Hi everybody, sorry we haven't posted for a while but we are back now with another awesome diesel heater post.
We have posted a similar post to this before but this is the upgraded 2.0 version so we have pulled out all the stops to find some awesome stuff for you.
So these Chinese Diesel Heaters are awesome for the price but it's no big secret that there are some improvements to be made. Sometimes the accessory kit that comes with them are less than top quality, some kits come with awful controllers or the wrong fuel line and none of the kits ever come with a decent mount for fitting it to your vehicle or anything else for that matter.
In this post we will try to cover everything from spare parts incase you loose or break something, upgraded parts for the little bits that might not be good enough for your application and added extras for people who like that sort of thing.
We hope you all find it helpful.
UPDATE - WE HAVE POSTED A NEWER UPDATED VERSION OF THIS POST FOR 2022/2023 PLEASE CHECK IT OUT BELOW
MOUNTS, BOXES & BRACKETS
The type of mount your will need really depends on where you will be mounting your heater, the flat plate that comes with the kit is only really suitable to be mounted on a flat metal surface for anything else it is pretty useless. If you are looking for a flat plate like the one that comes with the kit please see below. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Noblik Car Air Top Heater Mount Plate Bracket Parking Heater Base
If you are fitting it in a van with a wooden floor or in an area of your van without a flat floor then you will need to mount your heater to a turret plate before installing it in your van. They are designed to protect your wooden floor from the heat of the exhaust outlet and also so they can be sealed effectively both inside and underneath the van so dangerous fumes can't get inside the vehicle.
If you have insulation under your floor you will need a turret plate with a collar long enough to fit through your wooden floor, insulation and slightly stick out underneath the van.
Mounting Bracket for Auxiliary Heating 30 mm
This has a 30mm collar for a wooden floor without insulation underneath, if you have an insulated floor you will need the turret plate below with a 60 mm collar
Mounting Bracket for Auxiliary Heating 60 mm
This turret plate has a 60mm collar for wooden floors with insulation underneath, if you do not have any insulation you can use the 30mm plate above
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Chinese diesel heater floor mounting plate - planar 85mm
This turret plate has a 85mm collar for wooden floors with extra thick insulation underneath, not as good quality as the items above but good enough and cheap ish
If you want to mount a Chinese Diesel heater underneath a vehicle then you need to install in in something that will protect it from the elements. The waterproofing on these heaters and components is less than minimal so unless you protect them they will probably last less than five minuets. You could either make something to install it in yourself or buy something like this that is perfect for the job.
2kw 65mm Turret diesel Heater Box Planar Eberspacher Webasto Chinese stainless
Suitable for 2KW heaters only
Chinese 5KW stainless steel diesel heater box
Suitable for 5KW heaters only
If you are lucky enough to have a factory position for these heaters on your van that is already protected from the elements like on a T5 for example you can fit your heater underneath the van without a box, all you will need is one of these brackets and you are good to go.
BLACK Eberspacher Airtronic heater or Webasto VW T5/T6 external mount bracket
EXUAST PIPE & ACCESSORIES
One this that is pretty hit or miss with these heaters is the quality of the exhaust pipe that is supplied in the kit, sometimes they diameter is slightly to wide so no matter how hard you try and tighten the hose clips the exhaust pipe will never really tighten onto the heater properly, this is easily solved though with a couple of strategically places slits in the end of the pipe. For more info on how to do this please check out our fitting instructions post, we will post a link to it at the bottom of this blog post.
If you are looking for a like for like replacement for the exhaust pipe that comes in the kits with the heaters please see below. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Viviance 25mm Inner Diameter 500mm Length
You can also buy this exhaust pipe in longer sections incase you need to reach further to find a suitable location for the exhaust fumes to exit from, the length of the pipe that comes in the kit with the heater is only 50cm long so a lot of you will want to opt for a longer piece.
Mutiwill 120cm Stainless Steel Exhaust Pipe
Viviance ZHVIVY 2M 2.5cm Stainless Steel Exhaust Pipe
If you want a decent quality more flexible exhaust pipe that is always the correct diameter at each end then you could upgrade to the exhaust pipe below. It is much better quality and what they use on the German & Russian versions of the heaters.
This exhaust pipe comes from a British seller and can be ordered per meter.
