Chinese heater - E-03...

[Deleted member 95622]

... turned it on this morning and ... nothing other than E-03. Good thing it's not too cold!

All the research I've done points to the glow plug, so I've ordered up a new glow-plug kit of bits (the ones you see on ebay), but just in-case anyone here has a "oh wait..." suggestion, here is what happens - I turn it on, there is the briefest of clicks (not sure from where, but I guess the fuel pump, however it's much quieter than the usual click it makes) then E-03 on the display (and flashing red heater icon). Some guides suggesting popping the fuse to fully reset it which I've tried, and even leaving it off for a long time (like hours!) it still does the same - feint click then E-03. Even if I don't try to turn it on, when powered up and I scroll through the display it says E-03.

Battery voltage is 12.5 on the panel but 12.3 on the heater display so I don't think it's had a low voltage issue but I don't have my meters to hand, so it'll need to wait until I get home tomorrow before I can have a better probe around.

So drat and double drat - just have to wait!

-G

 

[mistericeman]

... turned it on this morning and ... nothing other than E-03. Good thing it's not too cold!

All the research I've done points to the glow plug, so I've ordered up a new glow-plug kit of bits (the ones you see on ebay), but just in-case anyone here has a "oh wait..." suggestion, here is what happens - I turn it on, there is the briefest of clicks (not sure from where, but I guess the fuel pump, however it's much quieter than the usual click it makes) then E-03 on the display (and flashing red heater icon). Some guides suggesting popping the fuse to fully reset it which I've tried, and even leaving it off for a long time (like hours!) it still does the same - feint click then E-03. Even if I don't try to turn it on, when powered up and I scroll through the display it says E-03.

Battery voltage is 12.5 on the panel but 12.3 on the heater display so I don't think it's had a low voltage issue but I don't have my meters to hand, so it'll need to wait until I get home tomorrow before I can have a better probe around.

So drat and double drat - just have to wait!

-G

12.03 is on the low side for start up ....especially if your power cables are on the low side ....
Charge your battery or start the engine if your batteries charge the battery your heater runs from to test .

 

[byron]

Try changing the steel filter were glowplug goes in.

 

[Wooie1958]

12.03 is on the low side for start up ....especially if your power cables are on the low side ....
Charge your battery or start the engine if your batteries charge the battery your heater runs from to test .

The OP said 12.5 and 12.3 not 12.03. You might be confusing it with the error code of E-03

 

[mistericeman]

The OP said 12.5 and 12.3 not 12.03. You might be confusing it with the error code of E-03

My Typo....12.3 is still low for the glow pin to fire IMHO .

Enough if the heaters already fired and warm BUT when it's cold and trying to pull thick end of 8 amps .
Especially like I commented cabling is on the thin side ....
And sounds like the,pump might be struggling for current too .

Easy check before tearing it apart .

 

[Deleted member 95622]

Thanks for the input.

Just to add - the unit says E-03 even before I push the On button. Even after total power down (no fuse) for a while (hours). Same when the engine is running and the meter is showing 13.x volts via the charge-relay. I can cycle through the display using the bottom-left button to go through time, temperature, E-03, etc. then if I push the On button there is the faintest of clicks and E-03 is displayed.

(E-03 being faulty glow plug according to the many guides out there)

So I'm thinking (naively hoping?) that the unit is smart enough to check the glow-plug for open or short circuit before even trying to apply power so won't even try to start up.

Anyway, a new "kit" of bits is on its way to me (glow plug, mesh screen, magic spanner, etc.) - doesn't seem too hard to change according to the many video guides out there, so maybe I'll be warm again soon and fortunately it was this week and not last when it was down to -12°C (when the heater coped brilliantly - van is very well insulated and it kept the inside at 20°C on its lowest setting.

I am sort of surprised it's failed though - I think the conversion is less than a year old - the chap I bought the van from had only used it abroad for one skiing season, so basically last winter. Although it's a 6 year old van, there is a very little obvious wear and tear in the accommodation bit..

