Smoking Rear Heater

[steve.cafc]

Hello all. I am the owner of a 2001 Alhambra TDI SE, As well as problems with my air con, wipers, limp mode, etc.

Now my rear auxiliary heater is playing up. It wasn't working so I installed a new Beru glowplug, totally stripped and cleaned the unit, reassembled it with new gaskets, but it's blowing out plumes of white/grey smoke.

The heater starts up with a high pitched whine, then a small puff of smoke comes out the exhaust, the noise gets louder, the unit starts warming the water, then plumes and plumes of dense white/grey smoke as if a smoke grenade has gone off !!!

I have driven the car like this, and the heater is working fine with regards to warming the water temperature, it warms up so much quicker, but the bellowing smoke is a problem !

Does anybody have any ideas, the unit was stripped, cleaned, reassembled with new carbon gaskets !

Not enough air in the mixture ? too much diesel going in ?

Thank you in advance for any help or ideas.

Best Regards Steve.

[Lloyd Evans]

Sorry cant help but where did you buy the plug and gasket - I need to do mine very soon!!

[Lloyd Evans]

And forgot to ask how much!!

[chrispb123456]

Did you remove the gauze pictured below with glow plug, they can burn away and cause combustion problems

You may need a new gauze if holed or burnt.

Edited September 20, 2012 by chrispb123456

[steve.cafc]

Hello all, Sorry I haven't replied, I have just come in from taking the heater off again !!

No Crispb123456 I didn't even look at the wire gauze thing as it looked clean, But in hindsight maybe I should have as the glow plug was really pitted and knackered.

I'm going to buy a new gauze on Ebay, £18.95 though !!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280905819774?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_1938wt_1186

 

If anyone is interested I bought my glow plug here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180962772179?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_500wt_969,

Its the older style without the wires, But I wanted to swap like for like.

 

If you intend separating the burner from the fan housing you will need the heat resistant carbon gaskets.

I bought my carbon gaskets here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290762317233?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_500wt_1203

but can you believe he's now closed down, but I have looked online and found this set

https://sales.butlertechnik.com/eberspacher-hydronic-seal-kit-201820990001

 

I'll post again when I have installed the new gauze, and let you all know if it works !!

 

Thanks again for all the help and advice

Best Regards Steve.

[steve.cafc]

Hello All,

I think I've found the cause of my smoking Alhambra, Well at least I hope I have !!!!!!!!!!!

My gauze was very burnt and dark, with a nice big hole in the middle, I've tried to upload a j-peg but I can't do it !!

Thank you crispb123456 for the advice, Hopefully I'm sorted now. New gauze on the way.

 

Best Regards Steve.

[xavier]

have you tried it since changing the gause?

[steve.cafc]

Sorry, The gauze hasn't arrived yet, seems it was posted 2nd class.

If it arrives Monday or Tuesday, I will aim to get the heater back on the car Wednesday.

 

Could someone explain how I upload j-peg photos, I can't work out the url thing !!

 

Many Thanks.

[chrispb123456]

Don't use the image button, you need to attach the photo file stored on your computer.

So click on choose files at the bottom of the reply text box, this will add the file to the text box, then when you post the pic and any text will be displayed.

[steve.cafc]

I think I've up loaded it now !!

 

The gauze did look ok from both ends, but once taken out, You can see clearly the gauze is far from perfect ?

[steve.cafc]

Hello All, Just put the heater back on the car, bypassed the temperature sensor on the Wiper linkage as was 15 degrees out, and guess what ?

It's still smoking !, New glowplug, new glowplug gauge and new gaskets, combustion chamber cleaned.

I have made progress though, four weeks ago my heater wasn't working at all.

Now it's heating the water so quickly, but it's chucking out white smelly fumes.

What else should I look at, are the white fumes overfueling or underfueling, Is the new glowplug getting hot enough ?

Any ideas would be most welcome.

Best Regards Steve.

[chrispb123456]

How long has it been running at full speed? they can take up to 20-25 minutes to clear as you could have diesel laying in exhaust box, is it getting up to full speed? sounds like a jet engine when at full speed

[steve.cafc]

Hello chrispb12345,

 

I let the car run for a good twenty minutes, Just belowed white smoke. Yes heater was whistling a good one.

The inside of the exhaust pipe was cleaned with thinners the other week, when I stripped down the heater.

The exhaust pipe and combustion chamber were totally cleaned.

 

I have been in contact with a Webasto Heater retailer who does repair them, he says my next avenues are to check for under voltage at the heater, fuel pump internal filter, combustion air motor, combustion chamber/flametube.

 

His exact words were "All these items can cause white smoke through poor fuel supply or motor underspeed causing poor fuel atomisation"

 

I have taken the fuel metering pump off tonight, and I'll look at it tomorrow at work.

 

I'll let you know my findings.

Best Regards Steve.

[chrispb123456]

Yes there is a small filter in the end of the inlet pipe, just sits in the end when the larger nut is removed.

 

As for under voltage and fan motor these will both record a fault code in the module if outside their limits so hopefully the filter just needs cleaning as said

 

You said you cleaned the combustion chamber did you remove the chamber from the body or did you just swill out with thinners, reason I ask is they can get quite carboned up and you need to dig out the soot and carbon which you can't do without removing chamber.

[steve.cafc]

Hello Yes I stripped the heater totally. All parts left in thinners overnight then wire brushed all the Internal. They were gleaming, even the combustion chamber tube thing. Then everything was blown through with an air line.

Yes I can confirm that I did pull the combustion chamber out of the water jacket thing.

I've had the metering pump off and the filter looks fine, only thing is, I pulled the wires off and didn't mark them.

The pump terminals don't have a plus or minus, doe's it matter which way round the wires go ?

I know its a weird pulse pump thing ?

Many Thanks Steve

[seatkid]

Its probably a solenoid type pump, it might have a diode strapped across the coil or other electronics, so best to wait until someone with more knowledge comes along - you might bugger it up if the wiring is wrong.

[steve.cafc]

Hello all,

I've had my metering pump looked at by a sparky at my workplace and he has told me that it is a magnetic diaphragm type of pump, and that it doesn't matter which way the wires go. He showed me it working with wires on both terminals, definitely works as it shot out loads of diesel.

I know need to put the pump on the car and measure the output of it.

You can't really service the pump as it's sealed, but un screw the unions at each end, which will reveal a small filter at one end and a spring and ball bearing. Both seemed ok.

Best Regards.Steve