Chinese diesel heater pump replacement

[gasgas]

My Chinese diesel heater didn't work. I set the target temperature to 28 degrees. I looked on youtube, I had error code E10 on the display. E1 is this, E2 is that, E3 is the other, etc. E10 is "Any of the above". The fan ran properly, the animated display showed fan running and glow plug operating and fuel pump operating. I thought it must be the heater glow plug so I bought and fitted a new heater glow plug. Still didn't work. I refilled the diesel tank. I checked the supply volts, 12.8. I wondered if the supply voltage was OK when it's not running but maybe not enough to supply the full current required so I ran two more 2.5mm wires in parallel with the existing wires to halve the resistance. Still didn't work. I wondered if the fuel line was blocked so I got underneath and had diesel up my armpit. (Reminded Mrs gasgas that Diesel is a perfume). Plenty of diesel. Next thing was to get a new fuel pump, though it was clicking. Got a new fuel pump https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/buyagain/ref=pd_hp_d_atf_rp_1?ie=UTF8&ats=eyJleHBsaWNpdENhbmRpZGF0ZXMiOiJCMDhLNDNMTDFTIiwiY3VzdG9tZXJJZCI6IkE5SjBFMllVRTBGUEkifQ==&pd_rd_w=kCUC1&content-id=amzn1.sym.7db45876-fdd3-4dfc-b824-ebbdd88bdf99&pf_rd_p=7db45876-fdd3-4dfc-b824-ebbdd88bdf99&pf_rd_r=R0RYC0H032D9394AX8KB&pd_rd_wg=Xw12t&pd_rd_r=a263e555-5177-4281-8384-33a4456a9ffa
I fitted it the same way as the old one because the new pump did not have any indication of which end was 'IN' and which end was 'Out'. I fitted it with the electric socket the same end of the pump as the old one. Still didn't work. Went off to the south coast for two weeks, and it was cold. In desperation I wondered if the pump was manufactured differently to the original so I found an Asda after hours, and parked the camper with front wheels up on a kerb where I could get underneath. More diesel up armpits later I had rotated the pump the other way round. Lo and behold the heater sprang into life. Albeit sounding like a Lancaster taking off. I'll need to find out what is causing the resonating and calm it down.

So the moral is, before fitting a new pump make sure you have got the inlet and outlet the right way round, and if it doesn't work first time, change it and see if that fixes it.

 

[Sonar]

There are on eBay replacement pumps that are super quiet .
I have one fitted the pump is outside fixed to the chassis and plumbed into the main fuel tank.

And to be very honest I can’t hear it bat ears the wife can’t hear it either.
But outside still can’t hear it but can hear the exhaust when it’s running.

Very easy to swop over…

Pardon our interruption...

 

[mistericeman]

They are all pretty loud (especially on start up )
IF you don't have decent silencers fitted to both the exhaust AND the inlet sides ...
Frankly loud enough to be antisocial to anyone close by .

I run a genuine eberspacher intake silencer (much better than the chinglese ones )

And a genuine eberspacher exhaust silencer along with a chinglese pit bike silencer ....
And I'm unable to hear the heater from further than 1m away ....

Bear in mind a lot of Chinese heaters don't actually have a functioning thermostat on them so CAN spend more time running higher than they need too (a lot just alter the pump htz on the controller even if they are marked in degrees ) so won't shut down when set point is reached/restart when temp drops below set point .

 

[gasgas]

My pump is the same physical structure as the one in Sonar's post. I can only hear it when I am underneath next to it. Whoever fitted the heater fitted an inboard diesel tank behind the driver's seat. I mentioned this to an AutoSleeper bloke and said I would probably fit a take off from the main engine fuel tank. He said you can but you will have to drop the tank because the take off has to be from the top of the tank downwards. So it will have to wait till I have a near empty tank.
In case anyone reading this is thinking of changing the original fuel pump, the inlet on these extra quiet ones is the end with the big nut on it. Inside this nut there is a small gauze filter.

 

[Sonar]

Mine I was able to remove the cab Mat. and then there’s an inspection hatch ….in front of the passengers seat.
so I can change the sender valve it it needs doing .

