Westfalia Diesel Furnace & Other Heaters

Zach Woods

New member
The following is archival from a response I made to a question concerning the Westfalia Diesel Fired Furnace.

*****
Hello -

I received the following email question about a Westfalia Diesel
Furnace that is not functioning. The Yahoo email address is
bouncing so I thought it would make sense to post the question and
answer here - hopefully the folks asking the question will see this
and maybe this will benefit others.

Zach Woods
zwoods@...

*****

kathpiros wrote:
Hi,

We bought a westy a few weeks back and love it. It did have some
things that the dealer forgot to nclude, that's OK now. Our main
problem is figuring out the cabin aux heater. No matter how we set it
- timer or manual it only runs for 2 minutes and cools for 3 for a
toal of 5 - any ideas on how this unit shoudl work?

Thanks kath and jan

*****

Howdy Kath & Jan -

I think your diesel furnace (cabin aux heater) is not working. I
had the same problem when I first got my Westy and I took it back to
my dealer where they performed a warranty repair w/ one or more new
parts. My diesel furnace would function (malfunction) exactly as
you describe yours. I can't remember what the repair and part(s)
were and I am away from home (in NJ in my Camper) so I can't look it
up. Tell your dealer that the diesel furnace seems to try to start
up but then cycles off fairly quickly and they should be able to fix
it from there - this should definitely be a warranty repair - mine
was.

If you already know about all of the heaters in your Westfalia
please skip over the following. If you don't know that you have 5
separate heating systems (I had to figure this out over time/ with
help from others in my camper) then read on . . .

1. Standard auto heater - engine running, use dials on center of
dash to control heat. Note that the two vents in the center top of
the dash (just above/ around the stereo) only allow fresh un-heated
or cooled air into the vehicle - turn these off/ close these when
you want heated (or cooled) air only in the vehicle.

2. Seat heaters - use buttons on each end of the bank of switches to
the right of the shift knob to control the heaters in the driver and
passenger seats.

3. Engine heat scavenger - on the right most heater control in the
center of the dash, look for the text "REST". This is a button
which can be used after the vehicle engine is turned off to scavenge
the remaining heat from the engine and blow it into the vehicle's
interior. GREAT when you park for an evening of camping and/or
don't want to / aren't ready to turn on the diesel furnace.

4. Engine & Interior pre-heater - On the bank of switches to the
right of the shift knob, use the heat symbol (wavy lines rising) to
turn on an engine & interior pre-heater. This heater is diesel
fired and it will heat the engine coolant and blow the resulting
heated air into the vehicle interior. Great for a cold morning to
pre-warm both the engine and the vehicle interior.

5. Diesel Furnace - Controlled via the control panel above where the
rear view mirror would be if we had a rear window. There are a
number of different ways to control this heater (via timers to turn
it on and via simple temperature settings).

Good luck!

Zach Woods
zwoods@...
 

Zach Woods

New member
This is correct...I had the same problem. There are apparently a
couple wires crossed under the driver's seat. My dealer checked into
this and fixed it about 15 minutes. Now it works perfectly. Before, it
would start, heat for about 5-7 minutes, then shut off, never to turn
on again. Now it is perfect..comes on, heats the cabin up to the set
temperature and then maintains it dead on and quietly.
 

Zach Woods

New member
Hi Zach,

Thanks for the summary of the myriad of Westfalia heating options.
There is actually yet one more, which you kind of alluded to
indirectly. Mine at least also has a pushbutton on the center console
for a cab diesel auxiliary heater. It's like the diesel fired cabin
heater except it's under the front left fender and produces hot air
out the dash vents. It is a simple on/off thing and the heat level is
controlled via the dash temp knob. I didn't know that this is also
what the "heater booster" (wavy lines on dash control) uses. In any
case, even if these are these are the same contraption, they are
turned on differently and have sort of different operating parameters
(this auxiliary heater does not warm the engine like the heater
booster does). I found this auxiliary cab heater VERY nice last
weekend when I needed heat FAST! and didn't have time to wait for the
cabin heater to get the temp up and didn't want to run the motor to
get heat.

So make it 6 options...or maybe 5+ :)

mogul2us
 

Zach Woods

New member
Are you guys talking about the heater that is the switch with the three rising arrows on the dash and the neat little exhaust pipe inside the LF fender well? Or the Westy furnace under the drivers side middle?
 

Zach Woods

New member
The initial question (based on how similar the symptoms were to what
was happening on my camper) was about the camping focused diesel
furnace that is controlled via the central electronics control in the
upper center of the cab area (exhaust is right near the fresh water
drain pipe under the drivers side center).

