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Point I'm making is.. is it worth even trying to make it work as a space heater when it isn't designed to be, it's a supplementary block heater and so is supposed to be run in addition to the engine.
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1999 2.5 TDI -
Yeh why not?Originally posted by DubDick View Post
Its not a block heater, the more sophisticated climatronic heating & a/c system with its motorized valves and automation may make the oem fitting more comfortable in the van. You could upgrade the burner with an 8KW BMW unit and add a sauna/jacuzzi (lwb only) which may make the T4 and its driver more popular?
... but you're right, panel van stick a tried and seemingly tested Chinky unit in, its job done and less messing even the smallest units perform well. If it stops the Mrs bumping her gums about the temp its a good investment imo. ;-)Last edited by Activ8; 24 June 2021, 02:05 PM.Comment
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Maybe I misunderstood their purpose.
I thought they were never intended to run independently and thus the factory fitted units) were not rated high enough to heat the engine and the interior on it's own.
They were just small units designed to help heat the whole van (as in cab and rear seats) when it gets really cold as the engine alone doesn't make enough spare heat.1999 2.5 TDIComment
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No idea about the nitty gritty of the electronics or any of that bollox but in a well insulated van, the Chinese diesel heaters are overkill. I’ve got the 5kw in the work van and the 2kw in the camper. Both are insulated but the camper especially so. You can’t have it on overnight as it’ll roast you alive even only being the 2kw. If I try and get mine to run at 16 degrees, the lowest setting iirc, then it eventually struggles and dies and that’s it, it’s off then.
My point being, if the caravelle one is puny and only takes the nip out the air then that would be totally perfect for my camper. All this depends on your vans insulation and where you plan on visiting etc cold climates blah blah blah
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Totally agree.. I have the lowest power Eber and once the van is warm (which happens quickly) the Eber is basically just idling without making any heat, just recirculating and watching the temp and it will fire back up every now and again, but is a noisy bugger so I don't sleep with it on.Originally posted by TommyP View Post
The Caravelle one might well be just enough to hold the van at a nice temperature but it'd take ages to get it warm on a cold morning.Originally posted by TommyP View Post
Also there is the power cost. Your van battery will need to run the Eber, the coolant pump and the vents fan.
Is there even a way to make sure this power is just taken from a leisure battery rather than flattening your starting battery?
1999 2.5 TDIComment
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I suppose, you could make it so all three items are permanently running from your LB but that might comprise LB charging when travelling, and also mean lots of wiring work to separate those items from the vans battery and/or fusebox.Originally posted by regcheeseman View Post1999 2.5 TDIComment
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No, how much are you going to compromise an 80A feed with a few amps running a fan? and no you dont have to separate the wiring, the VSR will do that once the alt stops spinningOriginally posted by DubDick View PostComment
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Yeh, I suppose it's not going to hit the charge rate much.. well not after the Eber has started.
It just sounds like it'll be more involved than you'd think to make sure it's only running from the LB when parked but still able to work as normally when the engine is running.
Like the dash fan power feed would need re-routing so it can run without the key being turned, and also so they are just running from the LB, same for all the other bits that are involved. The VSR won't do that for you.1999 2.5 TDIComment
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Unless you have a pretty high specced Multivan or Caravelle then you'll only be seeing the base level Eberspacher unit , the D3W.
This isn't an auxiliary heater, more supplementary cabin heater for chilly mornings, as it requires the ignition on and the engine to be running to operate in its OEM fit and the external temp to be less than 5 degrees C.
It has no real external controls, they're all in-built.
Thats not to say you cannot modify it though but you need to understand how the heater actually works.
On a van with one fitted its simply a case of adding a three way switch to create three modes, auto - oem, off and on.
The switch is used in the external temp sensor circuit, and the first "switch" in the Eberspachers auto-on sequence.
The switch allows you to override the 5 degrees C sensor. Easy but not auxilliary.
For an auxilliary system you can add a adaptor harness (I've got the plug pn#'s at home), a second switch (possibly set in the rear) to feed the two 12vdc positives the heater requires from a leisure battery perhaps.
The downside with them , unless you have a Caravelle is the lack of heat exchangers in the van.
The Multivans and some higher specced Caravelles were fitted with true auxiliary systems with controls to match with more powerful Eberspacher heaters (D4W (4KW) or D5W (5KW)). You can upgrade the low spec D3W to a D4W and add a controller but it starts to get expensive when compared to simply sticking a Chinky unit in. The goto vehicle for auxiliary heater donor parts is the Shalambraxy.
The D3W's can be cheap, and standalone they make great water heaters. The in-built automation and safety features make them handy but a possible hazard if you have kids as they heat to 85 - 100 degrees C. Start up they can draw 8+ amps, dropping to 2 when running.
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The part number to make an adaptor cable for the Eberspächer D3W is 3A0973734 & 3A0973834.
Pins 1 & 7 are 12vdc (min 10.1v max 15.0v) , fused 20A on Pin 1
Pin 2 Negative
Pin 3 & 4 Fuel Pump
Pin 5 & 6 External Temp Sensor or SwitchComment
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