Diesel Heater Problems | Fuel Fault | E-08 Error Code

We bought a cheap Chinese Diesel Heater to run in our camper trailer and low and behold, it threw an error code E-08 after 2 months!
This is what we did to fix the fuel fault, clear the error code and get it working again.
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[@rongray4118]

That Little One was sleeping soundly!! Love it! Awesome Pop Up Camper too!

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

If only she still slept that well haha! Thanks for the comment. We appreciate it!

[@davepearce6870]

Great video & Congratulations on your new addition to the family.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks Dave, appreciate it mate.

[@jamesfritzinger5622]

Not too late to congratulate you on the new addition to your family. I pray mother and child are strong and healthy. I just had that e8 code come up this evening. I checked your channel. You might want to try checking to see if you may have lost the prime to the heater. My fuel tank is temporarily hanging on the outside of my motorhome. After filling the tank I somehow lost the prime. Manually primed the pump and she fired up right away. What a blessing to be warm in 30° weather. That’s Fahrenheit of course.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Never too late. Thank you for that. Not sure how this comment slipped past me but it’s good to know you got your heater running again through the cold season.

[@michaelarundel2269]

Awesome mate, your the only person that I can understand

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks Michael, hope the video helped you out.

[@markhobson9730]

I have E8 and E10 turned out it was fuel pump Congratulations on the little one Mark

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks Mark, appreciate it mate. I actually had a similar issue on our last trip. Fuel pump outlet pipe was blocked and didn't let fuel through.

[@kelrobins7476]

All the best mate 🇦🇺

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks mate. Appreciate it 👍🏽

[@vk2wgw]

Nice diag bro , yeh looks like the glowie was leaking juice. Well done mate. BTW congrats on the bub.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks mate, appreciate that!

[@grahamhastie896]

Had similar problems with diesel heater in first caravan....was glo plug related....repaired and after that regularly ran kerosene mixed int the diesel because diesel i filthy burning at best, and found it greatly improved the machine, but also found NEVER run it for short periods....make sure its had plenty of hot run time before shutting down.....Now have a gas unit in the new van because it burns clean and far less problems.....Cheers

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks for the info Graham 👍🏽 I’ll definitely give the kerosene mix a go!

[@PeaktoPeakPG]

@@OutNAboutAustralia how much kerosene to diesel fuel ratio?

[@PeaktoPeakPG]

also found it interesting your comments about the gas version ~ van folks in US have told me the opposite (gas burns dirtier than the diesel and the units therefore have more problems...so I went diesel). need to do this process on mine. Appreciate the detailed video.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Hi Kay, I haven’t run the kerosene through yet but I’m going to trial a mixture of 1:4 of Kero to Diesel to see how it runs. I’ll hopefully have that in a video soon! 👍🏽

[@PeaktoPeakPG]

@@OutNAboutAustralia Thx so much!

[@PeaktoPeakPG]

Mine began giving me E 10 at first (hadn't run over the summer). Then tried priming it and it gave me E 8. Going to try following your video. Thank you. Congrats on the baby. How is she?

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Before you pull it all out, a blocked fuel line is VERY common with these units. I’d check your fuel line is pumping through ok before pulling the whole unit out (learnt this the hard way 😂) Thank you, she’s doing great! Growing way too fast like they all do 😂

[@heath8779]

Firstly , Congratulations on your new arrival. Secondly, with the heater , does it need an inline fuel pump or is it gravity fed from tank?

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks Heath, appreciate that mate. The heater does come with a little piston fuel pump in the kit as well as an inline filter. My install video shows all the components kzbin.info/www/bejne/paulpayNgKZomLc

[@willisbcteoh9840]

Thanks mate 👍

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

No worries mate

[@petermoygannon698]

Ive just got the E8 error after running it all night on low 5kw version . And now on start up just pisses out white smoke and wont fire . My 2kw one does same thing but if i prime it for 20 seconds it fires up every time . I cant see a bit of carbon in the chamber been the issue im thinking glow plug and the atomization screen . I did read to run them on high for 10 minutes after use clean them out . Who knows.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Something else worth making sure it would be that no sediment has gone past the fuel filter and clogged the line (or the pump) My pump not long ago picked some dirt up and I ended up needing to clear it out before it came good again.

