Espar Heater Continued - Diagnostics Adapter

So, at the recommendation of OldWest and OneManVan (you guys are awesome), I contacted Greg at lubrication specialist about my espar heater. I inquired about getting the Westfalia Diagnostics Adapter and Code Reader. He no longer offers the diagnostic adapter....

Is there somewhere else I can purchase one? Or does someone have an extra they are selling. Or..... Does someone want to ship me their Adapter and Code Reader, and I will give them $50 for letting me use them.

I am assuming my local espar dealer will not be able to help me at all without that adapter, am I right?

I apolgize If these questions are stupid, my knowledge is limited (that is why I have you guys!)

Thanks again,

Connor O'Leary

Years ago, before Greg had created the wiring adapter, I sent him my Espar heater and asked him to splice in an adapter to hook up the diagnostic readers.

So my Espar heater is connected up like normal with an extra connector I leave dangling out the corner of the metal enclosure (Westfalia could have done the same thing with the original Espar wiring rather than cutting off and using their own connector through the box).

Greg later developed that wiring adapter which plugs into Westy's connector.

So I don't have Greg's adapter which puts/inserts the dangling connector in the Westy wiring harness.

One could replicate either of the two options above. Might try asking Greg if he has any suggestions--maybe another wiring adapter with the right digi computer connector and info as which wires to splice together.

One or more other posters had gone to the truck dealers who service Espars and were able to splice in the right connector--so extra work.

The truck/Espar dealers just need to know that Westfalia had cut off the end of the original Espar wiring to use the connectors attached to the metal enclosure box. So just a matter of knowing which wires are what (probably easier for Espar dealer to drop heater to see the original Espar wiring harness).
So doable if dealer is willing to do extra work.

I'd go with your borrowing wiring harness and digicontroller first.

If that doesn't work, then send to Greg for maintenance and repair (and see if he might splice in a dangling connector for future). Heater metal box is held on by 6 bolts.

If too inconvenient or timing not right, check for an Espar dealer.

ThermoKing services Espars for trucks.

I wonder if this explains why I haven't received a reply from Lubrication Specialists to the email that I sent them two weeks ago regarding sending my Espar heater in for service and upgrading to the digital controller/diagnostic reader ?

Unless you have the connector to the box, it's probably easier to access the wiring by removing the driver's seat. Six Allen bolts, two screws, and one connector. A five minute job, described in the Westy manual. I installed a High Altitude Compensator (writeup forthcoming) and am working on wiring a standard diagnostic connector that can be reached by just taking off the fuse panel under the seat.

The problem with removing the heater box is that there are fuel and electrical lines held by guides that are screwed into the sides of the box, and the screws can't be accessed until you drop the box (unless you happen to have a very small 90 degree powered screwdriver), placing a lot of stress on the lines. The heater's heavy, so having an assistant helps, but it's still a pain.

If you do need to drop the heater as I did, use something like bricks to support it and then work your way through opening and disconnecting things. When you put it all back together, use cable ties and you can do a better job than the original which will make it easier to service in the future.

Greg can be slow with email. Try calling him. Or just send him your heaters. That's what I did. Then I think he called me.

I have a write up of how i installed the altitude compensator with a new ECU at the end of this thread.

Here is what I think I know to be true about our Espar D4 ( model: 25 2293 05 00 00 )

The ECU in our Espar D4 Airtronic heater is custom ( pn: 22 5101 00 1702 )
Heater functions can only be controlled with the Westfalia central electronics module.
Diagnostic outputs are Edith and Daimler Chrysler IE: NO 'free running' diagnostics
The Digi-Max D1000 cannot control the heater - it is not compatible with the custom ECU.
The Digi-Max D1000 cannot display diagnostics - it only understands 'free-running' diagnostics.

If you install a standard D4 ECU ( pn: 22.5101.00.3005 )
The Westfalia central electronics will no longer control the heater.
You'll have to install something like a Digi-Max D1000.
The Digi-Max D1000 can understand the diagnostic output from the standard ECU.

Excellent info.

So now we know that in addition to our special D4S model (s designation is extra), we also have a unique ECU (or programming?).

Still unknown is whether one can wipe and reprogram the ECU if one wishes to bypass the Westfalia central computer console and use an Espar control. Or whether one must replace the ECU. (Why? If can't replace the central computer console in future or if want handier location for heater control.)

The special EDITH software from Espar can apparently read our heaters. Still need the right connector.

Only other twist is whether some folks have been able to get some version of the digi controller to reset heater and/or read some diagnostics. Would be nice if folks who have purchased the controller could chime in with Westy number, model/version of Espar controller and what they were able to do.

Unknown as to whether Westfalia changed custom programming during the different Westies.

Also unknown is whether a regular D4 will work in a Westy, even with an Espar controller.

The S designation apparently is for long ductwork applications. The D4 may have some sensor or other mechanism to shut-off if too much back-pressure or in our S version, increase air flow to compensate for the long ductwork.

Also unknown is whether the smaller D2 heater would work in our application. To reduce soot build-up, Greg recommends running these heaters at higher outputs rather than letting them idle. A smaller heater would run at higher level.

Worst comes to worst, one could just disconnect the ductwork to the bathroom and/or under the kitchen cabinet, and just have one or two outputs from the standard noncustom D4 or D2 heater.

Besides more even distribution of heat, the long ductwork also may have the benefit of keeping the various graywater and blackwater tanks warm.

Good feedback/insights - Indeed we have D4S - important distinction - does signify 'Super Charged' air flow/output/CFM - probably as you surmise due to additional/longer ductwork.

