LPG Conversions

[kheath74]

Has anyone experience of a car with an LPG Conversion? I have seen a S320 CDI with a conversion and was interested to know what mpg you get with LPG and the pro/cons of this?

Cheers

Kyle

 

[brandwooddixon]

CDI? Really? I thought that LPG conversions were for petrol engines only.

Pros:
LPG is far cheaper than petrol.

Cons:
Loss of boot space (or spare wheel)
Availability of LPG filling stations.
Initial cost of conversion.

 

[hairyg]

I used to run a W202 C200 running on LPG with Lando equipment. MPG was about 90% of petrol but the slow running control was awful, undriveable on snow or ice. Even so the savings compared to running on petrol were substantial.

I now have a R129 SL320 on LPG with Prinz equipment. It is impossible to tell which fuel is being used without refering to the instruments. Again mpg on gas is about 90% of what I get on petrol.

I have a small donut tank in the spare wheel space that gives me a range of 140-150 miles and I rarely struggle to find places to re-fuel. The LPGAssociation do a UK map with all the outlets on it. Choice varies a great deal from area to area, so you need to check your location for yourself.

I have heard tales about how LPG burns out engines but they all seem to happen to the brother in law of somebody that my informant met in a pub, if you see what I mean. In my immediate circle of gas burning acquaintance I know of no problems attributed to LPG.

 

[GseRacing]

I have an ML55 running on LPG, i use an OMVL (italian company) system.

The MPG is about 80% on mine. But yes LPG can be used on diesel.

There are over 1200 filling stations in the uk, i suggest you go onto greenfuels.com and buy their map book with them all marked!

A point worth making though is that it is the best for "tootling" around town but if you decide to give it a hard time then you must switch back to petrol. lpg doesnt have the calorific value of petrol so the engine senses something is up as it is being asked to give X performance but the fuel wont give it so it goes in to limp home mode. But to switch over you just press the button on the dash and you cant even feel the system switch over, no noise, no jolt, you dont even have to pull over and stop you can switch while your driving along at, for example, 50 mph.

Im saving in the region of £1300 a year on fuel, a whopping £20 on road tax and if its registered with the controlling company you can get free congestion charge zone access.

Dont really know what else to say. Go for it!

 

[simon_wall69]

Has anyone experience of a car with an LPG Conversion? I have seen a S320 CDI with a conversion and was interested to know what mpg you get with LPG and the pro/cons of this?

Cheers

Kyle

It's not that common to convert diesel to lpg but it should save you some money, with LPG being a lot cheaper; I believe that with diesel/lpg systems you don't lose the performance or economy as you do with petrol/lpg, due to better combustion characteristics.

There is also the environmental saving as you will be producing less CO2 at the exhaust - but this is probably a much more complex argument.

Many busses, lorries and vans are converted, I believe, but I don't know of many diesel cars.

I would be wondering why the vendor is selling it - it would have cost about £2,000 to convert properly, which seems to me to be a long term investment. I would thoroughly check the maintenance of it and check for an installation certificate. I would also check with insurers as the diesel/lpg conversion is, as I have said, quite rare.

 

[kheath74]

My mistake, it is indeed a petrol engine. I have been looking at so many CDIs! I have to drive over 100 miles a day commute so I am looking to save on the fuel each day and thats why I was interested in the MPG I would get with LPG. Does running on LPG affect performance much?

 

[GseRacing]

As long as you have a certificate of installation from an approved installer you shouldnt have any insurance issues. i dont know of any insurers who ask for more money for an lpg conversion.

A diesel may be better suited as LPG ignites hotter than petrol. this doesnt have an adverse effect on the engine but i thinkit would suit the environment inside a diesel more as they tend to be at a higher temp upon ignition and not forgetting the increased compression.

A point going back to earlier though, i have never heard of LPG burning up an engine, it has been proved to run alot smoother and burn cleaner than petrol.

 

[GseRacing]

Performance you will lose a slight edge off of the acceleration but as i said, if you are really going to gun it then switch to petrol.

I currently do 180 miles to 60 litres (£30ish) at an average of 12-15mpg going through country lanes in mine on the way to work.

 

[djb]

dual fuel trucks

As others have said it is becoming slightly more common on commercial trucks,using either liquified natural gas or compressed NG, LNG / CNG

one method is
Gas is injected behind inlet valve, then "light" with a smaller than previously required amount of diesel. Great on higher power outputs.

run out of gas, and you revert to diesel. Run out of diesel and you stop!

Not heard about a cdi conversion, though no doubt somebody is working on it.

 

[psmart]

As long as you have a certificate of installation from an approved installer you shouldnt have any insurance issues. i dont know of any insurers who ask for more money for an lpg conversion.

ECar Insurance do! Still investigating cost and was suprised to learn that ECar want an extra 158 for a gas conversion!

 

[hairyg]

ECar Insurance do! Still investigating cost and was suprised to learn that ECar want an extra 158 for a gas conversion!

Shop around a bit. There are plenty of quality insurers who don't load the premium. The GoCompare.com website even allows you to state LPG conversion in the section about "any modifications". Then ring the insurer and haggle some more. I got another £50 off what already looked like a good deal.

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

hi everyone, my information is that on the continent many cars are purchased from new with the lpg conversion, valves and valve seats are lined with inconel, ( nicol, non ferritic stainless steel ), this avoids premature errosion of the seatings. cars which are converted do not enjoy this specification and pitting due to high temperature and pressure turbulence errosion occurs. it takes a long time for the lack of power due to cylinder pressure slowly reducing, less pressure less incomplete combustion, mpg slowly decays and then new cylinder head and new valves. yes you save money for a period of time and then you lose it all. it is also unkind to sell the car on when the failure occurs. i would not reccomend buying ex- local authority vehicles where they have saved money in the first couple of years on fuel bills, getting browny points for being green, then somone has to fix the engine damage, not green, and it is also expensive. diesel fuel and carbon is a lubricant and protects normal metal surfaces. cylinder heads and inconel valves suitable for lpg use are also expensive. herbiemercman.

 

[maybulz]

I am not 100% sure but LPG = No CC in London, a saving of £8 a day every time you enter...

I recall that the to work out LPG "MPG" is not an easy conversion as a gallon of LPG is not relative to petrol. to understand it easier you have to do the cost in £'s eg, if £10 of fuel will return you 100miles and £10 of LPG returns 150miles thats a 50% increase in milage per £.