[@petermoygannon698]

@@OutNAboutAustralia I've pulled out the glow plug and the carbon has built up and clogged the small hole above the atomization screen and screen is black looks blocked up . I'd say that's my issue because I run it on low for 12 hours .

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

@@petermoygannon698 I’d say so mate. Good find. I’ll be keeping that one in the memory bank 👍🏽

[@johnmclean7942]

Leaking glow plug will cause the heater to shut down after the fan speed increases due to air and fuel mixture being too lean I had that fault on mine only found it after removing the grommet from the glow plug and you could hear the burner chamber leaking through the glow plug seat it gives error 8 which says fuel fault found it after replacing the fuel pump to no avail

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Good fault finding mate. I did notice mine was a bit loose also, probably a fault coming off the assembly line in China.

[@alanmoore9937]

Hey dude. Great videos. I have s similar control unit to yours. Do you know how to access the advance settings to change fan speeds etc. There are videos out there for other control displays but not this one. Cheers.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks Alan, to change the fan speed, once the unit is running, hold the settings button down and it will change to speed rather than the standard temperature display.

[@kwt908mad]

Hey mate, great videos. I was wondering if you could suggest any remedies for my heater. I have one in my boat and now when i turn my power supply on the heaters fan starts up automatically and i can't turn the unit on or off. I feel its something simple but ! Any suggestions???

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Haven’t come across that one before mate. I know the start up sequence is to run the unit full tilt until it warms up and it’s run down sequence is similar to burn off any excess fuel left in the chamber but it shouldn’t be happening as soon as power is applied to it.

[@frankkerwick1084]

Good job 👏 is the cheap Chinese heater ok or not looking to put one in my van cheers 👍

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

So far it’s not too bad. Heats brilliantly, but you just have to expect the build quality isn’t quite up to the standard of some of the big brands.

[@navaro20]

I did clean mine and after still came with the code 08. Then noticed that exhaust pipe was clogged too. After cleaning the exhaust pipe , heater started to work. Before disabling make sure you have the gasket maker because, those gaskets can fell apart.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Spot on mate. Wish I mentioned that in this video. The gaskets can be really brittle!

[@MrSGL21]

i ran mine for a couple of nights on the lowest setting with some sketchy fuel got the e-8 tonight. i got it restarted on full blast right now. gonna get some kerosene tomorrow and run a quart through it tomorrow night to clean it out good.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

I've heard kerosene does wonders for these units. Even running a small 50/50 mix through apparently cleans them right up.

[@MrSGL21]

@OutNAboutAustralia mines been running fine since I cranked it up that night. I ran the sketchy fuel out of it. I did buy 2.5 gallons of kerosene last week. When I hit my last cold night of the season I'm gonna run a tank of kerosene to clean it out.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

@MrSGL21 that sounds like a pretty solid plan! 👍🏽

[@MrSGL21]

@OutNAboutAustralia I should have run that quart. It E8ed out last night when I fired it up and several tries it wouldn't run. I dumped the fuel out it this am. I got some carb and choke spray and I hosed out the exhaust and intake tonight. Then I put 2 liters of kerosene in it and it fired up. I'm running it at full blast right now. We'll see what it does. I'm going to buy fresh diesel tomorrow. Eta. Ran it for two hours and it sounded rough but as it ran sounded better and better Shut it off after two hours because it was 77f in my house [25c]. Then two hours later when the temp dropped I fired it up again for 2 hours and it sounded better and smoother then I shut it down again. I just fired it up again and it sounded rough at startup, something was now rattling around in the exhaust, my guess it's a piece of carbon dislodged from the combustion chamber, and now it sounds like or close to it the day I bought it. Right now I'd declare kerosene the winner here at cleaning out the unit. I'll pull the exhaust pipe off today and see what come out.

