TheSamba.com :: View topic - Heating FAQs

Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:24 am

Under dash 16a
On heater 8a ( i will run down and check later today)

I have never had the fuse on the heater blow. Just the one under the dash.

Alex

Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:02 pm

Hey folks! I have a BN4 in my Baywindow, looks like a dealer install, as its too clearly routed and loomed to ave been a PO install. I'm to sure on the procedure for trying to fire this thing up, and am soon to replace my fuel lines and had been considering bypassing the heater altogether.

Before I do, can someone give me a short list of things to check to see if this heater might run, how to run it, or what to look for? I'm or familiar with these things AT ALL lol

If I do wind up bypassing it, is there anything I should be cautiouslf to avoid creating a new hazard?

Hope this thing is workable!

Thanks!
Mike

Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:49 pm

I would just make sure that the intakes and exhausts are free of critters and nests.

Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:55 pm

Hey guys! Mike here, new to the thing/181 forum but making my grand entrance to call upon your gas heater expertise.

I have a Baywindow, with a bn4. My heater doesn't work. I had considered trying to fix it, but found a guy here on TS that has great pricing on restored units.

Next comes to, while I have one currently installed does anyone here have instructions perhaps from when these things were new on how to PROPERLY install the heater?

Of course I'm very fearful of fire, and have no idea how these things work or hook into the bus. I will be learning, once I have all my pieces gathered in a couple weeks. But would like something to look back upon so I can be comfortable I've installed it the way it was intended.

Thanks

Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:31 am

Alexios wrote: Hi

I am having almost the same issue. My heater is working fine(finally) but burns the fuse after one hour and 30 min. If i replace the fuse immediately it blows it again after less than 5 minutes. The fuse that gets blow is the one under the dash.

Does the thermal cutout switch through the fuse under the dash or the one one the heater?

Alex

Hey Alex!
I just caught one thing you said, "after and Hour and 30 Min",
The timer for the heater was Only supposed to run like 25 min I think, then start the cool down cycle, then you'd have to turn it back on and repeat.

Don't know if that means anything but could your's be getting hot cause the timers bad and wont cycle to off? not sure, but Mine was broke and wouldnt time off, I ended up replacing with one from the Thing shop.

Could be totally off but thought I'd mention.

Also, ive had mine trip/reset before, so I dont run it full wide open on the temp setting any more, seemd it was getting a bit too hot maybe.
so far been running well.

good luck with the fix.

T

Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:41 am

I think I must have just got luck when I installed the new fuel pump and it all work just like it should, not cheap but it works good. Good luck to you.

Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:09 am

Sorry for OOT, but Bajaman65...what did you place under the spare wheel bracket??

Mines is lousy and wonder what should be done to make it hold tight

Sun Jul 28, 2013 6:51 am

That is a totally stock factory mount with the 1/2 inch felt glued to the bottom. I have had it off road and the tire never moves around.

Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:42 pm

obnoxiousblue wrote: Hey guys! Mike here, new to the thing/181 forum but making my grand entrance to call upon your gas heater expertise.

I have a Baywindow, with a bn4. My heater doesn't work. I had considered trying to fix it, but found a guy here on TS that has great pricing on restored units.

Next comes to, while I have one currently installed does anyone here have instructions perhaps from when these things were new on how to PROPERLY install the heater?

Of course I'm very fearful of fire, and have no idea how these things work or hook into the bus. I will be learning, once I have all my pieces gathered in a couple weeks. But would like something to look back upon so I can be comfortable I've installed it the way it was intended.

Thanks

Stacey in Canada sells a reprint of the BN4 heater manual. A WISE investment for sure. Search the classifieds for "eberspacher"

Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:20 pm

or here http://oacdp.org/ebersp.html#q2

Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:56 pm

I think I am losing it! I could have sworn I read a stretch in here regarding a guy who rebuilds the timer switches in the dash. Is there such a person or service? Mine needs it....bad!

Fri Oct 09, 2015 2:48 pm

Fri Oct 09, 2015 3:19 pm

That is great.

I'll be downloading a number of his videos.

Thu Nov 05, 2015 4:52 pm

Good day!

I am rebuilding a Eberspacher BN4 gas heater but I'm having a problem trouble shooting some wiring issues.

I have taken a picture of the data plate on the heater and a shot of the wiring and attached to this email for your reference.

I was wondering if you hade a copy of the correct wiring digram for my heater? Please note that my heater does not have a temperature control sensor at the exit of the heater.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

[/img]

Sat Dec 26, 2015 1:11 pm

I've been snooping around lately for new glow-spark plug buying options, pleased to say I've found a few. They are available here on the samba from time to time, but the vendors here seem to be really proud of them and ask for way too much money for an item that not many VW enthusiasts are even into. Shame as these cool - "hot" parts may never get into the right hands and may be destined to sit on a shelf - too proud to see use. :cry: Ive tried to show these vendors links and sales for the same parts - for less elsewhere with little interest to sell at a comparable price. So fine - I get to use this emoji :fist: and this :roll:

I posted most info to the bay BN4 thread I've been running up. Just thought some of you would find some of the last postings of interest.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7926397#7926397

Sun Nov 13, 2016 11:12 pm

Anyone have any temp control knobs they want to sell? The one on the left for the cable - hooked to the thermostat says TEMP on it?

Let me know. Thanks!

Mon Nov 14, 2016 12:15 pm

hubscaps wrote: Please note that my heater does not have a temperature control sensor at the exit of the heater.
Yeah. It has an unusual safety switch there too. Possibly some home brew happening there.

You can find the wiring diagrams for the BN-4 in the Technical Section under Thing Wiring. Click here and scroll down. While you're there you might want to have a look at the BN-4 Ladder Diagram. You should be very wary of operating a gas heater with substituted or missing components. The safe use of the heater depends on the ability of the components to interact with one another.

Here's a photo of the top of the heater with the components labeled as per the wiring diagram.

Hope that helps . . .

Wed Dec 07, 2016 11:40 am

so... Is there any "safe" way to bypass the "saftey switch", one of my little paper looking fuse type connectors on the top end of the saftey switch is busted, can it be replaced? if so with what?

Wed Dec 07, 2016 12:05 pm

ashtonmwilson wrote: so... Is there any "safe" way to bypass the "saftey switch", one of my little paper looking fuse type connectors on the top end of the saftey switch is busted, can it be replaced? if so with what?

I would get a new safety switch. But its basically a circuit breaker for the most part. If you bypass and something else is at fault - I could only imagine a wire heating and burning ruining your loom. If everything is fine - it will run fine.

Wed Dec 07, 2016 6:35 pm

The Safety Switch is an important safety component. There is a small heating element in the safety switch. When you turn on a cold heater, that heating element begins to heat up. If for any one of a number of reasons the BN4 doesn't fire and begin to produce heat, after a predetermined time the heater in the safety switch will heat up a bi-metal piece inside the safety switch which will deform and trip the switch, thereby shutting the BN4 heater off. This is to prevent a dangerous buildup of unburned fuel in the BN4. So, while it is possible to bypass the safety switch, it's not advisable.