Webasto heater error

[Chris Foster]

The former owner of this here boat didn't see fit to leave me with a lot of manuals, and the Webasto web site is a complete joke.

So in case anyone might know anything about this:

I have a Webasto Air Top 5000.* It was working like a champ 'til a few days ago when it stopped working.* It goes through the startup sequence, but then stops about the time that it would normally be putting out warmth (which would be bloody nice around now, since it's pushing the 30s in the morning).

The error code that reads out is "FDT malfunction or short," which is just ever so slightly a useless bit of information.

** <<< this emoticon should be blue to indicate that it's a really quite cold emoticon right about now since the heater ain't heating!!

 

[Phil Fill]

Sure Marine in Bothel is the Webasto distributor.* 206-784-9903.* Just like every thing wlse on a boat a it requires maintenance.*

Phil

 

[2bucks]

Suremarine.com will have their 1-800 number too. All my manuals are on the boat so I don't have it in hand.

 

[LarryW]

I got one of those taking up space in my engine room. I think I'll take it out and keep the space. It doesn't work anyway. I may offer it up to anyone who wants one for parts or is inclined to fix it.

 

[Jon]

I have a 3500 which is really helping in Upper Tennessee.
I've checked my manual but can't find a direct reference to "FDT" - mine has a series of flashes to give error codes .
When I started mine I had some problems and Webasto advice was to -
1 make sure you have fuel after the pump. The pump is a cyclic so break the fuel line after the pump then pulse the 12V supply until you've got good fuel. THEN recouple and ,after a dozen abortive attempts, cycle the pump 15X
2 Turn rheo (thermostat) ON full
3 Pull fuse
4Wait 2 minutes
5Turn rheo OFF
6 Install fuse
7 Turn rheo on
It took 1M20S from fire until the fan kicked in.
Hotline is 800 555 4518
Jon

 

[Nomad Willy]

Chris,
Iv'e had two Wabastos and problems have always been fuel delivery related.* Disconnect the fuel hose at the furnace. Get an aligator clip and use it as a switch turning the fuel pump on and off rapidly. Do this untill 100% fuel comes out of the fuel line .. reconnect and you should be fine. If not you probably have an air leak in the fuel line. FDT may stand for " fuel delivery trouble "

Eric Henning

-- Edited by nomadwilly at 19:53, 2008-10-24

-- Edited by nomadwilly at 19:55, 2008-10-24

 

[Chris Foster]

Thanks for the suggestions.* I'll give them a shot tomorrow morning.

Jon - the flash code that I get is one long flash followed by five short ones.* I assume that means an error code of 5, which is where I got the FDT thing.

I'm guessing that the "F" probably means fuel, and the "T"is probably transducer or something similar - so*perhaps "fuel delivery transducer" or similar (or perhaps something completely different in German).

Pulling the power is a good thought - I realized reading this that the on/off switch that I have by my thermostat doesn't actually turn off the power since the fan keeps running after turning it off.

 

[Chris Foster]

VOILA!* (that's French for "voila.")

* (Mr Emoticon is toasty warm now, not blue any more)

Couldn't just sit here wondering, so I "assumed the position" and crawled down by the heater.

First I got close enough to the sticker on the unit to read that the error code was the number of LONG pulses on the LED after the five SHORT flashes, not the other way around.* So it was actually sending code 1, which was the also very useful "NO START."* Duh.

So I pulled fuel lines and pulsed the pump and nothing came out.* For quite a while, at least.* Thankfully, I spilled no fuel into the bilge; my shirt soaked it up quite nicely, thank you very much (did I mention that I was in "the position" at this time??).

But it finally started dribbling out.* What didn't make any sense was why it stopped pulling fuel, since the filters were full of fuel and the vacuum guage on that side showed no problem.

What's this?* Where the dickens is that fuel line go that supplies the pump???* Followed it back and back and back in the boat... to the mystery fuel tank that I've always assumed wasn't used any more.** It's about a 50 gallon tank, FRP, molded into the inside of the transom.* Since I've never filled it up, it eventually ran dry.**

I was able to get enough fuel out of it to run the heater for a few minutes and confirm that it's otherwise OK.*

I kinda like the idea of having the heater run from a separate tank.* But since I've got the stbd engine heat exchanger pulled apart, I guess I'll have to go get a gas can and pour a couple of gallons of fuel into that tank.

Thanks for the insights on this, guys.* Since it was so obvious that there was no fuel problem, I'd not have tried the fuel pump test.* Any of y'all make it Anacortes way, the beer's on me.



Mystery solved, in any case.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Chris,

The Wabasto has a computer controled program that cycles the unit up and back down. If you cut the power while the unit is operating it will probably over heat. It needs the fan to cool it down gradually. I have my Wabasto hard wired so if somone turns the master battery switch off while the Wabasto is still on it will go through it's normal shut down cycle. When you leave the boat you need to shut off the Wabasto main power switch or when the tempeture drops to about 50 degrees at the thermostat*the Wabasto will start up. When I forget to turn mine off people on the dock ask me why my heater was/is running.

Eric Henning.

 

[Chris Foster]

Mine appears to have battery power applied constantly (via a fuse).* The on/off toggle switch appears to be in series with the thermostat, so even when it's turned off, power is still applied.* It definitely keeps running for several minutes in a cool-down mode when the switch is turned off.* But with the switch off, it won't kick on regardless of temperature.

Quite a few people here use their diesel heaters to keep the boat warm all winter.* I don't really like the idea - I use a couple of the little "puck" heaters from Worst Marine and leave the big one off.* But most mornings, walking from the boat to the shoreside head, I'll hear one or two mini-jet-engine whines coming from boats.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Chris,

My Wabasto is part of my winter protection system but it is the back up. Can't leave it on now as it would run quite regularly but I intend to put a 15 watt bulb under the thermostat so when the power goes off the electric heat goes off and the wabasto turns on. Some people heat thier boat with them but Sure Marine dos'nt recomend it.*

Eric Henning*

 

[Chris Foster]

OK, Eric, you get the "Damnably clever, Spock!" award for the light bulb trick.* I like it.