1m Eberspacher 24mm Stainless Steel Flexible Exhaust/Heating Pipe
When it comes to attaching the exhaust pipe to your silencer the hose clips that are supplied it the package are pretty useless and we just throw them straight into the bin, for this reason for these we are not going to suggest a like for like replacement and just show you a couple of upgrade options.
The first suggestion is some genuine Jubilee clips with a decent diameter range so you can tighten them up properly.
10 x Genuine Jubilee Clips 22-30mm (1A)
The second option and a much more heavy duty upgrade would be some proper Eberspacher/Webasto exhaust clamps, you will have no problem securing your pipe to your heater with these.
EBERSPACHER/WEBASTO HEATER 24mm ID EXHAUST CLAMP
The silencers/mufflers that come in the kit are very basic bits of kit, they will do the job but when the heater is on full blast they can be quite loud outside. If you are looking for a like for like replacement for your silencer then please see the link below...
Car Air Diesel Heater Exhaust Pipe Silencer
As we mentioned above the silencers that come in the kit with the heaters are pretty basic and don't do a very good job of making the heater silent, there are a couple of things you can do to cut the amount of noise from the exhaust.
The first option would be to add another silencer and another exhaust pipe. The best way of doing this is to buy a 120 cm exhaust pipe and silencer in a set and install them in the following order with the exhaust pipe and silencer that came with your kit...
Heater, 120cm exhaust pipe, first silencer, 50cm exhaust pipe, second silencer
This should go a long way to cutting noise
Exhaust Muffler 120cm, Stainless Steel Pipe Silencer for Parking air diesel heaters
A better option would be to upgrade your silence to a better quality silencer made for the German or Russian versions of these heaters. They are far superior to the cheap Chinese ones and will cut the noise of your heater with this one simple upgrade.
Unfortunately they are more pricey than the Chinese ones but for good reason, so if noise outside the van is a big problem for you then these are the way forward.
You could also use the same method as above and add an extra silencer.
Eberspacher Heater Silencer Muffler for 24mm
If you are installing a heater on a boat none of the silencer options above will be suitable for your install, boats have different requirements and therefor different and often more expensive accessories.
For boat installs you will most likely need both of the options below.
First of all you will need to use a "Dedicated Gas tight Marine Exhaust Silencer" for any marine applications...
Webasto or Eberspacher Marine Exhaust Silencer muffler 24mm
You will also need something to attach to the side of your boat for the exhaust pipe and silence to connect too for the exhaust fumes to exit and so it looks good and neat. For that you will need something like this...
Eberspacher or Webasto Marine Heater Smartfix Boat Exhaust Hull Fitting 24mm
AIR INTAKE
The air intake hose and silencer/filter that come with the heater are good enough for purpose and do they job they are supposed to do, they make the heater slightly quieter and they keep foreign objects out of the heater.
If you are looking for a like for like replacement for these two bits then please follow the link below… As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Combustion Air Intake Filter Pipe
If you are looking for an upgrade for your air intake/silencer/filter a really good option would be the Planer/Autoterm air intake with a much better silencer built into it, these silencers really do make a huge difference in keeping your heater quieter especially on start up and would be awesome used in conjunction with the upgrade below...
Autoterm Planar Air Intake Hose With Silencer
One problem that a lot of people have with the air intake is that it makes a lot of noise on start up and with the noise of the exhaust at the same time it makes it sound a little bit like a jet engine. One thing that we have found that makes a lot of difference to this is a MuffMaster silencer. They are pretty much impossible to find in the UK but we have found a link to eBay in the U.S that will ship to the UK
*US STOCK* MuffMaster Chinese Diesel Heater Air Intake Silencer Filter
INTERNAL SPARE PARTS
These heaters are pretty simple by design so there isn't really much that can go wrong with them however there are a few things that might but luckily they are quite easy to change yourself at home so the parts are available so you can fix any problems yourself.
One thing that might stop working overtime is the glow plug, these have a limited life span or the heaters sometimes turn up with a defective glow plug fitted and when you try and fire up the heater you will get an E03 error code.
They are pretty simple to replace yourself but you will need a special tool to do it too...
