Auxiliary heater smell

[Steved55]

Hi - I have a 2016 shuttle se 150hp dsg. It is fitted with a Webasto auxiliary heater and originally had the rear hvac unit. I removed the rear hvac unit when I converted it to a camper - the two heater pipes running to the rear unit were disconnected close to the auxiliary heater and connected to each other.
I have noticed now on two cold mornings when I have started the van but left it running without driving off, that there is a very hot smell coming from the area of the auxiliary heater. There are no fumes/smell in the van. I'm getting paranoid that I've done something wrong and something is overheating, or is it just accumulated muck burning off the heater?
Any thoughts or any checks I can do?
Thanks

 

[Dellmassive]

Got some pics for now?

 

[Steved55]

Pics of the piping mods?

 

[Dellmassive]

Anything related that may help.

 

[Steved55]

This is not mine, but shows the two pipes which run to the rear hvac, these were disconnected and the two flexis joined with 15mm copper. Will get mine on ramps and drop the cover to get a pic tomorrow

 

[Dellmassive]

Where the smell coming from...

 

[Steved55]

From under the van - from the area of the auxiliary heater

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Crud on the exhaust is highly likely source. ( assuming that you have ruled out that the engine isn't starting a regeneration )

 

[Steved55]

Can't rule out a regen - how could I confirm that without diagnostics? Coincidence that it's happened on two separate cold mornings?

 

[Fluff34567]

Hi - I have a 2016 shuttle se 150hp dsg. It is fitted with a Webasto auxiliary heater and originally had the rear hvac unit. I removed the rear hvac unit when I converted it to a camper - the two heater pipes running to the rear unit were disconnected close to the auxiliary heater and connected to each other.
I have noticed now on two cold mornings when I have started the van but left it running without driving off, that there is a very hot smell coming from the area of the auxiliary heater. There are no fumes/smell in the van. I'm getting paranoid that I've done something wrong and something is overheating, or is it just accumulated muck burning off the heater?
Any thoughts or any checks I can do?
Thanks

I'm assuming use of the aux heater in traditional sense with the engine not running? If yes then forget anything about regens.

I have the aux heater and have it on before work, I get an occasional WiFi of heat but take it as normal. If it's smelling inside the van then I would be a bit more concerned.

However, you can get a smell if the heater doesn't complete the warm up cycle because of low battery voltage or its switched off manually.

 

[Steved55]

No Fluff34567 - my shuttle has a webasto heater purely to give quick warm up to the engine coolant system on cold days - only operates below about 5c

 

[Fluff34567]

Ah ha, OK. Purely for coolant heating got it.