I'll have time between xmas and the new year to fully go over the wiring, etc. but what I've seen and checked so-far looks fine to me. (as someone who's worked in electronics/computing/engineering for a very long time) I'm not overly bothered about the 0.2v difference between the panel (the usual thing with 5 switches, voltmeter, dual usb sockets and a lighter socket) and what the heater display shows. I'll check it properly with a meter when I get a chance.

Cheers,

-G

 

[mistericeman]

Thanks for the input.

Just to add - the unit says E-03 even before I push the On button. Even after total power down (no fuse) for a while (hours). Same when the engine is running and the meter is showing 13.x volts via the charge-relay. I can cycle through the display using the bottom-left button to go through time, temperature, E-03, etc. then if I push the On button there is the faintest of clicks and E-03 is displayed.

(E-03 being faulty glow plug according to the many guides out there)

So I'm thinking (naively hoping?) that the unit is smart enough to check the glow-plug for open or short circuit before even trying to apply power so won't even try to start up.

Anyway, a new "kit" of bits is on its way to me (glow plug, mesh screen, magic spanner, etc.) - doesn't seem too hard to change according to the many video guides out there, so maybe I'll be warm again soon and fortunately it was this week and not last when it was down to -12°C (when the heater coped brilliantly - van is very well insulated and it kept the inside at 20°C on its lowest setting.

I am sort of surprised it's failed though - I think the conversion is less than a year old - the chap I bought the van from had only used it abroad for one skiing season, so basically last winter. Although it's a 6 year old van, there is a very little obvious wear and tear in the accommodation bit..

I'll have time between xmas and the new year to fully go over the wiring, etc. but what I've seen and checked so-far looks fine to me. (as someone who's worked in electronics/computing/engineering for a very long time) I'm not overly bothered about the 0.2v difference between the panel (the usual thing with 5 switches, voltmeter, dual usb sockets and a lighter socket) and what the heater display shows. I'll check it properly with a meter when I get a chance.

Cheers,

-G

Yes you've ruled the lack of power out so likely the glow pin
They do run a self check so if the heater fails to sense the temp rise of the glow pin then it will throw the eo3 fault (often does with lack of voltage too depending on how far it gets with its self diagnosis )
As for it not lasting long ....
2 things
1 cheap components
2 the glow pin on most Chinese heaters runs nine stop (the heater doesn't shut down like an genuine eber just reduces the pump to a tick over as most don't have a thermostat)
The more they run ,the more stuff will wear out ...(and the more fuel/electric they use)

Swapping the pin/gauze is simple enough ....though the gauze can be a pig to get out ...a fine hooky type impliment can be,useful
Though I ground down some long nosed pliers to suit ...

 

[Deleted member 95622]

Swapping the pin/gauze is simple enough ....though the gauze can be a pig to get out ...a fine hooky type impliment can be,useful
Though I ground down some long nosed pliers to suit ...

The kit I ordered has "a fine hooky type implement" ... At least I think that's what it is!

Cheers,

-G

 

[Deleted member 95622]

The plot thickens.

A new glow-plug kit eventually arrived, thanks to the "efficiency" of our royal postal service over the festering period. (ebay seller was fine, it just sat in some sorting office for the duration)

I decided to check the resistance of the new one, so I could compare to the old one - 0.6Ω and the old one - the same. Bother. The old gauze wasn't gummed up or clogged either. Both nice and clean.

I decided to install the new one and new gauze anyway - same issue.

However I've now found the source of the click I hear when I push the on button - on the "ECU" board inside the heater there is a small relay - that's what's clicking (and not the fuel pump which I originally thought) Further investigations (and a YouTube video) suggest the issue is the on-board MOSFET that provides the power for the glow plug.

The type (on the video I found) appears to be: Toshiba TK150E09NE - or a clone. It's an N-channel MOSFET capable of handling about 120 to 150 amps depending on temperature. The glow-plug should not be taking more than 20 amps at 12v (and I guess that'll be peak as it will likely increase in resistance as it heats up) As it happens I have some N-channel MOSFETs in my boxes o' electronics stuff and one is a close match, so I'll give it a go. ...

Deep Joy.

We have heat.

However doing all this, I find that someone down under has reverse engineered some of these heaters and designed their own control board for them - might make that an interesting project for me this year...

And I thought boats were a never ending pit of tinkering and money ...

Cheers,

-G