Upgrading the heating system to bioethanol or Diesel fuel

[Llecentaur]

A french forumer was successful at installing a Webasto heater placing it at the place of the 12V battery. But I think he had to move the Battery somewhere to the back of the car.

I was wondering of two other ways:

1) would it make sense to replace the original heater with a Webasto (or other like the one in a Volvo c30 that can run on ethanol) or if there is enough space to have both in series (first electric, then Webasto?)

2) or install the new heater at pkace of the battery but replace the lead battery by a LiFePo4 of equivalent or higher capacity which should be smaller and of adequate form facto ?

Alternatively what about a heat pumplike the ones in renault or Nissans?

[TestO]

Here is a link to mounting instructions for Eberspacher diesel burner in the i-Miev.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/10X3YJPa ... t?hl=en_US

The manual is in Norwegian, but if you use google translate i suppose you will figure it out.

Personally i have put in an Webasto in my i-Miev following this instructions.

[Llecentaur]

Thank you for the information.

Seems like a major work, i was hoping for a little less intervention, specially in the dash. Petty mitsibishi does not offer this as an option.

Do i understand correctly that the heater will coexiste with the original one, meaning that for a small trip, one could stay with the electric one ?

[PV1]

If you have the electric heater on, then turn the temperature knob to the neutral (green) position, does the air keep blowing through the heater core and use the remnant heat in the coolant loop, or does the air get diverted away and immediately blow cold air? I understand this turns off the electric heater.

[TestO]

The heater will coexist with the original electrical heater, so you can use either the fuel heater or the electrical heater.

If you will get hot air when tho temperature knob is in natural position depends.
-If you turn the knob to natural from heat, you got hot air when in natural.
-If you turn the knob to natural form cold, you got cold air when in natural.

The problem is that when you turn the knob to neutral, the coolant circulation pump stops. So you will only get the heat that is in the heater core. You can set the heat knob on the first step, then the circulation pump will starts, and since the water is hot the electrical heater will not turn on. At least until the coolant get cold.

The fuel heater have it's own coolant pump to circulate the coolant, so as long the fuel heater is on this is no problem.

[Llecentaur]

Test0,

Could you please share the Webasto model you ordered ? Did you also install a reservoir at the back like in the manual ?

Also wondering if the iPhone remote function is worth it. That would really make the installation interesting but probably an overkill as anyway majority of iMieV owners according to my assumption do not charge it outside.

[TestO]

I use a Webasto Thermo Top 5 from an Peugeot 406 HDI. You could also use the newer Thermo Top Evo 5 as I believe the size of those will be the same.

I don't think TT Evo can be turned on/off with a simple switch. But you can use this interface to control the heater with a simple switch: http://www.danhag.de/index.php?z0=5&z1=1&sprache=en

The unit I'm using has a special FW for Peugeot and can be controlled by a simple switch.

Yes, I installed the reservoir like in the manual.

[Llecentaur]

Thank you Test0,

I have asked my mechanic to take a look in junkyards for the Webasto Thermo Top 5.

The Norvegian supplier mentione that they no longer provide the kit on the user manual not did they have an english translation

How where you abke to purchase the reservoir and bumper diesel plug ! I would imagine we have to be careful with where one stores that diesel even if it is only two or three liters ?

I am really interested to make the conversion and attempt to document it in english for everyone, hope you do not mind couple of questions and it would be a great help if we coukd have some pictures of your specific mod?

Many thanks

[DonDakin]

Does anyone know anything about relocating the 12 volt battery up front. I am considering adding a combustion heater and that spot would make for an easy installation with all the plumbing just beside. I would have to relocate the 12 v battery or perhaps replace it with a smaller AGM or Lion one. Has anyone done this or read anything about it being done. I remember low racer changing the battery to headway cells but in the same position.

Any comments would be appreciated. Also if this can be made it's own topic that would be good also.


Tnx

Don.....

[Don]

Glad to see this thread resurrected

I've wanted to add a fuel burning heater for sometime - Unfortunately, our climate down here just doesn't justify the project

I would definitely want to keep the existing heater, so you can preheat in the garage . . . . and still have heat if your fuel burning heater runs dry. Putting the heaters in parallel by using two Tee fittings in the existing hoses will allow either one to run using it's own coolant pump.

I agree that relocating the big accessory battery would be the logical way to go - All of the plumbing you need to access is right there

I would go with a smaller, motorcycle AGM battery. The OEM accessory battery is 31 AH I think, but it doesn't 'start' anything . . . . other than the car's computer. I think you could replace it with something much smaller and still have it do everything needed

Several six cylinder motorcycles use the UTX24HL AGM battery which is only about 3 1/2 by 6 1/2 by 8 inches and it has 21 AH. I have a couple of these in motorcycles, but I haven't tried physically fitting one into the existing space in the rear, under the motor/inverter cover, which is where I think it would need to go. Possibly by relocating the brake vacuum pump or the coolant tank, the battery could be squeezed in there? There is definitely plenty of room for it behind the drive motor, in front of the rear axle, though putting it there would require welding up a mount and a couple of brackets for it. If the modification became popular enough, someone could make a dozen of the mounts and sell them for $75 or so and make a few bucks

If you decide where you'd like the battery to go, there are literally hundreds of motorcycle AGM's to choose from and it shouldn't be hard to find one to fit the constraints of where you'd like to put it. I would think anything with 15 AH or so should be more than adequate

I'll follow this thread closely - Just wish I could be the one doing the first one!

Don