We branched out from there to the many other heating systems, options
and controls . . .

Zach Woods
zwoods@...
 

Zach Woods

New member
Your Westfalia already comes with a heater that should get the job
done. Check out
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sprinter_westfalia/message/203
(message #203) to get some more detail.

Depending on what you want an engine block heater to do, heater #4 in
message #203 should get the job done. It is my understanding that that
heater is diesel fired and that it is heating the engine coolant. The
standard heater blower fan is also turned on which serves to take air
and blow it over the heater core and into the vehicle interior.

As an option on other Sprinter models, a timer/control (and apparently
a remote control as a further option) is available as well. The timer
is mounted in the center console lower left where the small bin/
compartment sits in Westfalias. The timer allows you to set 3 (I
believe I have that right) times that you could then use to start the
heater up just as you can use the camper control console in the top
center of the cab to start the camping diesel fired furnace. The
remote control sounds like it could be used to manual start this engine
and cab pre-heater from a distance of the Sprinter (ie from inside your
house on a cold morning).

I am assuming that it would not be too hard to add the timer/ control
console and the remote control but I am just guessing on this!

Zach Woods
zwoods@...
 

Zach Woods

New member
The diesel furnace that is controlled by the control center (located
center above windshield) and the auxiliary diesel fired heater that is
turned on by a rocker switch on the center dashboard console/ bump are
two entirely different units.

Reference message #203 and it's replies for a discussion of all of the
heater options in an Airstream Westfalia:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sprinter_westfalia/message/203

If the auxiliary diesel fired heater is working you should be able to
feel hot air being blown out of the heater outlets in the dashboard
even when the engine is not running. Note that you need to set the
heater controls properly (basically turn the heat all the way up, close
the center dashboard top outlets, and turn the fan all the way up).
You also should hear this heater running and might be able to notice
some exhaust in the left front wheelwell.

To test the diesel fired furnace you should turn it on at the control
panel as described in your manual and set the temperature up around 75
degrees or so. Check the heater registers (one near floor just behind
the drivers seat, one near floor on kitchen stove/ sink cabinet, and
one in the bathroom about a quarter of the way up the wall as you stand
facing the toilet). It will take a little while for the furnace to
start up and to heat to the point where you will feel hot air blowing
(leave the vehicle with the furnace running for 20 minutes or so and
come back to see if hot air is blowing out of the registers). You can
also check the small exhaust pipe that ends right near the water tank
dump valve - it should be blowing warm/hot exhaust when the heater is
functioning properly.

In both of the above cases you need to have above a certain amount of
diesel in your tank (just make sure it is over half to play it safe - I
can't remember the minimum required off-hand) and you must have enough
battery power (again, just drive the vehicle for a little bit to
guarantee a good charge for the tests). In the case of the diesel
fired furnace, the outside temperature needs to be below 50 degrees (I
think I have that number right) for it to function.

Most (maybe all?) Airstream Westfalia's seem to be arriving in the US
with either a wiring problem or a part that needs replacement before
the diesel fired furnace can function. If you still don't have
evidence that the furnace is functioning after the above tests take it
to your Airstream dealer and tell them that the diesel fired furnace is
not working (it most likely seems to start up and blow cold/ cool air
for a minute or three and then it cycles off) and you need them to
repair it under warranty.

I went thru this with mine and I know other folks have as well!
 

Allobet

Member
Zach,
I am confused. How are we expected to turn the diesel cabin heater on once a month if outside temp needs to be at least 52 for it to work?
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Zach probably doesn't check subforum as often as he used to as moderator.

Cabin heater can work at temps well above 52.

That figure may apply more to the driver side under headlight water cooled Espar hydronic heater which is used to warm up engine coolant, and supply some heat. Even then, I think that Espar hydronic heater works at above 52.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
For Allobet:

Just some quick links for a start. Perhaps start a new thread and get more detailed responses.

1. Dropping Heater


2. Maintenance

Get Espar Manuals


Can also search web generally for Espar maintenance, including using kerosene to help clean combustion chamber.

Atomizer, Glow Plug, Combustion Chamber, Check gaskets.

Exhaust system--take apart and clean interiors.

3. High Altitude Pumps and Other Options (depending on when heater was made, there are various options. But it seems that the easiest and most reliable is a two fuel pump system with a switch. Ted put the switch on the front driver side base.)

Two Parallel Pumps with Switch:


Sensor (does not work for older heaters):


Third Option: Don't remember what it does. Could be a high altitude compensator that is different that the high altitude sensor?

 

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