C8 Webasto heater help please !

[jml]

Hi Guys

Newbie here with a brilliant C8 2.2 HDi 173 that has covered over 90,000 virtually trouble free miles. I'm hoping that some of you whizzkids out there might be able to help me with a self-induced problem I have !

I have to do frequent short journeys from cold and the Webasto heater that is fitted under the floor does a great job of heating up the car in cold weather. However I decided to fit a Kenlowe type 240v mains powered pre heater as well so that the cooling system would be warm even before I started. I've plumbed this into the under car pipe work that leads to and from the webasto unit.

I removed the webasto unit to do this - just a very small diesel feed pipe; a five? way block connector and the two coolant pipes. However, after refitting, the Webasto unit doesn't operate when it should (below 10? degrees) - it worked perfectly before.

My guess is that either I need to bleed the system or I've messed up the electronics.

Has anybody any experience of this and can give me any idea how to fix it ?

I even have the list of fault codes for the Webasto unit but no reader so, if it is Electrics, any suggestions for a really basic/cheap EOBD reader ?

I hope my first post makes some sort of garbled sense and is in the right place etc and I also hope someone can help !

Cheers

[CitroJim]

Welcome!

As the device can be interrogated with a fault code reader I'd get that done. Don't use a generic reader but rather get the car diagnosed with proper Citroën Lexia diagnostics as they will be far more specific.

Many of our members have Lexia systems and will carry out a read for you. A list of those people can be found in the 'supersticky' area of the forum.

The problem might be as simple as an air lock in the diesel feed.

[h2ocooler]

Mine will only kick in at 9 deg or below and if the coolant temp is below 60, Lexia will run it on actuator tests and should find faults too.

[jml]

Excellent - many thanks for your quick replies.

I was going to try bleeding the diesel feed (but it's just been too bleeding cold to do so recently !) although I'm not quite sure how !

I'll have a look to see if I can find a friendly Lexia owner nearby - thanks.

Cheers

Ps Thanks Jim for the Lexia suggestions - it looks like I'm pretty close to Stickyfinger so maybe I'll have to brave the sheep in stockings and see if he'd be happy to help !

[Xantidote]

I was going to try bleeding the diesel feed (but it's just been too bleeding cold to do so recently !) although I'm not quite sure how !

I do the engine maintenance on a boat with a diesel heater. Although it's not a Webasto, I'd expect it to be similar. After moving the boat's heater to a more accessible location, it wouldn't fire up until I'd bled the fuel system. The tiny (3mm o/d?) copper fuel pipe was connected into the underside of the heater at a banjo coupling, and all I had to do was disconnect this, and operate the heater's controls, so that the electric pump in the fuel line pumped fuel up to the banjo, ejecting trapped air in the process. Reconnected, and bingo. Good luck

[jml]

Thanks Martin,

I'll give that a try although I rather suspect this one may be a gravity feed rather than pumped. It is a tiny pipe though and it could well be 3mm. Either way I need to get back underneath !

If I can find out how to post a picture I could post one of the Webasto unit removed if it would be of interest to anyone.

Cheers

[Hell Razor5543]

This link explains how to post pictures;

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 19&t=35470" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;