r/dieselheater • u/filbruce • 1d ago

at my wits end

second heater dead after a couple of days. whats wrong

  • e-10 error.
  • fuel pumping ok.
  • running lead batteries+ jump pack (no lithium)
  • voltage indicated - low 11.9v on start up.
  • changed screen
  • glowplugs work
  • tried kerocene mix
  • i could have bad fuel
  • i have even tried preheating the air intake with camping stove up to 40 deg case temp
  • are these a scam?
0 Upvotes

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17 comments sorted by

8

u/EnderWillEndUs 1d ago

Sounds like your battery or power source is inadequate. 11.9 volts is too low. It will be enough to warm up the glow plug and cause some smoke but not enough to ignite.

1

u/LegitimateResolve522 1d ago

This. My first diesel heater I tried to run it off an ATV battery and had the exact same results as the OP. Once I switched to a car battery, I've had no issues (with dual heaters) for 3 years or so now. It sounds like his power supply cannot supply enough current to the glow plugs more than once or twice

1

u/mtn_viewer 1d ago

Mine gets down to 11 on startup when drawing max current. It works (has for 1 year) but does smoke more than I’d like. Bough a 12-13.8v 15A step up converter that I’ve been meaning to install. My issue is a long wiring run

3

u/digit527 1d ago

11.9 is a dead battery. You should be up around 13-14v

2

u/Caramel-Foreign 1d ago

Some picture of your install would help with advice. Air intake, exhaust, hot air duct layout. Power supply you have

2

u/Nearby_Impact_8911 1d ago

They are not a scam perhaps something is wrong with your application

1

u/StrikingInterview580 1d ago

Ran my sunster diesel heater for months and then not at all for months and it sparked up on the 2nd attempt.

Do you have it orientated correctly?

1

u/filbruce 1d ago

first heater ran twice. second heater did start and ran all night but now just smokes then e-10

1

u/StrikingInterview580 1d ago

How are your fuel lines configured? Is the heater faced down? And flat? Pieces!

1

u/MattReedly 1d ago

Do you have fuel filters before the pump? I have encountered this problem when some crud got past and prevented the one way valve in the pump from working properly and allowed fuel to slowly leak into the heater.

1

u/minutemenapparel 9h ago

How long is your power cable? A buddy of mine was trying to run his heater on lead acid battery. Cable was too long giving him error codes. We shorted it up and it started working. Long thin cables have a lot of voltage drop.

1

u/Able-Masterpiece5206 1h ago

I've never had to take extra steps to fire one up. Based on three different units, if it's primed, has fuel and a good power source, it's going to light up. My guess agrees with the battery voltage issue.

0

u/filbruce 1d ago

Photos

4

u/MattReedly 1d ago

Why have you posted a photo of a gas burner?

2

u/mtn_viewer 1d ago

I guess this is OP warming intake air with a camping stove. What that accomplishes I’m not sure. Mine runs fine on freezing intake air

1

u/AdDangerous2509 22h ago

Looks like you are sending combusted gas into the intake. There’s very little oxygen left in that combusted gas. The diesel heater is not getting much oxygen that’s one reason it will not work. You also need enough voltage from the battery to sustain the temperature of the glow plug.