lpg

[jules335500]

hi room.....i have a merc c180 sport 1998 with 116,000 miles on clock.just had new water pump fitted but i just wonder has any body got any comments on my car running on LPG.Seems fine so far , have it serviced once per year which includes gas service.Do you think running it on lpg will have any damaging effects? Views welcome......

mick from kings lynn (single 34 year old)

 

[davidsl500]

There doesn't appear to be any real downsides to running on lpg, engines usually run quieter and smoother, wear is reduced and you can often extend oil change intervals as its a much cleaner fuel.

Some of my mates with big 4x4's swear by it as their running costs are dramatically reduced especially if you know where to fill up really cheaply - forecourts are still half the price of petrol but if you know a friendly farmer etc., the savings are mindblowing....

You must keep your electrics in tip top condition though and regular air filter changes are essential. Major problems are icing of the governor especially in this weather and of course you are not allowed to use the channel tunnel.

My mate also learned not to fill right up first thing in the morning when it is cool and then park out in a sunny spot - tank warms up, pressure increases and dumps gas out the safety valve. Not usually a problem if your tank is in the boot though.

If you want some background info try the http://www.go-lpg.co.uk
a useful site

 

[stwat]

I often wonder how LPG works with fuel injected engines. Am i right in thinking the gas is injected into the "air" side of the engine? So does that meen the injectors just sit idle???

 

[davidsl500]

I often wonder how LPG works with fuel injected engines. Am i right in thinking the gas is injected into the "air" side of the engine? So does that meen the injectors just sit idle???

Yep, drill and tap into the inlet manifold.

Injectors are idle which is why its a good idea to swap to petrol mode again for the last few miles to keep 'em clean (plus you start and warm up on petrol as well)

 

[stwat]

Cool, thanks for that.. Thats one less " i wonder how that works?" on my mind.

Cheers,

Stu

 

[jules335500]

Thanks for all on the views...............Cheapest lpg i have found is 35per litre and some friends say that asda is 27p.Big savings are to be had but after some research,some garages say use the petrol side more than stated so the injectors and pumps keep in tip top condition.

 

[G3maw]

The latest systems are 'drill and tap' due to the latest, very stringent emissions requirements. Older Mercs, such as the 190E, work with a simpler arrangement whereby the gas is fed into the throttle body at the base of the air cleaner. The injectors/fuel pump are turned off and the system then resembles a carb type set up! Very early installations such as this gained a reputation for backfiring in the air cleaner (mucho damage) until an improved method of gas control, using an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system (lambda probe) began to be used - this is a closed loop system. I have had such a setup in use for nearly five years on a 190E with no problems whatsoever. Hope this helps any body out there who may be trying to decide
whether to 'go for it'. Caveat: don't go for a cheapo installation, though. Use an LPGA recommended installer ( find on www.lpga.org.uk)