Webasto....

opus · March 26, 2012, 03:18:44 PM

My 2010 starts and run fine. It gets up to operating temp and then cycles down. Problem is, it wont restart again when it cools off. Figure I would ask here before I call them tomorrow and get their thoughts on it. I kinda woke up in the middle of the night rather frigid.

lostagain · March 26, 2012, 03:31:01 PM

When you talk to Webasto customer service, ask them to email you the service manual. You can troubleshoot anything with that. That's how I got mine,

JC

Geoff · March 26, 2012, 05:02:18 PM

My DW 2010 was doing the exact same thing-- it turned out I needed a new controller. I spent a lot of time making sure all the connections to the controller were snug to no avail; but that is where you start before you put out $500 plus for a new controller.

Sean · March 26, 2012, 05:40:35 PM

You need to get the service manual and follow the troubleshooting step by step. It wants you to have a special tester, but you can get by with a voltmeter and some jumpers if you know what you are doing.

Too many possibilities to go through them all here. And you did not give us enough information, such as what style of thermal cutoff you have, and under what conditions you can eventually restart it. That said, on the surface, it sounds like a circulation problem to me -- insufficient coolant flow. Check your plumbing and your pump.

HTH,

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

opus · March 26, 2012, 05:45:37 PM

It has worked fine for a while. I hadnt used it overnight in a few months, but I had run it. It runs fine, circulation should be fine...there are 2 pumps. The OEM one and an external one of the firewall. Thermal cutoff is whatever comes with it default. All I have to do to restart it is to turn the switch off and then turn it back on.

I will check coolant flow tomorrow but I dont see how that could possibly be it in this case.

Sean · March 26, 2012, 06:55:33 PM

Quote from: opus on March 26, 2012, 05:45:37 PM
... All I have to do to restart it is to turn the switch off and then turn it back on. ...

Ah, I misunderstood what you meant when you said that it would not restart after cooling down.

When did you last clean the flame sensor?

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

opus · March 26, 2012, 06:59:40 PM

Gee...not long ago. When it shuts off, thats it...its done. It doesnt try to restart or do anything. Its hooked to an Iota power supply so voltage surely isnt it. It just does its one cycle, correctly and then quits properly but doesnt make an attempt to restart.

I've run it a bunch through the night of course. It runs, cycles off....a little while later, fires up again. Does that all through the night with no issues....until now.

Geoff · March 26, 2012, 07:20:49 PM

When my controller went out the unit would start fine but had trouble restarting after the heater shut down and the temp cooled down to the point it should have fired back up-- instead of firing back up it would just pass unburnt fuel out the exhaust and make a big mess under the bus. I'm sure one if the relays was bad in the controller but I did not have the resources to mess with the board. I got lucky and found a good used controller for $200+ shipping on eBay.

Boomer · March 26, 2012, 09:40:08 PM

You can download the manuals from the Sure Marine website.

Sean · March 27, 2012, 12:13:03 AM

Quote from: opus on March 26, 2012, 06:59:40 PM
Gee...not long ago. When it shuts off, thats it...its done. It doesnt try to restart or do anything. ...

Even though you say it was cleaned recently, I would start by looking at the flame sensor. If the flame sensor shuts the unit down while running, the unit will not restart until it is power cycled. Sometimes you can hear the ignitor clicking during this process (even though the burner is already running).

If that's not it, you'll have to step through the troubleshooting. As I said, it will call for you to use a tester box, which does nothing more than substitute lights and switches for the relays in the expensive control box. You can make one yourself, or just use a VOM and some clip leads to achieve the same thing. It's possible that, like Geoff, you have a sticky relay in the box.

While Webasto likes to pretend there is sophisticated electronics in that box, making it worth nearly $500, it's really just a handful of relays and a couple of discreet components. It is possible to carefully pry the box open and either replace individual relays, or squirt some contact cleaner in them. Sticky relays are probably the most common failure mode for the control boxes.

HTH,

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

opus · March 27, 2012, 06:51:02 AM

Good to know. I will take it apart this week if it dries off some. I have heard plenty about the control boxes. If need be I would take it apart and repair it, with the help of a local guy. You think someone would have come up with a workaround for the expensive control box.

opus · March 27, 2012, 08:18:38 AM

Webasto says it sounds like the control stat...maybe loose wires. He said if it was the flame eye, it wouldnt restart again.

opus · March 29, 2012, 09:41:08 AM

Seems to be working now. Tightened the wires up, not that they were loose.

Might have a dirty relay inside the control box. Tell me about opening the box. Anyone got pics? Can I clean these relays at all? I have a very handy electronics geek at my disposal.

Flatspot · March 30, 2012, 04:24:09 PM

I just fixed one for someone that had the same symptoms.
It was a bad (cracked solder) connection on the printed circuit board at the low voltage cut out relay.
I suspect that there was enough resistance in the connection that after it ran for a time the voltage drop to the relay was enough that it dropped out, locking out the unit. Then it would restart after it (the relay) cooled off.
Like has been said before, get the service manual for troubleshooting just because this was the problem with this webasto unit doesn't mean that it is the problem with yours. It has a good flow chart to follow for troubleshooting. I have a PDF version if you PM me, I will email it to you.

I was able to carefully pry the controller open to access to inspect/repair after it was determined the problem had to be the controller. This also after finding out a new controller was going to be $500+ with shipping.

Larry

opus · March 30, 2012, 04:28:15 PM

I've got a manual, thank you. I have done all the troubleshooting. Talked with Webasto themselves....who are extremely helpful. All seems to be working fine now. I still believe there are minor issues inside the control box. If there are any remaining problems, it is in the control box. Everything else is fine. Can you clean the relays in there or what are your options? I wouldnt be surprised if it had dust in it. We are gravel road people so everything is dusty.