LPG pros and cons

[obi_waynne]

What do you see as the pros and cons of LPG conversions?

Can any car be converted to run on LPG? How long would it take to recoup the cost of coversion in saved fuel? Is it much less efficient or similar to petrol?

 

[HDi fun]

Similar to petrol - although some crude systems can lose as much as 15% power and torque. Fine in a 4.4 litre Range Rover. Not ideal in a 1.8 Vectra.

You can't convert diesel cars, although some HGV operators supplement diesel fuel with propane for cost reasons. I doubt you'd be allowed to do this in a car as it's technically unlawful to operate a car on two types of fuel simultaneously. Why? I have no idea. Some arbitrary bit of legislation designed to protect us all from, well, er,, not a lot really.

Cost wise I'll go away and do the sums - will be back later.

 

[turbonutter69]

On the cons side even now there isn't that many places that sell it. I know there is more becoming available but round here there is only a couple of places that sell it.

 

[herb]

well i had a vauxhall combo 1.2 lpg for nearly 2 years for the last company i worked for so speaking from experience
pros
lpg is cheaper
i didnt notice any difference in performance
no congestion charge in london

cons
no spare wheel
when i had the van the only petrol company doing lpg pumps where shell and not all of them did it

 

[HDi fun]

Availability is a problem, although you can still run on conventional petrol. Most actually start of petrol and then change over to LPG a few seconds after startup.

Does anyone know anything about CNG cars? This, apparently, is supposed to be the cheapest option of all.

 

[pgarner]

Recived this email abour a week ago after making an inquiry just after i had bought the car

Greenfuel Special Offers
Scotland

In cooperation our workshops in the Scotland we are delighted to announce some very special offers for your LPG conversions during May & June. We are looking to fill 5 slots a week throughout these months and are offering the enclosed prices on a strictly first come first serve basis.

These prices have been discounted by up to 40% in an attempt to offer our customers an additional financial incentive to have their cars converted with Greenfuel, and are the cheapest prices we have ever offered for a top of the range conversion kit.

The Prices are as follows:

4 cylinder conversions from £1199.00 + Vat.
6 cylinder conversions from £1599.00 + Vat
8 cylinder conversions from £1799.00 + Vat

All conversions use the latest generation multi-point sequential systems from BRC fitted to the highest standards by LPGA approved engineers. LPGA certificate included.

To discuss your requirements or to reserve your place call 0845 4900 189 or e-mail aran.new@greenfuel.org.uk Our offices are open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm.

Kindest Regards


Aran New
The Greenfuel Company Limited
Monkton Combe Garage
Warminster Road
Bath
BA2 7HY
Tel: 01225 721915
Fax: 01225 723876

Email: aran.new@greenfuel.org.uk
Web: www.greenfuel.org.uk

so 4 cyinder engine from £1379. even if the claim that i would have saved around £400 a year on fuel costs it would take over 3 years to recoup the costs. i could be looking at sellling a car after 3 years

so biggest con i can see if the initial outlay

 

[CitizenErazed]

didn't I hear the goverment are giving £500 towards LPG conversion for cars 5 years or older?

 

[lutonmatt]

if its done right you should not lose any power but alot of the time and normal engine (one that was not made for lpg) will burn the valves out and will do damage to the engine every thing should be hardend to cope with the gas

but it saves you money in the long run would i have it in one of my cars only if it was done before i got it

 

[HDi fun]

didn't I hear the goverment are giving £500 towards LPG conversion for cars 5 years or older?

No, what you heard was that the government was previously giving up to £1000 grant towards the cost of converting a car under five years of age. This was known as the powershift scheme and was launched in 1998.

The grant was taxable as a benefit in kind; if you were in the higher tax bracket then you'd only have received £600 after deductions, which would have been applied at source.

Ironically, those who would benefit most from an LPG conversion were the drivers of large vehicles with engines of 4 litres or above. Surely if they could afford to run a 4 litre V8 anyway then there's no need to assist with the cost of an LPG conversion?

The Powershift scheme ran out of funds before the year 2000 and so no further grants have been made since.

Sadly you could only apply for a grant AFTER your car had been converted, at your own expense.

