Lust! Sex! Espar!

[JimC]

This is the kind of thing that gets me fired up. I've been wanting to get a fuel-powered preheater for the truck for a long time. The Tdi just wont warm up at idle, and even though it starts easily, I hate cold starting engines. This satisfies my desire to defrost and my obsessivness about the motor at the same time.

It looks like it will fit nicely where the washer bottle used to be. I need to make some decisions about how best to install it, but I'll take pix and maybe this will turn into a decent reference for someone.

[RyanS]

Jim - I'm very interested in how you end up installing the preheater. I'm planning on doing the same thing for the 2.8 I'm putting in the 110. Did you get a good deal on the Espar? Source? Thanks.

[JimC]

I got mine from Petroleum Specialist. This one is a D5, 17k BTU's - it was 1100 and the 7-day timer/diagnostic readout was 200 more. This was the best price I could find, Thermoking wanted almost 400 more. A 12k BTU model is available, but only a hundred dollars less.

FYI, Espar is just a shortended name for North America - the company is actually Eberspaecher out of Germany, which has been making these units for years. Many vehicles in Europe are fitted with these because anti-idling laws apply to passenger cars in addition to large trucks. So its illegal to warm up your car in your driveway.

[RyanS]

That sounds like a decent deal. I was also looking at the Webasto units. Seems they now have a new automotive preheater line they call BlueHeat. But the retail price on a 17kBtu unit is ~$1800!

Don't know if you have seen this, but I happened across it a while back...

http://www.reedx.net/landrover/mods/eberspacher/

[weissbrewer]

I put one on my cummins ram last year dodge sells them for $800 or did at that time. It has only worked about 90% of the time but when it does it is sweet! (ran the batteries out even though it is supposed to have a low voltage sensor & occasionally misfires and does not start)

[artm]

For the 110, I picked up a new D4 off Ebay from a guy in Germany (of course) a couple years ago for $600. Another $50 for the seven day timer from a guy in the UK. The timer is used for the diagnostics, clock and a manual shut off. I have no need for a regular timer setup as the truck isn't used daily. I have ye tto install this.

The heater is installed inside the passenger side frame rail and feeds off its own fuel line. I didn't want to put it in the engine bay in case it caught on fire. Yes, you may say it's lower here and can get water logged but the 110 isn't a true off-roader and never in deep water.

You need a remote. The dedicated ones are around $300+. I installed a "cheap" one used for garage doors and such. When testing it first it had good range: about 50-feet. I thought all I would need is to stick my head near my house window and click it, as my truck is in the driveway.

Well, it worked OK for a while but now it stinks as I have to get right up to the truck.

I managed to find a new one on Ebay from Germany for $180. It should be arriving shortly. It has an LCD readout and it's two way so you know if the heater is working or not. The range is also 1000-feet. Nice!

I also picked up an A4 (inside air heater) but I think it's now overkill. Read my posts on my Euro AC system setup. The blower feeds off the stock heater blower and pumps out very good heat. If I do install it it will go in the passenger side compartment and feed two ducts toward your feet and two to the rear. Honestly, though, I have found the heat is fine as long as you add or change the blower.

[epninety]

I've had a Webasto unit in my Ibex for a few years, and it's excellent. I bought new because I'd no tech info or experience with them. Having done it once, I'd look for a Freelander unit on ebay (frequently much less than 100UKP / 200USD in the UK).
Switching on and off can be a simple switch, so easy to add a generic remote, or use a spare channel on your existing alarm (I did that with my Clifford).