Air Diesel Heater Ceramic Glow Plug 12V For Car Truck Boat Parking Heater
https://ebay.us/k4miZx
The glow plug below is the same as the one above the only difference is the speed of the delivery, the one below is more expensive but if you are in a hurry and have an amazon prime membership you can get it same day if ordered early enough. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases
MASO 12V Universal Car Ceramic Glow Plug 88-98W
And as I mentioned above you will need a special tool to change your glow plugs, it is probably best to buy these in anticipation of your glow plug failing as they all seem to come from china so will take longer to arrive than your glow plug
Semoic 2Pcs 12mm Car Air Heater Glow Pin Removal Tool
When you change the glow plug or service the heater you should also change the atomiser mesh so make sure you have some handy...
10* Glow Plug Burner Stainless Steel Filter Screen For Diesel Air Parking Heater
Another internal part that might go wrong is the temp sensor, when this goes wrong the motherboard thinks that the heater is too hot even if it is stone cold and will go into cool down mode with the fan spinning and it will be blowing cold air.
If you have ever walked into your van and the heater is on for no reason and blowing cold air the temp sensor is the most likely culprit an you might be getting a E03 or an E09 error code, to fix this problem you will need one of these...
Car Auto Parking Heater Temperature Sensor
If your heater gets sooted up and filled with carbon then you might need to take it apart to give it a good clean, this is very easy to do however to put it back together again you are going to need a couple of new gaskets to make sure everything seals properly.
2 Pcs Gaskets Replacement Set For Webasto Airtop Air Diesel Heater Engine 5KW
5KW ONLY
2pcs For Webasto Airtop Gasket Set Air Diesel Heater Replace Accessories 2KW
2KW ONLY
Some heaters come with really bad controllers that have no instruction videos or manual online anywhere so they can be really hard to understand and sometime impossible to use. Sometimes you can just order a different style control panel online and it will work with your heater and you are good to go, with some heaters though this will not work and you will not be able to upgrade to a new controller at all. If you are in this situation you could always just change the motherboard for one that will work with all the decent controllers on the market...
Air-Diesel Heater Control Board Motherboard for 12V/24V 3/5KW Diesel Air Heater
FOR 5KW HEATERS
1x Control Board Accessories Motherboard Black For 12V 2KW Diesel Air Heater
FOR 2KW HEATERS
***NEW ADDITIONS 25/02/2021***
Qii lu Heater Harness, Separated Type Diesel Heater Harness Car Parking Heater Harness Main Wire Harness Kit
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CONTROL PANELS & REMOTE CONTROL
You might have been lucky enough to get one of the good controllers with your heater but if you haven't and you are looking to upgrade to a better controller or even a simpler controller you have a few to choose from but these are our favourites
The most common type on the market and the type with the most instructional videos about them on youtube is this type, it is simple to use comes with a remote and works with most heaters with the rounded triangle type connector. it is also compatible with the 5KW mother board above. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases
SUNWAN 12V Car Heater LCD Switch Controller with 4 Button Remote Control For Car Diesels Air Heater Parking Heater
If you don't like the idea of of a digital controller that is always lit up up like Christmas tree then you might want to try a rotary controller instead, these are very simple controllers but only let you do basic things. It is a good idea to have a digital controller spare if you have one of these incase you ever need to go into the heaters settings or set a timer on the heater.
Again this heater works with most heaters with the rounded triangle type connector and is compatible with 2KW and 5KW heaters.
Parking Heater Controller DC 12V/24V Climate Control Panel Knob Switch
Another option and probably the best Chinese controller on the market at the moment is the one below, it works pretty much the same as the first controller I sent you but it has a few extra good points. The first is that is can sense what altitude you are currently at and adjust fuel and air settings when at higher altitudes unlike any of the older models and the other main difference is that the remote has a LCD screen on it too so you can see the heaters settings etc and this makes life a lot easier.
12V / 24V air diesel heater parking switch panel parking heater remote control blue LCD with red remote control
FUEL SYSTEM
If you have been unlucky enough to have a heater delivered with the green fuel pipe then it is a good idea to replace it before you install it as it is the wrong type of fuel pipe for these heaters and it will give you nothing but problems. A common fault with heaters with this fuel line is massive air bubbles that will cause your heater to think it has run out of fuel and shut down giving you an E08 error code. This is because the inner diameter of the pipe is MUCH too thick and the pipe is too flexible.
