5-button LCD diesel heater controller: codes and menus
Updated
This is the most widely documented controller on Chinese diesel heaters, and the E-01 to E-10 table that most guides quote belongs to it. Manuals from OnTrack Outdoor, a generic D2/D4 heater and Hcalory's M98 print the same ten meanings, with one exception: on the Hcalory M98 both E-01 and E-02 are voltage faults, one for 12 V models and one for 24 V models.
Is this your controller?
Also called: LCD controller, digital controller, LCD switch, rectangle controller
A black rectangular panel with a segment display in the middle and five round buttons: a settings (cog) button above an OK button on the left, and up, power and down on the right. The screen shows four large digits, a small drawing of the heater with a fan, and icons for battery, glow plug, fuel pump, clock and a warning triangle. It usually comes with a small key-fob remote.
How it shows a fault: E-01 to E-10 on the digits, with the warning icon for the affected part (battery, glow plug, pump, fan). Pressing OK steps through the time, temperatures, supply voltage and the stored fault.
Reported on: OnTrack Outdoor, Hcalory M98 (controller NO.1 in its manual), generic D2/D4 kits, unbranded 2 kW, 5 kW and 8 kW kits.
Not a match? See the other controller families.
At a glance
| Fault display | E-01 … E-10 with two digits, on a black panel with five round buttons |
|---|---|
| Codes documented | E-01, E-02, E-03, E-04, E-05, E-06, E-07, E-08, E-09, E-10 |
| Settings menu | PIN-protected; owners report PIN 1688 |
| Remote pairing | Hold up and OK about 3 seconds until HFA shows, then press a button on the remote |
Error codes on this controller
| Code | Controller | Manual or brand | Meaning | Stated limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Power supply undervoltage Manual's remedy: Increase supply voltage (charge the battery). Detail page: measure at the battery terminals before and during start-up; check cable size/length for voltage drop; cable must be sized for up to 12 A start-up draw; test battery and charging system. Manual notes a healthy 12 V deep-cycle battery reads 12.4-12.7 V. | Not stated |
| E-01 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Undervoltage Manual's remedy: Raise the supply voltage. | Not stated |
| E-01 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Supply voltage fault, 12 V model Manual's remedy: Check the power supply voltage / external power supply. | 12 V model: voltage higher than 18 V or lower than 10 V |
| E-02 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Power supply overvoltage Manual's remedy: Reduce supply voltage (discharge the battery). Detail page: check voltage at battery before/during start-up; use a charge controller so external sources do not overcharge; discharge or replace battery. | Not stated |
| E-02 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Overvoltage Manual's remedy: Reduce the supply voltage. | Not stated |
| E-02 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Supply voltage fault, 24 V model Manual's remedy: Check the power supply voltage / external power supply. | 24 V model: voltage higher than 32 V or lower than 20 V |
| E-03 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Ignition plug (glow plug) failure Manual's remedy: Check whether the glow plug is open or short-circuited and whether connectors are loose/oxidised; run from a charged battery rather than a battery charger; check air inlet, outlet and exhaust for debris; leave at least 10 cm gap at the air inlet. | Glow plug should read 0.6-0.8 ohm; voltage across the plug should rise slowly to 8-9 V during start-up; battery should not drop below 12 V during start-up |
| E-03 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Glow plug fault Manual's remedy: Check whether the glow plug is open-circuit or short-circuit. | Not stated |
| E-03 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Glow plug short circuit / open circuit Manual's remedy: Glow plug short-circuited or connection wire reversed; insulation damage at the tail of the plug; glow plug leakage; poor contact at the connector; plug burned out - replace. | Not stated |
| E-04 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Fuel pump failure Manual's remedy: Check the fuel pump and its connections for leaks, damage or oxidation. | Not stated |
| E-04 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Fuel pump fault Manual's remedy: Check whether the fuel pump is disconnected or short-circuit. | Not stated |
| E-04 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Oil (fuel) pump short circuit / open circuit Manual's remedy: Pump not connected properly or its line short-circuited/disconnected; pin socket on control board not firmly inserted; pump circuit disconnected or pump faulty. | Not stated |
| E-05 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Over-heat Manual's remedy: Table: check whether the temperature sensor cables are loose or faulty. Detail page (codes 5 and 6 together): check fan spins freely, nothing clogging combustion air supply or exhaust; if the unit turns itself on (fan only) check/replace the temperature sensor. | Fan-to-mainboard distance no more than 5 mm (detail page, codes 5 and 6 treated together) |
| E-05 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Heater overheated Manual's remedy: Check the temperature sensor on the shell, or whether fan speed is abnormal. | Not stated |
| E-05 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Shell temperature too high Manual's remedy: Air circulation obstructed (inlet, outlet or duct blocked); installation space too narrow; a pump with a larger fuel delivery connected incorrectly; fuel leaking from the pump one-way valve; sensor damaged. | Shell temperature exceeding 260 C |
| E-06 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Fan or motor fault (the guide prints "Over-heat" beside a fan symbol; its remedy is about the fan and Hall sensor) Manual's remedy: Check fan magnet polarity, position of the 'Holzer' (Hall) sensor, or a loose terminal. Detail page adds: mainboard may have shifted so its sensor no longer lines up with the fan magnets; remove and reseat the mainboard; run only with the cover on. | Fan-to-mainboard distance no more than 5 mm (detail page) |