Also had an eberspacher cab air heater installed temporarily for a recent trip to arctic Norway - was sat parked up in a blizzard wearing t shirt and sweating :-)

You can see some notes on my setup at http://www.ep90.com/index.php?id=45

Dave

[themaxx]

Originally Posted by LanduytG

I can sell you the Espar Hydronic D5 S for $1050 and the install is not bad at all. We installed a couple on TDI's. One was in Toronto I beleive and I forget where the other was. Anyway that includes 7 day timer and if you don't want that we will take $110 off the price. They fit in the drives side fend well. Just remove the fender liner and their you go. I could have it installed in about 4-5 hours or so, may be a bit more since its been a couple of years since I've done one. At 17K btu it will flat run you out of the car and heat everything very fast. You don't have to worry about finding 110V and then hoping the breaker does not trip. Also since this is only a 6 quart system it will heat the water to 165* then cut back to low until it gets to 175*. Then it will shut the burner off but still continue to circulate the water. When the temp gets down a bit it will fire back up. If you want something that will keep you warm when parked this is it.

Greg
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[Michael]

very nice piece. used it allot this past winter on a HS2.8.

[JimC]

I've gotten a few tasks done on the Espar installation.

The unit comes supplied with a stainless mounting bracket which adapts nicely onto the washer bottle bracket. I just made two straight pieces to attach the two together.

There is just enough space to fit the heater between the overflow tank and the heater box. The tank is smaller on the v8, so it probably wouldnt be so tight without the Tdi. I had to use right angle adapters to allow the hoses to clear the heater box.

Espar recommends a fuel pickup directly from the tank, and fortunately, I have a front tank. I drilled an appropriately sized hole in the plate and installed the supplied fuel pickup there.

A local machine shop made a plate for me which is just right for my auxillary power sockets, seat heater switches, and the Espar timer/diagnostic unit. The plate is sized to fit in the radio comparment of my Tuffy console. I still have to have the plate powdercoated.

Hopefully, I'll get the thing plumbed in and wired this weekend.

Also attached is a picture of everything that is included in the kit.

[themaxx]

Hey Jim,

Thanks for taking the time and snapping pics and including some fundamental steps! That install looks very professional.

That's on my 'to do' list, might end up being sooner than later.

Ade

[Chaucer]

Nice work, Jim! Keep up the good work and thanks for documenting this for everyone.

I've been thinking of the Espar for next winter and look forward to your next set of pics.

[JimC]

I finally got everything plumbed and wired. I cruised the supply of molded hoses down at the local autoparts store and found a Gates hose that worked perfectly for connecting the output on the head to the input on the Espar - what luck! I had to adapt a couple hoses to make the connection from the Espar to the heater core, but using a couple pre-bent hoses kept me from having to use three elbows, short pieces of straight hose, and lots of hose clamps. I coule probably improve the look of this second line, but its going to have to work for now.

I installed the switch in the Tuffy console using the plate I had made. Espar supplies very long cabling for the switch, so you could easily install it in an overhead console or some other location that required a circuitous wiring run.

I tested it on an 80 degree Georgia day, and the Espar took about 20 minutes to heat the coolant to 160 degrees.

[RyanS]

Jim - Looks good. I've never been that lucky finding pre-bent hoses. Guess you're just in time for summer, but you'll be ready for winter. Please let us know how it works when the temps go down.

[dmarchand]

That is very well done Jim. Thanks for the details.

[dmarchand]

I just won an auction for an espar D5 with timer at $800, all in. So looks like I have a January garage project for the 90.

Jim, do you only have a saddle tank or are you using twin tanks on your truck?

[JimC]

I've got twin tanks Dave - and I ran the Espar pickup to the front tank since its not supposed to be more than 6 feet long. Also the Espar isn't supposed to run on biodiesel, so I just don't put bio in the front tank.

[dmarchand]

Thanks Jim, that is exactly why I asked. I had heard the same and it would certainly be easier to pull my front tank as well.

[Gkase]

I've had my D5 installed for the past 2 winters and wouldn't be without it...as I idle through creeping rush hour traffic, it is my only hope of possibly keeping the heater going in freezing weather...

[nikojo]

George........do you have the hydronic or airtronic D5?

If it is hydronic, do you turn it on as needed or have it on all the time, ie when you start to idle in traffic you flip it on??