Autoterm Air 4D (Planar 44D) 12V diesel parking heater, OLED Control Panel

Autoterm Air (Planar) Diesel parking heaters

The diesel powered Autoterm Air 4D air heater has become an indispensable part of campers, mobile homes and expedition vehicles. They were designed for continuous use and work extremely safely and reliably. With a low fuel and power consumption, they heat small and large travel vehicles on land as well as on the water easily controllable .

With an existing E-mark, the installation of the heating does not require a TÜV approval or registration. The installation itself can also be made by laypeople* while camper conversion without loss of guarantee. Of course, our installation partners are also happy to take on this work if necessary.
*according to the installation manual.

For micro-campers up to expedition vehicles

The Autoterm heaters Air 4D (4 kw) and 2D (2 kW) are available for vehicles with 12 V on-board voltage, as well as for vehicles with 24 V, which e.g. is the case with expedition vehicles based on trucks.

For high altitude expeditions - the high altitude kit

A travel vehicle with an Autoterm Air is not only perfectly equipped for cold, European winters - higher altitudes are also no problem. The lower air pressure in earlier auxiliary heaters quickly led to sooting up the combustion chamber. In the meantime, the Autoterm Air 4D has been equipped with an altitude kit for a long time. This regulates the amount of diesel injected, depending on the ambient air pressure, completely independently and always appropriately downwards.

We at tigerexped are proud that we were able to initiate this innovation at the manufacturer and participate in the development. Many of our customers have requested this extended function and, as always, we naturally try to meet the wishes of our customers.

How high does the altitude kit work

We tested the altitude kit ourselves and successfully at an altitude of 3440 m on the Pitztal Glacier before it went into series production. In the meantime, however, our customers have traveled much higher with it. Fabian, for example, with his VW T3 "Tornado on Tour". He tested the heating (which at that time was still called Autoterm Planar 2D) in his bus in Chile at 5032 m - only in Tibet you can go higher.

Even at this extreme altitude, the Air's altitude kit worked perfectly. You can watch his test of the parking heater recorded with the camera here on YouTube.

So your heating won't let you down if it gets flaky upstairs.

Please note:

Even with an altitude kit, operating a diesel auxiliary heater (like a diesel engine in a vehicle) is a technical compromise. After a certain amount of time, you have to ensure that the combustion chamber gets really hot again and that the heater can be burned free of any incipient soot. Sooting cannot be completely avoided even with an altitude kit.

If you really spend the nights at an altitude of 4000 m for several weeks, cleaning the combustion chamber and changing the seals is possible and justifiable for use under such conditions.

Burning off sootings (also) at low altitudes

Burning off beginning sootings is the most important and, at the same time, only required maintenance of the heater.

Soot generally occurs when the heating is running on a low power level. The heating should therefore run at full power for half an hour every 1, at the latest 2 weeks, so that the combustion chamber is free again.

You probably know what happens when you drive a car with a diesel engine only at low speeds!? Exactly the same thing happens in your diesel parking heater. After a decent drive on the freeway, it good to go again - if you haven't waited too long.

Autoterm parking heaters are designed for continuous use. They don't mind going through a whole vacation and are extremely reliable. Should a repair be necessary, we are at your side as a service partner and Germany distributor with our own workshop. However, if you are on a long-distance travel, you could even carry out certain repairs yourself under our guidance - the heater does not have to be removed and sent in. This is an additional, great advantage, especially for overlanders and long-distance travelers.

Important to know when heating at high altitudes

Less maximum output

At high altitudes, the heater receives less air and, accordingly, less fuel. Accordingly, it cannot perform to its full potential at high altitudes. As a rule of thumb: From 2000 m you lose approx. 5% of performance for every 500 m.

Air intake and warm air outlet

Under such extreme conditions, the clearance of the fan is particularly important. It would work best without any hot air piping. If you want to drive such routes: It is best to install a very simple warm air distribution system - short and without many arches.

Combustion air intake and exhaust should be extremely short and with little resistance. Avoid kinks, clogs, and reductions.