[@jackdamien9799]

Nice video mate. Mines a bit of a different problem but still get the E8 error. Heater will start. Run for about 10 to 15 minutes then stop saying E8. Will replace fuel line tomorrow with new filter but outside of that im lost. What do you recon? Fuel is sucked out of a Gerry can not gravity feed but always worked before

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Would definitely suggest checking the fuel line at every stage (pre filter, between filter & pump, after pump) Also would be worth giving the pump a quick once over before disconnecting all your lines and make sure it actually IS pumping Happy hunting 👍🏽

[@ernestchapman898]

Got a E 8 code I replaced glow plug ,it worked good for 2 weeks than code came back and noticed glow plug sign come on for 5min then dissappear only blowing cold air ,what do u think

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Sounds like a blocked fuel line mate. Give your tank a good clean out and make sure your lines, pump and filter are all clear then see how it goes 👍🏽 Hope this helps.

[@jannielsen6784]

Thanx mate. Struggling with mine, new, won't start. E 08. Despite oil all the way and pump oscillates. Shall try this fix. Could be flooded.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Hi Jan, I've also heard of the fuel pump catching sediment and stopping the flow. I'd probably give the pump a good few taps to make sure fuel is flowing properly before pulling it all apart.

[@barbstriker8960]

E-08 also came up on me how di you check & change filter

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Hey mate, The filter can just be removed and cleaned out. Your fuel will gravity feed through the line once you open your filter so you’ll need to block it or lift it above your tank. While your checking the filter it’s a good idea to check the fuel lines to make sure there aren’t any blockages elsewhere also. Hope this helps 👍🏽

[@jimholmes2555]

I'm currently having the E-8 error code. I live at 7,840 feet above sea level and also use my heater in the high altitude mode, From day one startup has put out a lot of white smoke but once it fires up the white smoke disappears. I was wondering if I'm not high enough in altitude to use the "High Altitude" mode.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Hi Jim Not knowing what model heater you have it's a bit hard to say but it might be worth playing with your settings to match your individual altitude. Stoke Loaf Van wrote an article about personalising settings for different altitudes here www.stokeloafvan.com/blog-1/winter-van-life-chinese-diesel-heater-cdh-elevation-adjustment

[@jimholmes2555]

@@OutNAboutAustralia Thank you for the info and the link.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

No worries mate, happy to help 🤙🏽

[@clintrobey3765]

Mine died with E03 error code has only 5 hours on it and the supplier has told me the motherboard is dead and waiting for a new one

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Thanks Clint! Haven’t seen that one yet but I’ll look into it 👍🏽

[@DonaldRak-ku6bi]

Hi everybody from Donald, i have the diesel heater by abedele and was running fine till it decided to stop gave error code 08- 09 so i cleaned fuel tank that had crap in it from fuel sediments, air cleaner had nothing in cyl at all just plastic tube, that's fixed, added fuel filter, Now fan motor surging hi- medium- low, then back up, i tapped hot air outlet aluminum inside case and it took off like crazy 🤪 so I'm thinking it needs pulled apart and cleaned much as i can, and comment's on this heater is welcome

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Far out journey and a half mate. Would love to hear an update when you get it fixed up.

[@samuellombaerts9263]

got a fuel error after using it for 2 weeks, thought wel damm that didnt last long.. apperently i was just out f fuel😂

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Ah the old run out of fuel trick haha

[@brianbillings1340]

I had an E-8 code. My problem was loose positive connection causing only 10.2volts to the main board.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Very different to ours by the sound of it Brian. Was it an easy enough fix?

