Aux Heater ?

[Bob East Yorks]

Can you just disconnect the sensor in the Winter to temperarily 'solve' the smoking problem or will this affect the car in any way?

 

 

As a tempoary measure until I can remove and service the heater after Xmas I've just pulled out fuse No 12

 

OK, slow warm up ( but that was the case with the heater not firing up properly anyway ) but at least No Smoking

[Gwaredd]

Well, the glowplug arrived the next day & I fitted it that evening. Took about 45 mins, as I couldn't find a pink blanket, so that must have slowed me down a bit :rolleyes: Tools used were 7mm, 10mm & 13mm socket & small extension bar, T20 & T25 torx bits & a flatblade screwdriver for levering. I didn't take the fuel pipe off either, as I saw no need. Just removed the end cap & slid it out to reveal the plug.

 

Plug was knackered. The tip of it had started to melt away. New part No. is 0 100 226 340. Cost was just over

[Beyond Help?]

Hi all my aux heater packed up as well thought it was the themostat , phoned ford dealer dont do that part ? VW dealer

[Beyond Help?]

is our heater model listed here?

It is an OEM version of the 5 series water heater. Older models had an OEM version of the 3 series not shown on the site. The series number refers to the maximum output. 5kW/h or 3kW/h

[Beyond Help?]

http://www.redtop-servicing.co.uk/files/heater.pdf

http://www.redtop-servicing.co.uk/files/d5w.pdf - The model number fitted to the vehicle is D5WS

[Bob East Yorks]

Can you just disconnect the sensor in the Winter to temperarily 'solve' the smoking problem or will this affect the car in any way?

 

 

As a tempoary measure until I can remove and service the heater after Xmas I've just pulled out fuse No 12

 

OK, slow warm up ( but that was the case with the heater not firing up properly anyway ) but at least No Smoking

 

 

 

OK so I got round to stripping down the heater last weekend. The problem seemed to be that the fuel was vapourizing but not igniting so lots of white smoke etc (see previous post)

 

Grobbled about under the car and wasn't too bad-a-job thanks to Ivor's pictorial guide on page 6 above.

 

Got the glow plug out and checked it on the battery - worked fine and glowed orange - yellow hot

Checked the combustion can for sooting up / decoking - was clean

Checked air inlet pipe / exhaust pipe - both ok and not blocked.

 

Assumed it must be the metering pump so reassebbled all in disgust at not finding the problem

 

Then a miracle happened - the heater started working !!!! and seems to be working ok since with no smoke.

 

All I can assume is that there was a bad / dirty electrical connection on either the multiplug under the car, the multiplug in the end of the heater unit or onto the end of the glow plug. In other words the glowplug wasn't getting full power and was therefore wasn't getting hot enough to ignite the fuel but was getting hot enough to vapourise it.

 

Considering the multiplug under the car is the one exposed to all weathers it could well have been that one so if you have the problem that I had it may just be worth spraying the contacts in this plug with switch cleaner or something to clean them before starting to strip down the whole unit.

[greigd]

Hi All,

My first post here so be gentle with me !

 

I'm experiencing the aux heater problem with a few peculiarities. I have an 04 1.9TDi 115 Galaxy ghia. Up until recently I heard the jet noise regularly and assumed it was something to do with cooling the catalytic converter :rolleyes: Anyway a few days ago after a 25 minute motorway run I got stuck in some traffic on the slip road and after around 20 mins of sitting in slow/stationary traffic I noticed a cloud of white/grey smoke in my nearside door mirror. Initially I assumed this was from someone behind me but as I moved off I could see it was following me !! I pulled out of the queue into a truck yard assuming that I had caught fire. On looking underneath the aux heater exhaust was spewing white/grey smoke. I've just read all 21 pages of this thread and found it very informative but my symptoms dont seem to tie in as my temp was reading normal (90) and the outside temp was above 10C. Since the event I dont recall hearing the jet noise with the exception of one cold morning earlier this week. I left the car running on the driveway whilst I sorted the bins and recycling and within 2 minutes the jet noise was there along with a cloud of white/grey smog almost obscuring the car. Before I go changing the glowplug does anyone have any ideas about the first incident?

Thanks in advance

[greigd]

OK a further update on the above problem. Started the car up yesterday afternoon, dashboard temp indicated 9.5C. I was about to pull off when I had a phone call so I left the engine running as I took the call. Within 2 minutes I was sitting in the car surrounded by dense white/grey oily smelling smoke which was coming from the aux heater exhaust. I got out of the car and stood by the N/S/R door and there was no jet noise. I'm assuming the blower isnt working at all. Any thoughts before I take the vehicle to Frauds for a check ?