The only controller I'm aware of that can read Edith diagnostic codes is:

JE-Diagnosegerat 221545890000

http://standheizung-ersatzteile.com...elektrische-zubehoerteile/4735/diagnosegeraet

However, I do not know if it can control our D4S heater with it's custom ECU...

Onemanvan that is such useful info. I wish I had known prior to driving myself nuts about why the central electronics were no longer controlling the Espar once I replaced the ECU.

Just for kicks, I'll also point out the behavior with the new ECU and the Westfalia central electronics was that the fan on the Espar would turn on and run at max. That was it. No heat. Investigating further, it seemed to be a maintenance mode of some sort on the Espar. So the Westfalia was communicating, just not correctly.

Not sure but this may give some sort of clue to a work around to using the digimax with the Espar and Westfalia controller. I suspect the difference is in the diagnostics wire (which doesn't have to be connected to the digimax to operate). Of course that would skip the most useful function of diagnostics, but at least it would allow someone to bypass the central electronics in case of failure, or relocate the thermostat to better spot reachable from top bunk.

Having trouble w/ my espar airtronic. (Grrr)
1. changed to high elevation pump in Apr '14. Worked fine, never tested in high elevation yet.
2. exercised it ~4 times since then, successfully
3. tried it a week ago and it did not respond, not start, no nothing.
4. checked power - good
5. performed controller bypass troubleshooting technique of jumping power to yellow wire - no nothing.
6. i suspect there may be an ECU lockout going on.
7. I don't have a digi-controller to read codes or reset.
8. No dealer or service outlet found in central texas

Does anyone have a digi-controller and adapter harness to use on our configuration that they would be willing to mail to me? Will compensate you and return it.
My alternative now is to buy the digi-controller (quoted at $280 by Greg at Lubrication Specialists, ouch!) but he no longer has or makes the adapter harness. So would still be unable to read codes or reset.

Any ideas?
Thanks
David

Did you have the grey and grey/red wire disconnected/out of circuit when you applied 12vdc to the yellow wire?

PM'd you David.

1. May need to borrow a digicontroller and wiring harness to reset (seems like it works for some posters to reset and not for others). We now know that we have special Westy programming.

Airstream Service Center in Ohio has (or at least used to) a notebook computer with the Espar EDITH software and a wiring harness which connects to the wiring (so no removal of heater).

2. Check other thread on German Manuals. OneManVan ran through translation which shows Central Computer Console can show bunch of faults.

Maybe printout manual and find someone who can read German.

3. Wasaabi also indicated the Westfalia Service Manual has singular info on using central computer console--maybe search ther manual.

4. From experience, I do not think the high altitude pump works at all altitudes. May work for awhile. Seems the two pump setup works better.

5. Greg must still have one wiring harness to service and read our heaters unless he's not going to service Westy Espar heaters.

Any Espar dealer can just splice into our wiring harness as long as they know which wire is what. Other posters have had ThermoKing dealers do exactly that.

Greg hard-spliced a parallel harness with right Espar connector on mine (the connector just dangles). Have never tried it out. Mine is also on blink but will probably just get around to sending to Greg someday for maintenance again.

Hi OneManVan, yes, i had the connector (under the seat) unhitched to access the yellow lead so the grey was also disconnected. I also performed the same jumping routine from the connector at the heater box, so the entire connector had been opened up to access the terminals, so again w/ that method, grey was disconnected.

Thanks for tips OldWest, I'm going to visit Thermo King tomorrow am, but don't have much hope since i spoke with tech there today and they only work on Espar units that are tied into another A/C system and is controlled w/ another controller interface, so not sure diagnostics will be compatible. I was surprised to hear that our unit (stand alone D4 unit) is such an unknown entity in the trucking world, but maybe that's just down here in texas where no one is looking for a heater much. we pay much more attention to A/C!

Error codes that might cause lockout:

F12 overheating, disconnection via fuel pump * 1 air duct clogged
F13 overtemperature Flame sensor * 2 air duct clogged
* 1 controller locks after four fault indication
* 2 controller locks after a single fault indication

050 Too many failed start attempts (operating lock-out)
The control box locks after too many failed start attempts (max. 255 start attempts).
Unlock the control box by deleting the fault memory with the timer, the
diagnostic unit, EDiTH diagnostic tool, the TP5 radio remote control /
EasyStart R+ and the EasyStart T timer.

Connections at rear of central electronic control module:

21 Heating control (+ 12V) 0.5 ge (controller Heating B14)
22 . Error Detection heating 0.5 bl / ws (controller Heating B04)
23 control voltage Heating (+1 .... + 2.5V) 0.5 gr / rt (controller Heating B07)
24 Reference voltage heating (+ 1.75V ) 0.5 g (controller Heating B08)

Connection of control unit and external sensor according to “control units” circuit diagram
• rt Power supply, plus – terminal 30
• ge Switch-on signal – S+
• gr Temperature – actual value
• wsrt Switch off the anti-theft alarm system
(ADR – feedback signal for timer)
• br Power supply, minus – terminal 31
• blws Diagnosis
• grrt Temperature – setpoint
• brws Ground connection for external temperature sensor
and temperature setpoint

Cable colours circuit diagrams
sw = black
ws = white
rt = red
ge = yellow
gn = green
vi = violet
br = brown
gr = grey
bl = blue
li = purple

If you notice white smoke coming out the exhaust:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-YHv3DTueY

Overview of heater operation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL3k1IfMx4RIXCuXwak05vRlrwOqY505vv&v=guN0ZtemeO4