[@brianbillings1340]

@@OutNAboutAustralia Yea. Just tighten up the connection. I had 14volts at the power supply and at the heater board only 10.2 volts. It showed 14 volts until I pressed the on button when the glow plug came on the voltage dropped to 10.2 but at the supply was still 14.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Too easy. Good find mate👍🏽

[@matthillsscalemodels7067]

Just add Fuel Doctor to your fuel and you will have no problems, plus the heater will run more efficiently.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Definitely going to have to try this. I’ve seen some videos of this stuff and it looks the goods 👍🏽

[@nigeltindall1446]

Hey mate great video. I'm really hoping you can help me, as I'm feeling very downhearted this morning over this damned Chinese diesel heater of ours. In readiness for the colder months ahead, I recently got our troublesome heater functioning properly. Finally!! Or so I thought... In fact I got it to test perfectly 10 straight times. Then, when the temps outside dropped to 10 deg C last night, I thought great, here we go. But alas no, error code E-8 again. She didn't want to fire up. It appears to be getting fuel (I can see that. That was the problem I just fixed. Clearly not though, unless of course it's another problem??) but it's not igniting, so now what? Surely it hasn't done a glow plug after 10 mins (testing) use? Or another temp sensor? (it has a new one I installed last week) The fact that it tested faultlessly 10 straight times has me thinking it's not a voltage issue. A lot of people have found low voltage to be the cause of their problems, but I'm not convinced it's the source of our problem. I mean it wouldn't of fired at all right? Could it now be a glow plug problem do you think? It's just not igniting. It'll puff out a bit of smoke initially, and that's about it. I'm only assuming of course, that fuel is getting through. I'm still running that cheap and nasty flexible green hose that came with the kit. Maybe THAT'S the issue now? Who knows. I'm tearing my hair out here as I really thought I'd gotten to the bottom of the problem the other day. I really am at my wits end with this unreliable and time consuming thing!!

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

Hey Nigel, Sorry to hear how many dramas you’re having mate. A couple things you could try before having to strip down the motor. 1. Disconnect your fuel line from the inlet to the heater and start the heater (catch the fuel in a drain pan of Jerry can) this will prove no blockages are in the line. 2. Connect your battery to a charger and or is charged fully (the glow plug can pull up to 10 amps on start up) 3. Clean out your fuel strainer (I noticed mine was a bit clogged up after getting some dirty fuel) 4. Make sure your fuel pump hasn’t caught any sediment in the piston (a few good shakes or light taps will usually clear it out) Let me know how you get on.

[@nigeltindall1446]

@@OutNAboutAustralia hey mate some great advice there, thanks. Since I put up my post I c/o the following. Disconnected the fuel line from the inlet to the heater and tried priming, only to discover that it wasn't pulsing any fuel out. I tried tapping and shaking the pump to no avail, so I figured that the pump is either clogged up or the piston is flogged out (which seems bizarre as it's barely been used) Either way, I decided to go ahead and order a replacement fuel pump in the hope that will rectify the latest issue. By the way, I didn't notice what type of 2.0mm core fuel hose you have hooked up on your system. Is it the cheap green hose or the hard nylon? I intend swapping mine out as from what I have learnt, the flexible green hose can cause fuel delivery issues. Cheers

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

We’ve got the hard nylon line. Funnily enough mine actually came with it. Not sure why as I was expecting the flexible green stuff. I have heard the green line isn’t the best and has a tendency to block up or break down fairly quick.

[@cws127]

@@OutNAboutAustralia can attest that the green line is crap. Had a chain saw that wouldn't start /run. Everything looked OK externally. Eventually got around to pulling it apart and found the green fuel line, same as they supply with some heaters, had perished completely inside the housing, so no fuel was getting through at all. I'm currently trying to sort an e-08 error on my 2kw I use in my garage.... will strip it down further after watching this, so thx. Had the glo-plug and wire mesh out a couple of times to clean it already... so might be a fuel delivery issue for me.

[@paulraymond1804]

@@nigeltindall1446 Sounds like your fuel pump has 'siezed', sounds just like what happened in this other video, and this guy freed it with 24v; kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ-5YZKla613d6c I would think it's a short term fix but if you have a way to get a higher voltage in your travels, if you ran a cable from the pump to somewhere easily accessible, maybe it's a practical fix in the long run. What's the latest status of it?

[@petergreber7051]

Mine died with E-06 error.

[@OutNAboutAustralia]

I’ve heard that’s a pretty common one as well. In the unit I have it’s a fan fault so if there’s no cable damage the 12v circuit board may be damaged