Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 15:11:16 -0400
Reply-To: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Subject: Re: SMOKE! After I turn off my BA6 Gas Heater
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Robert I am not sure if its the setup on all vans but my
ventilation controls have only three sliders and no fan
control.
Because of the smoke I turned everything off in a big hurry
so I can't remeber if the air coming out was warm... but yes
air contined to blow out and yes it was smokey.
I know my inexperience is showing... but where is the air
intake under the seat? are you talking about the one just
behind the aisle between the front seat driver and
passenger? Right where the floor changes height?
I have a feeling the reason the smoke stopped was because I
removed the fuses.
I have had the belly pan off and the heater inspected by Ken
Wilford about a year ago. At the time the heater and fuel
lines were all in great shape and I only needed to change
the fule pump tyo the BA6 to get it to work (actually I
bought the pump from you - and it worked great).
What really strikes me is that the smoke happend EXACTLY at
the moment I moved the levers left.
Now this could be completely unrelated, but my van is REALLY
Hesitating at low revs all of a sudden, and the brake light
also is coming on at low revs. Plus I just installed a
second battery through the fridge relay.
Thanks,
Chris
---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 10:18:37 -0700
>From: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: SMOKE! After I turn off my BA6 Gas Heater
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>Chris,
>
>Moving the second lever down from the top turns off the fan
in the engine compartment and closes the flaps from the heat
exchangers. When the gas heater is on only the air
circulation blower runs .
>
>So, you are saying that hot air continues to blow out the
vent when you move the lever left, but now it is smoky?
>
>Could it be possible that the air intake under the seat is
block by a pair of dirty socks?
>
>I find all kinds of stuff stored that is blocking this
intake. If the heater doesn't get full flow of air , or none
at all, it will overheat and melt or burn anything that has
been sprayed on the exterior, especially undercoating.
>
>Here are a few more guesses:
>
>Oil in the heater boxes burning -check your valve covers-
any leaking whatsoever is not acceptable.
>Moving the lever to the left shuts off the heater boxes-
but the cables may need adjustment.
>
>In the air cooled Vanagon the heater is termed a "booster".
It 's boosting the temp of air initially heated by the
engine. Bad leaky mufflers, oil leaks, all contribute to
created smoke or exhaust odors which can be drawn into the
heater system.
>
>Lastly, the BA-6 heat exchanger it self could have fuel
leaking onto it from a worn out fuel line or bad connection-
replace all using new hose and clamps.
>
>It's rare that the heat exchanger itself should have a hole
in it. The pressure differential
>prevents flames or smoke from entering the heated air
chamber though a small hole. . But a large hole will. If
your heater is very rusty , the heat exchanger could be
damaged.
>If you have never had the heater serviced, or even the pan
off- please look under after removing the pan and inspect
the fuel lines. Look for any sign of melting wires, etc.,
and don't run until the problem is solved. You don't want
your Vanagon to go up in smoke.
>
>If you can't determine what the problem is, I can help you
troubleshoot it further by e-mail.
>
>Robert
>
>1982 Westfalia
>
>1987 Wolfsburg
>
>----- Original Message -----
>Wrom: FSQHYUCDDJBLVL
>Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 2:13 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: SMOKE! After I turn off my BA6 Gas Heater
>
>I just got a LOT of smoke out of my lower front vent (the
>one in front of the shifter about 12" above the floor) when
>I turned off my BA& Heater.
>
>Before I turned it off the heater seemed to be working fine,
>putting out lots of heat but it did have a faint oily or
>diesel (its gas) like smell. Moreover I ran the heater for a
>bit while the van was stationary and no smoke came out. Then
>I went for a drive, was to hot so I slid the top two heater
>levers over from passenger side to drivers side (ie: from
>all the way right to all the way left) I did not turn off
>the little green dial thing at the bottom. Then smoke
>started to come out of the duct I mentioned.
>
>I pulled fuse 16 and 17 (the ones beside the main pannel on
>is for the blower fan) and the smoke stoped.
>
>The smell is not new. My BA6 was not running for a really
>long time, not for any fault of the heater, some of the
>ducts underneath had been removed by the PO so I couldn't
>run the heater. I hooked up some flex hose but it fell off
>in summer (and since it was summer I never bothered to put
>it back on). But when the heater was running that smell was
>always there.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Thanks,
>ChrisGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download :
http://explorer.msn.com
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