Control Unit

The digital OLED Control Panel allows temperature control and the setting of a desired power level. The heating can also be set to ventilation (without heating) so that the air in the vehicle is circulated.

The menu navigation of the OLED Control Panel is only available in English and Russian.

Temperature sensor

The OLED Control Panel has an integrated temperature sensor. The cable of the control unit is 1.8 m long ex works. If the control panel is not installed in a place suitable for the temperature control, you should also use the external temperature sensor. To do this, switch to temperature measurement "By_T_Air" on the control panel.

Remote Control

The heater has a switching input on the wiring harness. This allows you to connect your own remote control. Only two cables need to be connected using switches or relays. There are two control options.

First: permanent. The heating starts and runs until the connection is interrupted again.

Second: With an impulse. A key pulse of 0.5-3 s can be used to switch on. The next impulse switches the heating off again.

The advantage of the second variant is that you have the option of controlling the heating with various control elements. For example, switch on with a self-made remote control or a button, then later adjust or switch off the power level from the bed with the control element. Or the other way around, of course.

E-Mark

The Autoterm Air 4D has an E-mark (e2). It can be installed without registration, a demonstration or acceptance by the TÜV is not necessary.

Scope of delivery

Everything you need to install the Autoterm 4D is included in the scope of delivery.

• Heater 12V
• OLED Control Panel with internal temperature sensor (cable length 1.8 m)
• Autoterm fuel pump "Extra Quiet"
• Exhaust silencer (17 x 9 x 5 cm)
• Rubber holder for dosing pump
• Metering pump wiring harness
• Heater wiring harness
• Air intake hose with integrated silencer
• Heat protection tube
• End piece exhaust pipe + clamp
• Tank suction pipe
• 5.5 m fuel line
• fuel line connector
• 1m metal corrugated exhaust pipe
• Screws, nuts, clamps, shrink tubing, cable ties
• Operating instructions

Caution fuel hose:

The delivery also includes fuel hose as a line connector. The length is usually completely sufficient when shortened to suitable pieces. If you still can't get by with it, you can reorder the hose by the meter under item number 35612.

Technical data:

Operating voltage: 12 V
Heating capacity: 1 kW (min), 4 kW (max)
Air volume flow: 70m³ / h (min), 120m³ / h (max)
Fuel consumption: 0.12 l / h (min), 0.514 l / h (max)
Power consumption: 10W (min), 62W (max)
Air inlet 80/83 mm
Hot air outlet 96/100 mm

Weight of the heater without accessories: 5.5 kg

Dimensions: 402 x 157 x 188 mm

Optional / Recommended:

For an even easier installation, in which the heating is also thermally decoupled, take a look at our installation flanges or opt for a fully assembled installation kit!

Installation

The installation may also be carried out by laypeople without loss of guarantee. So you are not obliged to have the parking heater installed by a workshop.

When replacing Eberspächer or Webasto parking heaters

The hole pattern of the Autoterm Air 4D corresponds to that of the pre-heaters from Eberspächer or Webasto, which are often installed ex works. An exchange can take place here without having to drill new holes in the body.

Autoterm Air 4D do you need that much heating power?

You are here at the Autoterm Air 4D with 4 kW heating power. The Autoterm Air is also available as a 2D variant with 2 kW heating output in 12 or 24 V. Which dimension is right for you depends on your travel behavior, your goals and the isolation of the vehicle. The general rule is: more is not better - even if the heating with twice as much output only costs insignificantly more! 4 kW turn smaller campers and well-insulated vehicles into saunas very quickly, even at the lowest level. In this case, the window has to be opened when heating, which is not only a total waste, it also makes your heating soot even faster (see topic above).

If in doubt, choose the smaller heater and let it run on a higher level than always operate the large heater at the lower end of the scale!

Do you already know our complete installation sets?

We have put together suitable sets for various requirements. Everything you need in one package!

• The 99% Camper Kit - this package fits 99 out of 100 campers!
• The 1% Camper-Kit - with twice the heating power and therefore oversized for 99% of campers.
• For everyone in between: The TWIN-Kit for optimal control of the heating output in ANY climate!