Sometimes the all in one heaters come with this horrible green fuel pipe too so even if you have one of those there is a good change you will get unwanted E08 error codes and the fuel pipe should be changed
The correct stuff to use is the rigid plastic type with the correct inner diameter with small pieces of thicker fuel pipe to join the pieces together like this...
5M Inline Fuel Filter Hose Clip Pipes Line
Something that might fail over time especially if you keep running your heater until the fuel completely runs out is the fuel pump, some heater sometimes even turn up with a dud pump that needs replacing.
If you are getting an E04 error code and there is nothing wrong with your connection a new pump is the best place to start.
This one is available with same day delivery for prime members if you order it early enough in the day. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases
RETYLY Universal 12V 1Kw-5Kw Car Air Heater Diesels Pump For Auto Air Diesels Parking Heater Car Accessories
One problem that a lot of people will have with these heaters is the annoying ticking of the fuel pump every time it pulses, there are a couple of things you can do about this that we have found really help.
The first thing you should do is add a damper to the heater side of your fuel pump, it will reduce the noise significantly up to 60% if their figures are to be believed. I have one on mine and it does really help.
Universal Heater Fuel Easy Install Dosing Pump Car Damper Set For Webasto UK
The dampers above work buy stopping your fuel pipe from vibrating, as the best fuel line to use for these heaters is the rigid nylon type when the pump pulses the vibration reverberates along the fuel line so where any off it touches anything built into your van like wood for example or even the body work this will amplify the ticking noise and be ultra annoying. The damper above will do a lot to stop this but to make it even quieter it is a good idea to run the fuel line across something spongy wherever it will touch anything this will reduce the noise even more.
We use something like this...
Fowong 25mm(W) x 10mm(T) x 4M(L) Closed Cell Foam Tape
The next thing in the fuel system that could be better quality are the fuel filters they are made from very cheap plastic and can be easily broken, that being said they are good enough to do they job they are supposed to do and you can get away without upgrading them.
If you are looking for a like for like replacement for your fuel filter please see the links below...
Diesel Parking Heater In-line Fuel Filter
housesweet Petrol Car Inline Fuel Filter Gas Inline Fuel Filters
BUDGET WITH LONG DELIVERY
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If you wanted to upgrade your fuel filter to something better quality there are lots of options to choose from but we really like these ones...
Benzinfilter/Kraftstofffilter universal 6 mm
CHROME/GLASS PETROL/FUEL FILTER
Yangers Motorbike Inline Fuel Filter, Universal 6mm Screw Size Fitting Hose
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Another thing that a lot of people choose to change is the fuel tanks, the one supplied with most heaters is a decent size but a stupid shape. If you are installing your heater into a camper conversion you will struggle to find a decent place to put it because it is so tall.
Again there are lots of options on the market for this and you can pretty much turn any water tight container with a lid into a suitable fuel pick up pipe so why not get creative.
Here are some of our favourites...
Go big or go home, this Outboard motor fuel tank can hold 22.7 litres at a time that is more than twice the original tank but it it also a lot shorter so can be hidden away easier. The barb for the fuel pip on this is 8mm so you will need to use a thicker piece of fuel pipe to an adapter to make it fit your system.
High Quality Boat Petrol Outboard Fuel Tank - 6 Gallon / 22.7 Litre By MiDMarine
This Outboard fuel tank is just like the one above but 12 litres so a lot smaller, it is still 2 litres bigger than the tank that comes with the kit but again a much better shape for hiding it away. The barb for the fuel pip on this is 8mm so you will need to use a thicker piece of fuel pipe to an adapter to make it fit your system.
Hulk 12 Litre Portable Marine Outboard Fuel Tank Yacht Sailing Boat Fishing
8mm To 6mm Hose ID Brass Reducer Barb Hose Fitting
If you are struggling for space and need something smaller then you could go for something like this tank, these are nice and small and will only take up about as much space in your van as a small shoe box but they are only half the size of the tank that comes in the kit so you have to fill it up twice as often.
5.5L PLASTIC FUEL OIL GASOLINE TANK FOR AUTO CAR AIR DIESEL PARKING HEATER
This next tank is slightly bigger than the one above at 7 litres but it is a flatter shape like the one that comes with the kit but shorter so it is much easier to find a suitable location for it. The good thing about these tanks is that the fuel connection is at the top of the tank with a fuel sender that dips into your fuel, this means less foreign particles in your fuel lines and better still it cant develop a leak and drip diesel everywhere.
