CHEAP Engine Preheater INSTALL 

Hydronic heaters, Engine pre-heaters. I plan to install a engine pre-heater and this is how I got the unit up and running in my Ford Transit self build camper van. To keep my engine warm in arctic winter

This video how me getting two Webasto Thermo Top V heaters up and running ( different from the Webasto Thermo Top Z C/D but with the same purpose. )

These heaters are factory installed on a number of different car models my two are from a Land Rover discovery 3 ( eBay £27 ) and a Land Rover discovery 4 ( eBay 99p ), additionally The 0.40 webasto fuel pump from a discovery from eBay for £26 ( different from the 0.22 pumps used on Chinese Diesel air heaters.

These heaters are not as simple as just a 12v signal to start ( apart from Rover 75 models of the Thermo Top Z ), Most need a 'W-Bus" Signal which is part of their communications protocol. This signal can come from an original webasto controller or In my case a third party W-Bus adapter.

At the time of posting I can no longer find the original W-Bus Adapter I used.
Here is a link to an alternative that I have not personally tested but appears a popular option.

Sell new plugs and terminals for this style of heater

Sell spare parts for this type of heater however they are original and can be expensive.

Models to avoid are the ones from VW vehicles, as they use a different type of communication protocol to start.

These heaters could be used for a Hydronic heating system, Engine preheater or more. They could be used to heat hot water or underfloor heating or even air heating for a campervan.

#webasto #preheater #wintervanlife

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[carlsadventures]

I love these sort's of video's when people take things apart and see how things work.

[lewisbuckley]

Mint video. You've saved me a lot of time and research. This is the best van build series on Youtube.

[benjaminbooth]

I've watched these two Engine Preheater videos so many times!! My partner and I live in our 2012 4WD Ford Transit full time, and we are setting off for 5 months in the French Alps in November.

I've been procrastinating a lot due to not being confident about how it all works, BUT yesterday I jumped on eBay and bought a Thermo Top V from a landrover 3, and the W-Bus comms device! Going to give it a go and attempt this engine preheater install!

Thanks so much for making these videos, i'm following them as a guide for my own install and probably couldn't do it without them!!

[johnuttley]

Thank-you so much for this feed. I have a vw t5 camper on the shuttle bus that has an engine heater that I need to modify to heat water. This has been extremely useful. Thankyou again.

[mrmagoo]

Keen to see it set up for a leisure system!

[stephenbulmer]

yes to videos of both ways of using a webasto heater if you don't mind. thanks for sharing you knowledge

[WonderingWomble]

I fitted one to my old smilly face transit.. preheated the engine very well, had a water matrix in the rear of the van as well, so it heated the hot water tank.. Plus I put a temp sensor in the one hose and it turned the heater fan on in the dash board so it de-misted-de-iced the windscreen.. when running right, they are one of the best heating systems you can have I think.. cracking job bud

[mikesu]

I can imagine this would be more efficient then leaving the engine idling to defrost the car/van since the heater is actually designed to transfer heat into the coolant, where as your engine is designed to produce power from the fuel, and about 65% of the heat leaves through the exhaust while only 5-8% is absorbed into the coolant, the other 27-30% is turned into motion, although I can imagine at idle the thermal efficiency of an engine isn't 27-30% (the amount of energy turned into motion)

[TheMattK]

Interesting. You're obviously a clever guy, well done.

[glynmeek]

Another really useful video Alex thanks, now watch the price of used Webasto hydronic heaters go through the roof as everyone scrambles to buy one to convert to heating there on board hot water 😊

[trevorbeale]

Great video, thank you for posting. I would be very interested to see how you integrate one into the leisure hot water and heating system
Thank you.

[vanbuildit]

Great video as always Alex good to know that it could be used as a habitation heater if the Chinese one doesn't play ball...

[wesman]

That's a pretty cool little unit!

[RustyRoseAdventures]

Very useful video Alex! Been looking forward to this series, I will be doing the same thing one day!

[nutsandy]

Really interested on hhow you would use the thing as under floor heating

[drewhodge]

I've been looking forward to this video.

[PlatisTobbe]

Exciting video!! ...and interesting. Have a nice day! 💯💥🙌

[mrmotofy]

It would be awesome if you could post in description the part numbers and vehicle info so one can search for them knowing they're getting the same thing

[gwrclarke]

Great video and very inspiring.

I have an Eberspacher D5WZ old heater. I am trying to find the correct wiring for it.

The unit has the following wires;

Red (thick)

Brown (thick)



Yellow (thin - used)

Green (thin - used)

Blue (thin - I think used)



Blue & White (thin)

Black & White (thin)

Red & Black (thin)



Please note from previous set up it looks like the Red (thick) and the Yellow (thin) were joined together.

As you know there is an external water pump on this model.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks for your time.

Graham Clarke

Hi,

I have an Eberspacher D5WZ old heater. I am trying to find the correct wiring for it.

The unit has the following wires;

Red (thick)

Brown (thick)



Yellow (thin - used)

Green (thin - used)

Blue (thin - I think used)



Blue & White (thin)

Black & White (thin)

Red & Black (thin)



Please note from previous set up it looks like the Red (thick) and the Yellow (thin) were joined together.

As you know there is an external water pump on this model.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks for your time.

Graham Clarke

[ireland_love_life]

I’m only seeing this video now, good stuff looks a little bit complicated for me,
On my Ford transit mk7 camper build I was thinking of using oil pan heater about £6 on eBay along with 2000 W coolant heater for a quote on eBay the two of working together, I’m hoping would do the job Alex what do you think?