Fortunately. There was a bit of wiggle room and I was able to fit the diesel take off but before the take off was fitted I made sure the
The diesel heater pipe was placed inside a rubber pipe and taken back to the area where the heater is .without it interfering
With anything else.

 

[gasgas]

I've got a 1999 Transit so I don't know what's under the front mats - I'll take a looksee. Having said that, if the fuel tank is under the plywood hab floor, I don't see why I can't drill a say, 50mm hole in it and fit the takeoff. So long as the fuel tank is not butted up against the floor!
It would be easy enough to replace the cut out bit of floor - not the cut out bit of tank! - and seal it.
I guess the fact of having a diesel tank inside the hab area could be more of a fire hazard than if the take off was from the main fuel tank. Having said that, if there is any fire I can't put out by blowing on it, I'll be doing the ten second hundred yard sprint over the nearest fence. No point trying to put out a fire in a motorhome if the fire is any bigger. Fire blanket I hear you say. Rightly so, I should get one. That would do a frying pan fire.

 

[mistericeman]

I've got a 1999 Transit so I don't know what's under the front mats - I'll take a looksee. Having said that, if the fuel tank is under the plywood hab floor, I don't see why I can't drill a say, 50mm hole in it and fit the takeoff. So long as the fuel tank is not butted up against the floor!
It would be easy enough to replace the cut out bit of floor - not the cut out bit of tank! - and seal it.
I guess the fact of having a diesel tank inside the hab area could be more of a fire hazard than if the take off was from the main fuel tank. Having said that, if there is any fire I can't put out by blowing on it, I'll be doing the ten second hundred yard sprint over the nearest fence. No point trying to put out a fire in a motorhome if the fire is any bigger. Fire blanket I hear you say. Rightly so, I should get one. That would do a frying pan fire.

Think most transits need the tank dropping at least partially ....

Unlike the Mk2 ducato where there is an access panel from the passenger floor ....

Some folks T into the fuel return line from the injectors (wouldn't be my 1st choice BUT folks do without issue )

 

[Sonar]

Think most transits need the tank dropping at least partially ....

Unlike the Mk2 ducato where there is an access panel from the passenger floor ....

Some folks T into the fuel return line from the injectors (wouldn't be my 1st choice BUT folks do without issue )

As said mine is the mk2 ducato.

Mine was a separate take off tube. Dipped in the tank and cut the draw pipe about an inch from the bottom of the tank.
Two reasons. The first I don’t want any gunge up the very thin pipe
And the other is the heater will not use all the fuel and allow me to still get to a garage.

But in reality I carry a plastic jerry can fuel. Just in case ..

 

[mistericeman]

As said mine is the mk2 ducato.

Mine was a separate take off tube. Dipped in the tank and cut the draw pipe about an inch from the bottom of the tank.
Two reasons. The first I don’t want any gunge up the very thin pipe
And the other is the heater will not use all the fuel and allow me to still get to a garage.

But in reality I carry a plastic jerry can fuel. Just in case ..

Yup same here ....

Floor mat lifted and access panel removed
Sender pump unit removed from tank and dip tube fitted through sender
High up enough so that heater couldn't use all the fuel in the tank and prevent vehicle being started .

 

[gasgas]

.....

Some folks T into the fuel return line from the injectors (wouldn't be my 1st choice BUT folks do without issue )

That sounds feasible. It would overcome the potential of gunge getting into the thin heater pipe, as the fuel would already have gone through the engine filter assuming the return line is not pressurised. . . . . . . would there be fuel in the return line if the engine was not running? Most of the time a motorhome heater would be on would be when the engine is off. . . . . .or would it suck fuel from the tank up the return line? I would have thought not, I would think the return line would just drip into the top of the fuel tank.

 

[gasgas]

But in reality I carry a plastic jerry can fuel. Just in case ..

In that case I may as well leave the plastic 'jerry can' official proper diesel fuel tank that was originally fitted behind the driver's seat. It is transluscent so it's easy to tell when it needs refilling.