back on the road and Espar heater broke

[suzanne]

Espar diesel heaters are great when they work. Thermoking is the only "certified" repair shops, but there are none in my area except Salt Lake City and they say they won't look at it until September !?! I am camping at 9-10K feet and it's 40 degrees when I wake up... would be nice to have a heater. Any suggestions on how to find someone to fix it? They are somewhat popular in self-built vans like mine. Thanks!

 

[bullfrog]

The old ones were not that complicated. Old air cooled VWs, boats and air planes use similar heaters. I imagine YouTube has some good trouble shooting videos. I would check for local VW clubs or restorers like Custom Coachworks in Grand Junction Colorado for any contacts they might have or local aircraft mechanics for who they use.

 

[hugemoth]

Lots of YouTube videos on diesel heater repair if you want to fix it yourself. Not much to them. The Chinese heaters are nearly identical. If the heater isn't tuned for high altitude it'll carbon up and need cleaning.

 

[tx2sturgis]

What's it doing or not doing?

Does it light up? Display is working? Does it throw an error code? Do you hear the blower? Do you hear the fuel metering pump clicking?

You can call any large truck repair shop and they might be able to work you in. Or, call ThermoKing customer service number listed in your owners manual.

BTW...40 degrees sounds GOOD right about now, as it's 106f outside as I write this!

In the meantime maybe you can find a camping supply or sports-n-outdoors store and buy another sleeping bag. Double up the bags, and it might get you thru the cool nights.

Good luck!

 

[suzanne]

Thanks! I didn't think to call someone other than Thermoking (who won't see me until September). The display works and gives me this error message: "52 52 57 65 0 0 NO FLAME DETECT"
Yes, 40 degrees is just fine to sleep in with adequate bedding. but I like to get up before the sun and it's cold. I can turn the engine on for a few minutes and use that heater or I can use a stove to warm the air until the sun comes up. I just have a nice heater and it would be nice if it worked. I'll call some non-Thermoking places. All the RV repair places near me that I called have waiting lists of months or they have never worked on an Espar heater.

 

[bullfrog]

All of those trouble codes indicate a problem that concerns the flame sensor. There are several YouTube videos on this common problem. Time to expand your knowledge or wait till you know what freezes over! Lol!!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

I've written several posts on these heaters (especially the chinese models) and how they are prone to failures and the buyer/owner really needs to keep a few spare parts handy...especially a couple of spare fuel filters. This might be the problem with yours.

Usually when these quit it's at 3AM and -10 degrees and 75 miles from nowhere. I ALWAYS recommend a back-up heat source, even if that backup is your vehicle engine. You have that issue covered.

In the trucking industry we call them 'bunk heaters'...not 'diesel heaters'....so when you contact a truck repair shop, use the term 'Espar bunk heater'...if you call it a 'diesel heater' that person may not know what the heck you are talking about.

In the trucking industry a 'diesel heater' is a fuel heater that does exactly what it sounds like...it heats diesel before it enters the engine's fuel injectors.

BTW is this a diesel engine van or a gas engine van with a separate diesel tank for your bunk heater?
Reason I ask is your statement, 'back on the road' causes me to wonder...if that heater is pulling old fuel from a small diesel can or tank or bottle that only feeds the heater, and not the engine, it could have gone bad or gelled and/or absorbed water and you may get lucky just putting in a new fuel filter.

Or it could be the metering pump or the ignitor module. Hard to know for sure until you get someone to look at it.

 

[tewster2]

Hello Suzanne...I just upgraded to the new version S2 D2L...I have TWO original units if you'd be interested in one...both work perfectly (I carried one as a spare)...the new wiring harness does not work with the original units...if yours is the original D2 S2 all you'd have to do it plug it in...would also include the working fuel pump...PM me (or [email protected]) and we can talk about getting one to you if you're interested.

BTW...If you don't have a high altitude module installed to control the richness of the fuel mixture you may want to get one...I also have one I took off when I installed the new version that has the module built in...you'd have to have someone wire it in.

 

[suzanne]

I've written several posts on these heaters (especially the chinese models) and how they are prone to failures and the buyer/owner really needs to keep a few spare parts handy...especially a couple of spare fuel filters. This might be the problem with yours.

Usually when these quit it's at 3AM and -10 degrees and 75 miles from nowhere. I ALWAYS recommend a back-up heat source, even if that backup is your vehicle engine. You have that issue covered.

In the trucking industry we call them 'bunk heaters'...not 'diesel heaters'....so when you contact a truck repair shop, use the term 'Espar bunk heater'...if you call it a 'diesel heater' that person may not know what the heck you are talking about.

In the trucking industry a 'diesel heater' is a fuel heater that does exactly what it sounds like...it heats diesel before it enters the engine's fuel injectors.

BTW is this a diesel engine van or a gas engine van with a separate diesel tank for your bunk heater?
Reason I ask is your statement, 'back on the road' causes me to wonder...if that heater is pulling old fuel from a small diesel can or tank or bottle that only feeds the heater, and not the engine, it could have gone bad or gelled and/or absorbed water and you may get lucky just putting in a new fuel filter.

Or it could be the metering pump or the ignitor module. Hard to know for sure until you get someone to look at it.

Thank you for the tip about nomenclature. It's a "bunk heater" from now on! That should get me past the "OMG it's a woman nomad who doesn't know her rig" filter that goes up when I call places. Yes, it sips from the diesel for the van's engine.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Ok if your main engine is diesel then we can assume the fuel feeding that engine and your bunk heater is probably OK.

Probably.



If you want to learn a bit about the 'guts' of a bunk heater, this guy explains it pretty well, and of course there are other videos on youtube...just be sure to use the term 'bunk heater' in a youtube search.