Today is the first really cold day since I took delivery of my new D3 in April.
Ground & air frost, and car parked outside overnight - covered in frost. Fuel tank full.
Turned on ignition & waited some time - FBH did not start, should it have done ? Logically the FBH should start without requiring one to start a cold engine.
Started engine & allowed it to tick over for a couple of minutes whilst I cleared frost from windows - FBH still did not start.
What now ? A trip to dealers, or is there anything I can do?
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
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Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
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1st Dec 2009 8:26 am
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10349
I didnt think the FBH started on its own - thought engine had to start first. Mine doesnt seem to start until a minute or so after the engine.
Yours might need a reset, which you can do by unpluging - but I'll let somebody else give you the exact instructions as to which plug to pull on the FBH.
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1st Dec 2009 8:34 am
adam
Member Since: 20 Sep 2005
Location: Home and Happy
Posts: 6917
Open bonnet
Keys out, wait untill car goes to sleep (red 'P' disappears on dash)
Remove the FBH fuse (box on RHS, viewed from front), wait for about 10 mins, put fuse back in
Might work - if not poss reset
TFC did mine in October - he can 'fool' it into starting despite tempearture being above 6 degrees and advsied above as potential cure
Good luck - one of the car's better features IMO
1st Dec 2009 8:35 am
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4287
Slightly off topic but I have the dial up mod and it worked fine this morning but when I started the car the engine was juddering slightly and the throttle was totally unresponsive - engine running but nothing happening Had to restart the car 4 times before I could get any revs going ....... very strangeA happy childhood ... is the worst possible preparation for life.
1st Dec 2009 8:40 am
stapldm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2006
Location: Swine Town
Posts: 2330
Re: Fuel Burning Heater (FBH) not starting
NJSS wrote:
Started engine & allowed it to tick over for a couple of minutes whilst I cleared frost from windows - FBH still did not start. What now ?
The above posted responses will fix most issues, but do you also have your aircon set to on/auto? The heater is an auxilliary cabin heater, so if your aircon is off then so is the fbh...IIRC.Dr. Ian Malcolm:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Transgenic tomato anyone?
I'm not sure whether aircon was on - probably not as it blows cold air at this time.
I am confused - I thought the FBH was dual purpose to warm then engine, reducing wear from a very cold start, and reducing emissions, and to assist in raising the cabin temp.
Logically I would expect it to kick in when the ignition is switched on and before the engine is started.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
1st Dec 2009 10:37 am
viethson
Member Since: 13 Jan 2009
Location: Bavaria
Posts: 136
It only runs with a running engine. And it will also only start if you have not pushed the ECON button before engine start or the system switched OFF completely.
But once the engine is running and you unselect ECON it should start heating until the coolant has reached around 75°.Life in the slow lane
Dont think mine was working this morning, but it was -3 & very dark, so couldnt really see "smoke"
I had my heater on the programe setting, to de-ice the screen, which it did in about 2 mins flat, so that bit works, just not sure about the FBH. Dont think the econ was on.The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.
1st Dec 2009 12:05 pm
Steve H
Member Since: 14 Apr 2008
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 98
My FBH certainly worked this morning, the telltale paraffin fume smell was there. However I generally have the Econ setting enabled and the FBH still works. Same thing happened on my previous D3 GS as well last winter. Have I misunderstood the relevance of the Aircon settings?D4 SDV6 XS Orkney Grey
1st Dec 2009 7:52 pm
woody32 Site Sponsor
Member Since: 11 Mar 2009
Location: Somerset
Posts: 3551
Started mine from the bed this morning 8) smoked the town out for a couple of mins .
Going back to the NJSS is question when i had to reset mine pulling the fuse or unplugging it over night didnt sort it what i had to do was this.
press the flame symbol on the timer, wait 3 seconds and pull the 20a fuse, wait 3 secs reinsert the fuse and then press the flame button again wait 3 seconds and pull the fuse again, wait 3 seconds and re insert the fuse the FBH should then fire up as soon as the fuse connects
what i found was that you needed to do this a couple of times and press the button to fire it up and all was well
Edit.... the fuse is under the bonnet in the battery box and i think it is number 28.
forgot don't think you have a timer fitted but i will post anyway as it could be handy for someoneWanted D4s non runners pm for competitive price.
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Aircon is fab in this weather, helps no end to clear side windows etc as it's drying the air. Econ - is not the way to go on cold or wet days "To finish first, one first has to finish ...."
The sole purpose of the FBH is to assist the very efficient diesel engine to warm up faster in cold weather by heating the engine coolant.
It's not there as an auxiliary cabin heater though obviously, if it's heating the coolant, this will benefit the aircon system. Nothing you do to the aircon should have any effect on the FBH.
It will (if it's working correctly) fire up automatically when you start the engine AND the OAT is 5 deg C and below AND coolant temperature is 75 deg C or below. Once coolant temp goes over 75 deg OR OAT rises to 6 deg or over, (whichever happens sooner) the FBH will shut down.Now an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
2nd Dec 2009 8:19 am
John C
Member Since: 28 Aug 2007
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 3292
Does the FBH have its own temperature sensor, or does it work off the same one as is used to display the OAT on the dash. I've now got a severe case of FBH-paranoia... Temperature was 4 degrees according to dash display but quickly went to 5 degrees as I drove up the road. FBH hadn't fired up, and I'm just hoping it was just above the starting temperature....2020 SDV6 D5 HSE, Carpathian Grey +
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2nd Dec 2009 10:03 am
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
Albourneboy wrote:
It's not there as an auxiliary cabin heater though obviously, if it's heating the coolant, this will benefit the aircon system. Nothing you do to the aircon should have any effect on the FBH.
It is fitted to warm up the cabin, the modern diesel engines don't produce as much waste heat so in order to warm up quickly the FBH is added for cold days. The engine doesn't need it as most damage is done when it is cold and it takes a while for the FBH to kick in, by which time it is too late.
If the CC is off it won't fire up, I have tried it on mine. Also won't fire up if the fuel level is low. It was a option on the Disco II by the way.
AirCon switched on yesterday morning and FBH started like a dream.
Now to either fit a timer, or 'phone controlled remote switching.
NigelAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
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Had to restart the car 4 times before I could get any revs going ....... very strange
forgot don't think you have a timer fitted 
but i will post anyway as it could be handy for someone
Temperature was 4 degrees according to dash display but quickly went to 5 degrees as I drove up the road. FBH hadn't fired up, and I'm just hoping it was just above the starting temperature....