It was one of Anthony's earlier attempts at deceiving those for whom he previously worked. I suspect we're still propping up his fully inflated, civil service, final salary pension.

 

[dpsubaru]

Dont know much about LPG but is it more dangerous carrying the fuel or just about the same as petriol in regards to explosivness?

 

[HDi fun]

Dont know much about LPG but is it more dangerous carrying the fuel or just about the same as petriol in regards to explosivness?

It's equally as flammable as petrol. It's stored under pressure in a toroidal tank and there are no known safety issues.

 

[MasterAuron]

Jaaayzus, didn't know it was that expensive to convert. As said, it would take a long time to recoup the costs on an average mileage. Sod it, Wizards of Nos kits are only £500, let's all get one of them instead and kill the polar bears!

 

[HDi fun]

It is very expensive. Hence the reason very few people bother unless they're doing astranomical mileages, drive very thirsty cars, and are planing to keep those cars for at least five years.

There are cheaper LPG solutions out there but they all seem to be a bit bodged. They use a carburettor like system to bleed LPG into the intake manifold(s) rather than the superior (and expensive) port by port gas injection.

My father in law was quoted just £660 to convert his V6 Toyota Camry. Needless to say, I discouraged him vehemently. And he only covers about 2000 miles a year so it would be pointless investing anything.

 

[pgarner]

yeah thats alot cheaper than it was originally when i looked at it
£1800 + vat = £2115 for the conversion.

 

[HDi fun]

The cheapskate conversions are pointless. You'll wnd up with a car that runs badly, eats the fuel that's supposed to save you money, poisons or overheats the cat, and is unresponsive to drive.

 

[CitizenErazed]

No, what you heard was that the government was previously giving up to £1000 grant towards the cost of converting a car under five years of age. This was known as the powershift scheme and was launched in 1998.

The grant was taxable as a benefit in kind; if you were in the higher tax bracket then you'd only have received £600 after deductions, which would have been applied at source.

Ironically, those who would benefit most from an LPG conversion were the drivers of large vehicles with engines of 4 litres or above. Surely if they could afford to run a 4 litre V8 anyway then there's no need to assist with the cost of an LPG conversion?

The Powershift scheme ran out of funds before the year 2000 and so no further grants have been made since.

Sadly you could only apply for a grant AFTER your car had been converted, at your own expense.

It was one of Anthony's earlier attempts at deceiving those for whom he previously worked. I suspect we're still propping up his fully inflated, civil service, final salary pension.

Fair enough, in that case then I'd say it's totally poiuntless. With the rise of the eletric car I think thats where the automotive industry is going to firmly be in a few years, you can spend all that money converting your car to a fuel that I doubt will ever truely kick off untill all those garages starting to support it stop supporting it and start installing plugs before you've even recouped your costs and then have to look at an electric conversion or a new car.

It's like the time everyone bought Mini Disc players the day before the Ipod came out. Silly Billys. (I was one of them Lol)

 

[HDi fun]

There have been a few flunks in the consumer electronics arena.

As you say, mini-disc. Before that there was digital audio tape launced about ten seconds before recordable CD.

Super-audio CD (SACD) never took off.

Digital Radio (DR.

THe current one is DVB (digital telly). It's been around since 1996 and STILL there's for ratified standard agreed. BY the time we finally switch off all the analogue services the trechnology wll be nearly 20 years old!

 

[CitizenErazed]

A lot of it's done on purpose though, I've heard from some reliable sources for instances, their were warehouses full of MP3 players years before they were released, just so they could take our money on mini disc and then take it again with MP3.

I've never head of digital audio Tape TBH so either that must have been a real flash in the pan or I'm just too young :s

At least digital has taken off, though it was a slow riser, most people have had digital for years haven't they? we just still have analoge being broadcast to our TVs before we press the AV button and just watch digital, I'm not sure why the switchover is takeing so long.

But yeh, I think LPG's a looser, go for electric if you're bored of petrol.

 

[HDi fun]

Diesel's quite nice as well.

DAT (audio) was a real pan flash in about 1989.

It used the 4mm helical scan things that we now use for bulk data backup