Beware Webasto DBW2010 Controller Problem

[bbalan]

Hello All,
We've had a DBW2010 aboard Migration since 1999. It ran flawlessly for 16 years. In 2015 it started having problems. It didn't cycle correctly and it would sometimes shut off without going into a cool down cycle. My reseller suspected the controller. A new controller (at over US$500) didn't solve the problem. After many hours of troubleshooting (fuel, fluid, electrical) and the installation of a second controller, it still didn't work properly. That's when my reseller mentioned that he had one incident where new controllers did not work with older models.

I purchased a rebuilt old-style controller from Frerichs Electronics . Voila! It's been working perfectly every since.

I've written to Webasto about the problem but they will not acknowledge it although one distributor told me he has a box on non-working 'new' controllers. So you know, the new controllers are black plastic, the old controllers are metal.

So, if you are having cycling problems that seem to be controller related, but they are not fixed with the installation of a new controller AND you have an older unit, try Frerichs. I wish I had right at the start.
Cheers,
Bruce
s/v Migration
migrations.brucebalan.com

P.S. If you are planning on cruising high-latitudes and do not have a generator or a huge battery bank, do not install a DBW2010 -- the power consumption is too high for full-time use.