Running an LPG car - any advice?
Discussion
The g/f has been after a new motor for a while and I've become sick of looking at crappy diseasals with high miles for strong money.
She has a 70 mile commute each day and a friend of mine has just offered me his LPG'd Volvo.
Are there any hidden dangers to running an LPG car? Do they need to be serviced diffrently / additionally / more frequently?
Apologies for the lack of knowledge on this topic but it's something I've genuinely never looked into - but which seems to offer a good compromise between buying a petrol car, and paying the premium for a diesel.
She has a 70 mile commute each day and a friend of mine has just offered me his LPG'd Volvo.
Are there any hidden dangers to running an LPG car? Do they need to be serviced diffrently / additionally / more frequently?
Apologies for the lack of knowledge on this topic but it's something I've genuinely never looked into - but which seems to offer a good compromise between buying a petrol car, and paying the premium for a diesel.
I have been using LPG for a number of years. If it's a Volvo it could be factory fit LPG which is nice. A lot of bad press or bad experiences come from wrongly or badly fitted kits which lead to problems.
Filling up is a little more fiddly, but you'll soon get used to it.
I pay between 70 & 75p a litre depending on where I fill up, never have an issue finding it ... and anyway the petrol tank is still there.
My last car (Jag) did 325,00 miles, converted to gas at 80k, and was still going strong when I sold it. I know a few people running high mileage gas cars.
The gas system should be serviced once a year/12k miles. I paid £150 for this, this is on a BRC system on my new Jag, some systems will be cheaper but needs to be done by a LPG specialist (there are loads about).
My 4.2 V8 Jag is cheaper on fuel than my Wife's Citroen C5 diesel .... no brainer.
Filling up is a little more fiddly, but you'll soon get used to it.
I pay between 70 & 75p a litre depending on where I fill up, never have an issue finding it ... and anyway the petrol tank is still there.
My last car (Jag) did 325,00 miles, converted to gas at 80k, and was still going strong when I sold it. I know a few people running high mileage gas cars.
The gas system should be serviced once a year/12k miles. I paid £150 for this, this is on a BRC system on my new Jag, some systems will be cheaper but needs to be done by a LPG specialist (there are loads about).
My 4.2 V8 Jag is cheaper on fuel than my Wife's Citroen C5 diesel .... no brainer.
Ran an LPG Jeep for 2 years. Systems vary from Open-Loop Single point systems, to Closed-Loop Single Point and then multi-point (for modern engines and those with plastic inlet manifolds)
My Closed-Loop Single Point system was easy to maintain (and understand) and was ideal for the Jeep. If you tend to only run on LPG, other than for start-up, the Petrol system can gum up, causing dirty fuel filters and potentially blocked injectors, so you need to run it on petrol fairly regularly for a reasonable period of time.
Other than that, just basic stuff. LPG availability can be variable, need to be mindful of where the LPG tank is located (can sap storage space) and you need to check your insurance company is happy.
On average it's about 80% efficient as petrol, so you need to equate that into your potential savings.
I like it. Means you can run a decent engined car for live-withable cost.
My Closed-Loop Single Point system was easy to maintain (and understand) and was ideal for the Jeep. If you tend to only run on LPG, other than for start-up, the Petrol system can gum up, causing dirty fuel filters and potentially blocked injectors, so you need to run it on petrol fairly regularly for a reasonable period of time.
Other than that, just basic stuff. LPG availability can be variable, need to be mindful of where the LPG tank is located (can sap storage space) and you need to check your insurance company is happy.
On average it's about 80% efficient as petrol, so you need to equate that into your potential savings.
I like it. Means you can run a decent engined car for live-withable cost.
Just make sure its running fine on gas no engine lights coming on etc as they can be a complete pain in the a@@@e when they dont work properly (but great when they do)
Filling up is also horrible takes a long time to get used to connecting up, gas leaking etc, my misses refuses to put lpg in due to the procedure - so you may find your mrs hates you for getting her an lpg car and runs it on petrol !