[stevie m]

Need new glowplug more than likely. If your plug has 2 wires attached to it frauds will sell you one for

[greigd]

Stevie m

 

I took your advice and replaced the glowplug. It was the 2 wire variety and I got one form VW for

[ondra]

My gal takes ages to heat up the interior, heater works but only a bit, after 30 min drive checked the aux. heater exhaust and it was slightly warm while under load. I'm going to test the glow plug. thanks for the info!

 

Took me some time to read 21 pages. Now I am ready for action...

[rickerty]

Hi,

 

I've a 2001 Alhambra,(115) my aux heater smokes like a trooper but the white smoke doesn't come out of the end of the heaters exhaust it looks like diesel is burning off the exhaust where it exits the the unit and along the bend to the little "collector box"(?). I can see a heat haze coming out of the units exhaust and the jet noise is there so it seems to be igniting and getting hot, is there a problem with fuel leaking within the unit?

 

I have also had a new clutch and dual mass flywheel replaced recently and since then when the engine is cold it crunches from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd but doesn't when warm, could it be cable adjustment?

 

And... it "limps" once or twice a fortnight, if I turn the ignition off and straight back on it clears intstantly, should I try the bags of sand trick mentioned else where?

 

 

OR SHOULD OFF LOAD IT ON MY DEALER AND SAY THAT'S NORMAL?

 

Thanks

 

 

P.S. if this has already been covered I missed it, sorry.

[stevie m]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

I have had a new dual mass flywheel and clutch and concentric slave cylinder and it crunched in 1st and 2nd for a while. It seems to have got better tho. I had mine about 6 wks ago. If you have a heat haze from the small exhaust on your aux heater then i would have thought that is normal as when i fixed mine with the addition of a new glowplug that is what i saw plus the jet noise. If there is a problem with smoke pull the number 12 fuse and that will stop the heater from working until you get it fixed.

[trick]

im still havin probs with my heater found wire broken on the small pump by the tank that feeds the heater any one know where to get one other than ford its a benzin pump numbers on it are 25186445 3-1kh ford are saying its

[stevie m]

im still havin probs with my heater found wire broken on the small pump by the tank that feeds the heater any one know where to get one other than ford its a benzin pump numbers on it are 25186445 3-1kh ford are saying its

[rickerty]

Thanks Stevie M

 

Really usefull site by the way, I've not had a good nose around yet but I'll make sure I do.

 

Ric

[trick]

thanks for the reply ill give them a go :rolleyes:

[emporer]

Been flicking through this thread as ive just bought my Galaxy, its a 99 110bhp TDi, noticed a funny smell and didnt realise it had a aux heater, however it dont work, ive read most people change the glow plug, is this a good starting point or try something else first?

[NikpV]

easiest thing to try is the glowplug

[emporer]

ok will try that first, if the new plug doesnt solve it then what would be next on the list to try? cheers

[trick]

cheers for all your info the heater is now workin sounds like a jet engine again it was the glow plug ....... this is a very good sit for info ....... :angry2: :16:

[gregers]

cheers for all your info the heater is now workin sounds like a jet engine again it was the glow plug ....... this is a very good sit for info ....... :angry2: :16:

 

 

glad you got it sorted,yes it is a very good sit(e) for info,its just a shame the dealers are S.IT at sorting out a simple job and most of the time recomend a whole new unit is fitted at great expense.

[stevie m]

cheers for all your info the heater is now workin sounds like a jet engine again it was the glow plug ....... this is a very good sit for info ....... :unsure: :lol:

 

 

Where did you get your glowplug from ?

[Ginettamad]

It seems a cold morning is forecast tomorrow below 5 degrees c so I'll see if my booster heater fires up. Just had the car for a week and its taking a long time for the heater to kick in so I dont think its working correctly, but I'll be back on here for help if its failed.

Anyone live near Tadcaster who has the software to re set my ECU once if I have to change the Glow Plug?

H

[DougJones]

After a lot of haggling with my local Seat garage they have just repaired my booster heater F.O.C. and it is now working.

The problem I know seem to have is that it Fires up every time I start from cold irrespective of the outside Temp.

Once its up towards 90 degrees C it throttles back and stops.

The Seat handbook does say that the heater will operate if the outside Temp is below 5 degrees OR if the WATER temperature is below 75 degrees. This seems different to how most people describe the heater operation on the forum.

Could anybody tell me if this is the normal operation of the heater, or have the Garage somehow set the ECU up incorrectly?

In all other respects the heater works really well - no smoke & quick warmup.

All comments/answers will be welcome.

 

 

 

 

2003 Seat Alhambra 130tdi SE 30,000miles