| E-06 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Motor fault Manual's remedy: Check the polarity of the magnet or the position of the Hall sensor. | Not stated |
| E-06 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Fan short circuit / open circuit / fan magnet too far from the Hall sensor on the main board Manual's remedy: Fan blade stuck; adjust the gap between the fan wheel and the main board; motor failure or replace main board; motor socket not plugged in properly. | Not stated |
| E-07 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Broken line fault Manual's remedy: Check the LCD connector harness; verify whether the blue wire is loose or short-circuited. | Not stated |
| E-07 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Disconnection fault Manual's remedy: Check the connecting plug to the ECU and whether the blue communication line connection is abnormal. | Not stated |
| E-07 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Controller has detected a wiring harness connection failure Manual's remedy: Check wiring and connectors. | Not stated |
| E-08 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Flame failure Manual's remedy: Check whether the fuel circuit is blocked (poor fuel supply); check tank is clean and has fuel; check fuel filter; try a higher setting (higher pump speed); if all checked and there is smoke, replace the glow plug. | Not stated |
| E-08 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Flame-out ('fray-out of flame') Manual's remedy: Check whether the fuel line has air in it or is obstructed. | Not stated |
| E-08 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Extinguished (flame-out) Manual's remedy: Tank short of fuel, pump abnormal or fuel quality problem; fuel circuit leaking or with bubbles so supply is not continuous; intake and exhaust pipes blocked. | Not stated |
| E-09 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Sensor failure Manual's remedy: Check whether the sensor plug is loose, broken or short-circuited. | Not stated |
| E-09 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Sensor fault Manual's remedy: Check whether the temperature sensor is open-circuit or short-circuit. | Not stated |
| E-09 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Case sensor short circuit / open circuit Manual's remedy: Replace the temperature sensor, or the connector is in poor contact. | Not stated |
| E-10 | 5-button LCD | OnTrack Outdoor 5 kW Manual | Ignition failure Manual's remedy: Check whether the fuel circuit is blocked and fuel quality; check fan moves freely; glow plug cables; clean or replace the filter (screen) at the glow plug; check combustion intake and exhaust are clear; check power connections for oxidation. | Not stated |
| E-10 | 5-button LCD | D2/D4 parking heater (generic manual) Manual | Ignition failure Manual's remedy: Check for air or obstruction in the fuel line; fuel line blocked or not flowing; poor diesel quality blocking the 'volatile network' (burner screen). | Not stated |
| E-10 | 5-button LCD | Hcalory M98 Manual | Ignition failure - failed to start after trying twice ('both sides'), failed to form a flame Manual's remedy: Check whether the tank is short of fuel; pump stuck or abnormal; fuel circuit correct and free of bubbles; poor power supply or fuel problem. | Two start attempts |
Procedures on this controller
Pair the key-fob remote Manual
Hold the up arrow and OK together for about 3 seconds until the display shows HFA, then press any button on the remote. The controller restarts when the remote is paired.
Switch between temperature mode and fixed pump-rate (Hz) mode Manual
Press settings and up together. A Hz figure means fixed-output mode; press the same two buttons again to return to temperature mode. The arrows then change the set temperature or the pump rate.
Open the advanced settings (PIN) menu Owners
Press the settings button repeatedly: clock, then the two timers, then a padlock with four dashes. Enter the PIN with the arrows, pressing OK after each digit. The OnTrack sheet confirms a 4-digit PIN but does not print it; three separate owner videos give it as 1688. The items that follow are minimum and maximum pump rate, minimum and maximum fan speed, supply voltage (12 or 24) and the number of fan magnets.
Write down every original value before changing anything. Wrong pump or fan values make the heater burn dirty.
Set the clock and timers Manual
Press settings once for the 24-hour clock, then again for the two on/off timers. The timers fire once; they do not repeat daily.
Known quirks
- The OnTrack guide prints "Over-heat" for both E-05 and E-06. The E-06 row carries a fan symbol and a fan and Hall-sensor remedy, and the other manuals for this panel call E-06 a fan or motor fault.
- Owners often write these codes loosely ("E8", "E 8", "E-1"). If your screen shows two digits after the dash, use this table.
- A panel in the same case that shows H1 to H6 heat levels instead of a Hz figure is a different controller, and owners have not found a tuning menu on it.
Pages that apply to this controller
- E-01: undervoltage
- E-02: overvoltage
- E-03: glow plug fault
- E-04: fuel pump fault
- E-05: overheating
- E-06: fan or motor fault
- E-07: controller communication fault
- E-08: flame out
- E-09: sensor fault
- E-10: ignition failure
- Hcalory error codes
- Reset a locked-out heater
- White smoke and no start
- Tries to start, then E-10
- Shuts down or low power
- Controller screen is blank
- Altitude tuning
- Hidden settings menu
- Soot build-up and the clean burn
- Manual fuel priming
- Pairing the remote
- Lithium, power stations and voltage errors
- Cleaning the glow plug and its screen
- All error codes in one table
Sources
Everything on this page is compiled from the documents and discussions below. We summarise them in our own words; follow the links for the originals.
- OnTrack Outdoor: LCD controller instructions V1 (PDF) (cdn.shopify.com)
- OnTrack Outdoor: diesel heater troubleshooting guide (PDF) (cdn.shopify.com)
- D2/D4 parking heater 12 V/24 V user manual, Alza import (PDF) (dwn.alza.cz)
- Hcalory air heater user manual, M98 (PDF) (cdn.shopify.com)
- Owner video: Chinese Diesel Heater Controller Instructions Advanced Settings PIN Code (The Wrinkly Nomads) (youtube.com)
- Owner video: Diesel Heater Advanced 1688 Menu (Arup Sarkar) (youtube.com)
- Owner video: Chinese diesel heater advanced menu password (Diy_thinks) (youtube.com)