Filling up is also horrible takes a long time to get used to connecting up, gas leaking etc, my misses refuses to put lpg in due to the procedure - so you may find your mrs hates you for getting her an lpg car and runs it on petrol !
Just remember getting to the one pump at the station can be tricky if it is busy, rather than having the choice of all the pumps. Are you sure your gf is up to filling up without moaning, and the reduced range will result in more frequent fill ups/waiting at pumps behind every slow ninny buying a weeks shopping.
mybrainhurts said:
Ye cann'ae use the Channel Tunnel...
Or underground car parks, I think...
Seriously? Or underground car parks, I think...
Hmm there's mixed reviews overall (which I assumed there would be otherwise everyone would be using it)!
For those that do, would you buy one again?
I take on board the points about being fussy to fill the car. Is that because the pump has to be locked into position? Or is that just the hydrogen prototypes?
Notshortnottall said:
I take on board the points about being fussy to fill the car. Is that because the pump has to be locked into position? Or is that just the hydrogen prototypes?
I don't see the issue. You have to line up two pins, twist the nozzle and lock the trigger. Not exactly rocket science and no worries of over-filling. Then you just hold a little button in, on the pump until you've spent your 30 quid. Fire99 said:
I don't see the issue. You have to line up two pins, twist the nozzle and lock the trigger. Not exactly rocket science and no worries of over-filling. Then you just hold a little button in, on the pump until you've spent your 30 quid.
It often does not work first time,' then you have to try again which results in more gas getting out,' try again etc it's often a pain to get it to work.I had a BRC system on a Porsche Cayenne. No problems at all with the exception of tank range. I just could not get more than 230 miles out of a 100l tank. (filled to 76l)
Not a problem in itself but if you plan a big mileage take the vehicle and tank size into account. I swapped for Volvo diesel which does 550 miles per tank. That to me is far less hassle than filling up every week.
That said I would have another one again but only if range was not an issue.
Not a problem in itself but if you plan a big mileage take the vehicle and tank size into account. I swapped for Volvo diesel which does 550 miles per tank. That to me is far less hassle than filling up every week.
That said I would have another one again but only if range was not an issue.
rallycross said:
Fire99 said:
I don't see the issue. You have to line up two pins, twist the nozzle and lock the trigger. Not exactly rocket science and no worries of over-filling. Then you just hold a little button in, on the pump until you've spent your 30 quid.
It often does not work first time,' then you have to try again which results in more gas getting out,' try again etc it's often a pain to get it to work.
Fire99 said:
rallycross said:
Fire99 said:
I don't see the issue. You have to line up two pins, twist the nozzle and lock the trigger. Not exactly rocket science and no worries of over-filling. Then you just hold a little button in, on the pump until you've spent your 30 quid.
It often does not work first time,' then you have to try again which results in more gas getting out,' try again etc it's often a pain to get it to work.As already said, you can't use the Channel Tunnel - that applies to factory built LPG cars as well as conversions.
Use the petrol from time to time, keeps injectors clear & avoids stale fuel issues.
Is there any real advantage, mpg wise, over the equivalent diesel version. OK, if you have a petrol V8 Jag or such like, it's a real option. But for the likes of the Disco, or the Volvo et al, the diesel, IME, is just a frugal without any of the hassle. From what I've seen the LPG struggles to see half the mpg, and is now around half the price.
Not sure if this helps as it is carby, but I drive a 78 F100 lwb. It is 5.7l so LPG for me is a must. It is about 50p a litre at the moment which is a 15% rise from a couple of weeks ago for some reason. I have a 200l tank and to fill it up all I do is screw it on and pull the trigger. No spillage but being 200l it takes around 10 mins to fill up.
When ever it starts coughing I flick the switch to petrol and go and fill up. It is tuned well so it is easy to start on either.
When ever it starts coughing I flick the switch to petrol and go and fill up. It is tuned well so it is easy to start on either.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff