webasto.... again. Sorry, long post!

Printable View

10-25-2008, 01:57 AM
adamdegraff

webasto.... again. Sorry, long post!

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but I have seen POG members make seemingly difficult problems go away with the click of the mouse. So, I come to you all again with a problem that has been dogging me for a few days now. I've done my homework... posted, tinkered, called Marathon, etc. One last try here before I bring it into Marathon when I'm in California next week. This time, I'll post pictures.

Problem: Webasto only heats water and living area when I also have on the Webasto fired block heat option. Yes, I'm plenty warm, but I'm also wasting fuel.

This problem JUST started happening once I left Marathon, Coburg where I got my oil and all filters changed. I did not have my coolant changed. All valves seem to be open.

I have run the motor up to 195 and then turned on the living area heat... doesn't work... unless I also have the block heat button pushed.

I have bled the system of air as best I know how. (no air came out. Just nice green coolant.)

I just don't get why the system would work only under these strange conditions. When I call only for living area heat and/or water heat, the webasto fires, but then shuts down. When this happens the valve on the wall (pictured later and #1) goes SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP. After talking to Marathon I learned that this is the sound of the magnetic valve opening and closing. This behavior leads me to think I have a stuck valve. But why then, when I have block heat turned on, do all the valves become hot to the touch?. Well actually the square valve in picture 2 doesn't heat up because, as I have learned, it is a normally closed valve. The round one in picture 2 is normally opened. These switch when the ignition key is turned. That's the click you hear when you turn your key, before you crank it. And yes, that's the same sound the other valve is making over and over again when the webasto shuts down.

One piece of advice I got from Marathon.. which I'd like some advice on...
they said that maybe I had a blockage in the round valve in Picture #2. Suggested I pinch the hoses shut with hose pinchers, and take apart the valve and clean out the blockage. Sounds fun.

Well, crap. I can't seem to get the photos uploaded. What's the deal with that? They aren't too big. This is a real bummer. Now I need to post to figure out what that keeps happening to me.

OK, well, if you can't tell me how to fix my webasto, maybe you could comment on the quality of service at Marathon, California?

Thanks,

~Adam
10-25-2008, 02:40 AM
sawdust_128

Check your PM

Sent you a message.
10-25-2008, 09:40 AM
truk4u

Dust Man,

Put your year in the signature so we know your vintage. I still stand by my original comment it's the solenoid valve for the house heat exchanger loop, but is it possible someone along the way wired it to run on the engine heater solenoid?
10-25-2008, 09:47 AM
Ray Davis

Quote:

I have run the motor up to 195 and then turned on the living area heat... doesn't work... unless I also have the block heat button pushed.

Adam, what was your behavior prior to going to Coburg? How is it different now?
10-25-2008, 11:21 AM
sawdust_128

1 Attachment(s)

ADAM's Pictures

Attachment 3687

Attachment 3688

Attachment 3689
10-25-2008, 11:29 AM
sawdust_128

Quote:

Originally Posted by truk4u

Dust Man,

Put your year in the signature so we know your vintage. I still stand by my original comment it's the solenoid valve for the house heat exchanger loop, but is it possible someone along the way wired it to run on the engine heater solenoid?

Will do, but it's Adam's bus we are talking about here, not mine.

Also, I agree with the nature of your assessment. It is the system that appears to be out of logic. I don't know this system, but is it possible that a pair of hoses got switched at some point and one or more loops are trying to operate with reverse flow?
10-25-2008, 01:39 PM
adamdegraff

Quote:

Originally Posted by truk4u

Dust Man,

Put your year in the signature so we know your vintage. I still stand by my original comment it's the solenoid valve for the house heat exchanger loop, but is it possible someone along the way wired it to run on the engine heater solenoid?

Very open for this possibility, but if that is the case, why does the living area get heat in the condition that the webasto block heat is included in the picture? This is not to say that you are incorrect. I'm just looking at all the evidence.

Thanks for your input. If you have any bright ideas in the mean time, please share!

Adam
10-25-2008, 01:42 PM
adamdegraff

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Davis

Adam, what was your behavior prior to going to Coburg? How is it different now?

Before Coburg (BC) All I had to to was push the 12V HEAT button and turn up my thermostat. BC, the webasto fired right up, and I had heat. Now, I have to do all of the above PLUS hit the block heat button. Strange! If I don't hit the block heat button, I get a webasto fire, loud SNAP, SNAP, and a shutdown... though the circulator pumps are still making noise. Just no heat. Is this the sam as your issue Ray?

Adam
10-25-2008, 01:44 PM
adamdegraff

Quote:

Originally Posted by sawdust_128

Will do, but it's Adam's bus we are talking about here, not mine.

Also, I agree with the nature of your assessment. It is the system that appears to be out of logic. I don't know this system, but is it possible that a pair of hoses got switched at some point and one or more loops are trying to operate with reverse flow?

Hoses didn't get switched. Nothing that drastic could have happened. I was watching the whole time. Hmmmmm....

I think I'll let the brain trust (POG) do its best while I head into Yellowstone, talk with God about this and other issues I'm having, and when I emerge from the park, the problem will be solved. :-)

Thank you all for your help!!

Adam
10-25-2008, 03:18 PM
jonnie

Fiddleman,

Be careful communing with God in Yellowstone, you may have snow higher than your coach before your done.

John
10-25-2008, 08:16 PM
Kevin Erion

Adam, my 99 Marathon had that same set up with the solenoid valves. Leon told me that they had some problems with those valves and to take them apart and gut them. I took a look and it had already been done, I just took them out and put ball valves in. no guessing on those, just open and shut and you don't need to mess with them anyway.
10-25-2008, 11:29 PM
adamdegraff

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnie

Fiddleman,

Be careful communing with God in Yellowstone, you may have snow higher than your coach before your done.

John

Ohhhh, Yellowstone is gorgeous! It was almost 60 degrees when we pulled in. Beautiful weather. Now, at 9:30PM it is down to 47. Not bad. Hope it stays this nice all weekend.

Thanks, everybody, for the webasto suggestions. I'll figure it out at some point. In the mean time, if anybody comes up with the answer to why it works under certain conditions, pray tell, the mystery is killing me:-).

~Adam
10-26-2008, 11:21 AM
Steve Bennett

Adam, we had kind of a similar issue with ours. My Webasto would work fine on 12V heat, but would not fire and run on 12V water heater. It turned out we had a bad Diode on the relay panel. If you gain access to your relay board check to see if it has a Diode between your Webasto block heater & 12V heat. The Diode we had originally looked OK, but when I touched it, it fell apart. I found this problem after we replaced the high temp sensor, and quite a few other components on the Webasto unit itself. Well at least I have more spares.