already. I hope they may help once I have time to investigate things further. Caz