UK 7L Plastic Fuel Oil Gasoline Tank For Car Truck Air Diesel Parking Heater Box
These are a new UPDATE AS OF THE 16/02/21 and are an awesome space saving idea for anybody with a small van the would be perfect, they come in two different sizes 24 litre & 57 litre. They would also work well as water tanks for anybody short on space...
24 Litre Wheel Arch Tank With Fitting Kit, FIts VW T5, T6, Campervans, Vans
57 Litre Wheel Arch Tank With Fitting Kit, FIts VW T5, T6, Campervans, Vans
Some people like to add a fuel cut off switch just incase the controller stops working and you can't turn the heater off safely without letting go through it's own shutting down and cooling process, if you can turn the fuel off the heater will think it has run out of fuel and go through the process automatically. Fo this you just need something very simple like the switch below.
6mm ATV Buggy Inline Fuel Tank Tap Filter Petcock on Off Switch
HOT AIR DUCTING & ACCESSORIES
Most heater kits come with the bare minimum when it comes to hot air ducting and vents and usually only come with one piece of hot air ducting and a vent. This is ok for small areas but if you have a larger area or multiple rooms to heat with one heater this isn't ideal.
There are a few exceptions though, some heaters come with four smaller outlets on the heater itself and should come with four short 42mm pieces of ducting but no vents.
Or you might have been luck to get a kit that comes with three pieces of ducting and two vents that you can use for two outlets so you can direct the heat to two locations.
If your heater doesn't come with everything you need to direct the heat where you want to there are a few different bits and pieces you can get...
75MM FOR 5KW & 8KW HEATERS
Diesel Heater 75mm Heater Pipe Ducting Y Branch Warm Air Outlet
2x 75mm Heater Pipe Ducting Warm Air Outlet Vent Piece
75mm Rotatable Air Outlet Vent
For Webasto Diesel Heater 75mm Heater Pipe Ducting Warm Air Outlet Vent UK
75mm Heater Air Duct Ducting Hot Cold Pipe For Webasto Eberspacher Diesel Heater
75mm Air Ducting Pipe Elbow Outlet Connector
75mm Ducting Joiner Connector
75mm-60mm Car Parking Heater Ducting Reducer
One Hole Outlet Cover 75mm Fits For Auto Trucks Air Diesel Parking Durabe
Heater Hose Outlet Tube Connector fit for4Hole Auto Air Diesel Heater Truck Boat
4x 42mm Heater Duct Pipe Ducting+ Air Vent For Air Diesel Heater 4 Holes Car *
LYJUN® 60mm 5KW Air Two Outlet Vent Cover
PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ACCESSORIES FOR THIS OUTLET
60MM FOR 2KW HEATERS
60mm Heater Pipe Ducting Piece Warm Air Outlet Vent For Webasto Diesel Propex UK
azurely Car Heater Outlet Air Vent, 60mm Air Diesel Heater Air Vent Outlet For Eberspacher, Webasto, Propex Heaters
Air Vent Outlet, 60mm Auto Car Heater Ducting Warm Air Vent Outlet -Rotatable 360 Degrees
BLACK 60MM OPEN CLOSE ROTABLE VENT OUTLET FOR EBERSPACHER WEBASTO DIESEL HEATER
60mm Car Air Ducting Hose Vent,Hot & Cold Air Ducting, Heater Duct Pipe for Diesel Heater Webasto
NEXT DAY DELIVERY WITH PRIME
60mm Heater Duct Pipe Air Ducting For Diesel Heater Warm Air Vent Outlet UK
EBERSPACHER/WEBASTO HEATER 60mm DUCTING CONNECTOR/JOINER
60mm Heater Air Vent Outlet Ducting Elbow Connector For Webasto Diesel Heater
So that is all we can think of for now so that is where we are going to leave it, there are lots of awesome bits and pieces so I hope you found what you are looking for.
For more information on fitting your own heater please take a look at our - Fitting Your Own Chinese Diesel Heater - Everything You Need To Know post by following the link below
If you don’t have a heater yet and are looking for a decent one please check out this post….
Ok thats it we hope you all enjoyed it and found it helpful.
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