BCM Community
Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: David Anderson on February 04, 2022, 07:26:57 PM
-
My webasto is spitting fuel out the exhaust. I noticed yesterday. I opened the burner head and the diffuser and water jacket were clean, no soot. It is heating the coach just fine. I do see a few puffs of white smoke during the cool down cycle.
We are on the road for 3 more weeks so I hope it doesn’t fail us. We will be in Taos Sunday. Really cold. In flagstaff tonight. Expecting 16. Brr
Any ideas what’s causing this?
David
-
i don't know the first thing about a Webasto but my guess from what you're saying is it is burning rich. Elevation?
-
Dang it is the relay control pack. The fuel is pumping but not firing the spark. I can tap my finger nail on the box cover and it immediately lights. If I wait too long it lights and smokes like a fog with all the fuel in the chamber.
There are 5 relays in the pack. I know those packs are about $500.
Not sure how I’m going to make it through my trip.
Ugh 😩
-
Dave anyway to install one or two of those chinese diesel heaters? for back up heat or use electric heaters and generator til you get home.
-
David, I don't know where you are but this guy is excellent on Webasto:
Rudy Legett
713.818.3234
Housten tx
He will talk you through the trouble shooting and has the parts to fix it. Also the manuals are online in case you need them.
The better solution is to replace all the expensive Webasto control system with one from Beckett which is more reliable and less expensive. There are threads on the Foretravel and Wanderlodge boards about how to do that.
TOM
-
There should be a number on the control box. Check the fleabay or the jungle site you might find one for far less money.
-
David I have a spare control box. I am north of Denver but could meet you half way. My box is 12 volt . I don't know of anything else that we need to make sure the box will work on your system
Wayne
3035920372
-
David my phone number was wrong it is 3035910372
-
are the igniters needing adjusting?
-
Thanks Rusty, very gracious. We made through 14 degrees last night ok. I stuck a small space heater on low in my plumbing bay. Kept it 57 degrees.
I found this control box from the website below:
https://www.heatso.com/spheros-control-unit-sg-1553-12v/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx8TO9PXo9QIVkyCtBh0dowNbEAQYASABEgLVifD_BwE
The plug is exact to mine.
The area code is southern CA.
I will research Beckett
David
-
That's a good price. If you change your mind the offer still stands. You can use mine until you get home.
-
do yourself and your wallet a favor, investigate the Beckett mod
http://newellgurus.com/showthread.php?tid=5386&highlight=Beckett
-
do yourself and your wallet a favor, investigate the Beckett mod
http://newellgurus.com/showthread.php?tid=5386&highlight=Beckett
Thanks Richard,
I read through Steve Denton's post from the link you sent. That looks like a really cool modification. I assume that I can use the ignition spades on the Beckett
7556P 152M1 to send voltage to my OEM coil, right? I just replaced it about a year ago. $300
I think my fuel on delay for my OEM controller is about 5 seconds. On the Beckett 7556P the setting is 15 seconds. Should I specify a shorter delay?
I can do this, but I may need some tutoring.
I searched for the Beckett controller and found it at Walmart.com for $178. Wow.
David
-
You don’t need to order a special time delay. The stock one works just fine.
And the Beckett works great with the stock coil and the stock flame sensor.
I have done this mod also, and it has been flawless.
I took the time to rewire the internal wiring in the Webasto with high temp silicone insulated wire. The existing wiring was too light of a gauge to support the blower motor in my opinion, plus 20 years of heat had taken it’s toll.
-
I don't see a lot of complexity in wiring this system. I would put small pilot lamps (LED's) on each circuit segment which would show me each function in real time. That would be great for diagnostics.
When I get home from my trip I'm going to look at this closely and most likely take the plunge and do it.
We are in Taos now and we made it through -8 degrees without freezing my plumbing. I stuck and electric space heater in my mechanical bay. I was really worried this wouldn't do it, but I've gone through 3 nights in a row with no issues. Boy, the park's electric meter is spinning, about 75kw per day :o running 5 electric heaters plus an electric water heater.
Redundancy is paying off.
David
-
The LEDs are a good idea, as is Denton’s execution by using a terminal board for connecting the Beckett wiring to the Webasto/AH circuits.
Before the Beckett conversion, I actually used a data logger hooked to my laptop to try to understand why it was so flaky and intermittent. The data logger allowed my to look at microsecond differences in the sequence of shutdown events as they happened. My point being the LED will not give you diagnostics on shutdown sequence .
HOWEVER, Beckett sells a diagnostic unit that attaches to the controller that not only displays fault sequence but also allows you to change all the timing parameters. It is less than a 100 bucks, quite the deal.
-
Webastos don't care much for the 20% bio fuel either ,since using the Cummins fuel additive recommends my Aqua Hot is one happy camper starts ,burns cleaner and EGT are 24 degrees higher
-
I was having control box issues with my DBW 2012, and found the Sphero box worked fine.
-
I have the Aqua Hot ll same as a Webasto,I bought a control from Lloyd (new) for a spare for $250.00
-
I was having control box issues with my DBW 2012, and found the Sphero box worked fine.
Thanks for the feedback. I was wondering about that product. That would be an easy plug and play replacement (SG 1553 12 volt).
The best price I've found is 324.99 plus S/H
Any price better out there?
Clifford, who is Lloyd?
Looks like it is made in Ukraine. May not be made much longer if Putin has his way.
David
-
I've got a cheap $15 ebay thermostat hooked to mine. Works pretty good...
Jim
-
I don't know why you guys put up with all the maintenance issues with Webasto and Aquahot? My 2-10gal elec water heaters I installed in 1994 were replaced in Jan 2020 with 2 more electric. Maintenance issues in 26 years-zero. Propane furnace replaced once in that time (my fault let it run for 2 weeks. New furnace has cut off). Total cost for two water heaters AND the furnace-less than $1,000. But you do what you want. Good Luck, TomC
-
I don't know why you guys put up with all the maintenance issues with Webasto and Aquahot? My 2-10gal elec water heaters I installed in 1994 were replaced in Jan 2020 with 2 more electric. Maintenance issues in 26 years-zero. Propane furnace replaced once in that time (my fault let it run for 2 weeks. New furnace has cut off). Total cost for two water heaters AND the furnace-less than $1,000. But you do what you want. Good Luck, TomC
Yes, that has been said on this forum many times.
Too heavily invested in the Webasto to give it up :-\
In its defense it is the most balanced and comfortable heat in the coach because all the hydronic lines are copper under the floor warming it, and the radiant heaters are against the wall discharging heat up the the walls and windows. I can't get that balance with forced air. I do love the scavenged heat from the engine while driving down the road.
Since we could not use it at Taos, I used 500KW for 7 nights running electric heat and we still had to wear sweaters in the coach, and as I posted above it got down to -8 degrees. I'm not sure my in bay hydronic heater would have kept it above 32 even if it had been working. I've never camped in that kind of weather, but I had a great time skiing ;D
If the RV park knew that they may start making me buy an extra site like they do for charging an electric vehicle.
Yes, I agree it is too complicated of a system, however.
-
Got it done.
I really liked how the Beckett system looked, but I got lazy and ordered the Heatso control. It is plug and play, so it is done. The only anomaly I found is that when I turn on the engine heat option which scavenges heat from the Detroit to heat the coach the burner unit fan motor comes on for about 10 seconds and goes off.
It doesn't do that with the oem control. Not sure what to make of that.
Otherwise, I'm satisfied. On to the next project.
I also found a nifty wiring diagram from webasto that is helpful. I can probe each one of those terminals with my meter and see what voltages are going through the wires to the box. Helps to troubleshoot problems.
I can set my meter at 20v dc and place the red probe on C6 and the black to bus frame ground and see the actual voltage going through the flame sensor during a burn cycle. It should be in the 12 volt range. Mine fluctuating from 12 volts to almost 9 volts making the heater cut out. It was defective. New sensor stays in the 12 volt range.
Another change I made, but I did this several years ago was to not let the control box relay carry the current of the circulator pump motor (A1 and A2) I only let that circuit power a 30 amp relay coil to engage the pump ciruit. I wired a separate circuit for the pump. It was a bit too much load for that tiny internal relay.
David
-
glad you got it working again
and glad mine is gone ,
if only they could have made it easer to find the problem it sure would have helped the unit I had
-
I don't know why you guys put up with all the maintenance issues with Webasto and Aquahot?
1. No maintenance issues for me if proper preventive maintenance is performed. Then again, I was in HVAC for a living so nothing in the system is a mystery.
2. When we go the the beach, all 17 of my grand kids + 2 adults can rinse off in my shower and still have hot water for me.
3. I can live in my bus all winter without having to unhook and leave to get propane or diesel.
4. The heat is very quiet and uniform throughout the coach.
5. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla! ;D ;D
TOM
-
many places deliver propane. And all that annual maintenance is not needed with propane. Yes they need a little.
-
many places deliver propane. And all that annual maintenance is not needed with propane. Yes they need a little.
We're probably not going to agree here but I did maintenance on my propane heaters because I didn't like the smell of fried dust bunnies and other miscellaneous things that get in them. I have had 11 propane heaters over the years and had to replace 5 of them. And they were a pain to replace in my particular coaches. That is not exactly "maintenance free".
You are right about delivery. Lots of choices; however, I spent over $1000 heating may last propane coach for the winter. That was 3 years ago when propane was a lot cheaper than it is now. I have spent a little over $300 heating my coach this year with same usage. Plus I don't spend time looking for the best price and arguing with some yahoo over filling the coach tank.
TomC asked why anyone would choose a Webasto over the system he uses. I gave my reasons. I don't know why anyone would want to run a generator to heat water but, I don't really care. If they are happy with theirs, that's all that counts.
This is similar to the 2 stroke VS 4 stroke discussion. I LIKE my 2 stroke. That why I got one! LOL! In all my years of driving trucks and buses, I have only had 3 or 4 instances of people telling me how good my truck sounded when it was powered by a 4 stroke; and that was when I was driving a '50s Acar with 220 or a 250 Cummins ...... no turbo with straight pipe. That did sound good. At the same time, I have lost track of how many comments I have gotten over how good my 2 strokes sound. I recently was in a shop with a pit just to look things over (preventive maintenance). When I was ready to leave, the old shop owner called the young mechanics over. I fired up the DD and he said, "Now, THAT'S how a engine is supposed to SOUND!" LOL!
Everyone has what they like and can afford. And that's why they make chocolate and vanilla! ;D ;D
TOM