02 M£ on LPG?
Discussion
Hi all,
I've got the offer of swapping my SLK for a 02 M3 convertible. Quite like it, but think LPG would make it somewhat easier to justify.
Anybody done this, and if so any drawback. I have previously had a 7 Series with LPG and accept that power can be 5% down, but after a deisel think i can live with this.
Really concerned about the engine, and is their a history of them running ok on LPG
I've got the offer of swapping my SLK for a 02 M3 convertible. Quite like it, but think LPG would make it somewhat easier to justify.
Anybody done this, and if so any drawback. I have previously had a 7 Series with LPG and accept that power can be 5% down, but after a deisel think i can live with this.
Really concerned about the engine, and is their a history of them running ok on LPG
simond001 said:
Hi all,
I've got the offer of swapping my SLK for a 02 M3 convertible. Quite like it, but think LPG would make it somewhat easier to justify.
Anybody done this, and if so any drawback. I have previously had a 7 Series with LPG and accept that power can be 5% down, but after a deisel think i can live with this.
Really concerned about the engine, and is their a history of them running ok on LPG
I've got the offer of swapping my SLK for a 02 M3 convertible. Quite like it, but think LPG would make it somewhat easier to justify.
Anybody done this, and if so any drawback. I have previously had a 7 Series with LPG and accept that power can be 5% down, but after a deisel think i can live with this.
Really concerned about the engine, and is their a history of them running ok on LPG
Don't be bloody ridiculous !
) I currently have a 02 RR TD6, and a 02 SLK. I have the option to replace both cars with an 02 M2 Conv and a 03 Cayenne S.
My boss is kinda car friendly, and happy to let us swap cars around, he previously gave m the BMW 740 and installed LPG, also had a RR vogue with LPG hence my liking for LPG running costs.
The SLK is really frugral, and my RR is deisel so it hasn't been a consideration for the current cars, but thinking about the LPG options if i take th etwo cars on offer.
Hope that's understandable.....
My boss is kinda car friendly, and happy to let us swap cars around, he previously gave m the BMW 740 and installed LPG, also had a RR vogue with LPG hence my liking for LPG running costs.
The SLK is really frugral, and my RR is deisel so it hasn't been a consideration for the current cars, but thinking about the LPG options if i take th etwo cars on offer.
Hope that's understandable.....
I'm not trying to turn it into a diesel, that is a rather silly comment. I was looking at the financial advantages of LPG, (40% saving on fuel costs, up to £160pm on congestion charge.)
The reason I am looking at the M3 is that the other half wants a 4seat conv, and we have a spare M3 at work. If we had a 330d i would have that, but we don't.
I do know that M3's have been converted in the past (about 6 years ago), and suffered from pinking at high revs, was hoping for advice on whether this was an option now. Obviously it isn't due to the space constraints for a tank in the conv.
The reason I am looking at the M3 is that the other half wants a 4seat conv, and we have a spare M3 at work. If we had a 330d i would have that, but we don't.
I do know that M3's have been converted in the past (about 6 years ago), and suffered from pinking at high revs, was hoping for advice on whether this was an option now. Obviously it isn't due to the space constraints for a tank in the conv.
Hi Simond.
An interesting Idea and one I have pondered myself before getting sensible and buying a used 330i sport saloon and converting that to lpg. I have since covered 6k miles. (I needed a saloon not a coupe or cab).
I went for a quality conversion (Prins) via a quality converter and am pleased with the results.
My consumption on petrol is 25mpg and cost me 18p a mile to run.
My consumption on on LPG is 20mpg and costs me 11p a mile to rum. I will break even with the conversion cost after 33k miles (which is juyst over a yeaqr for me).
I have a 45l tank in the spare wheel well and this is the only draw back for me as it provides limited range of of 180-200 miles between fill up (it only takes 40l of gas).
Performance is down slightly (because of the lower calorific value of lpg) and the car is not as 'smooth' on gas as it is one petrol. This is down to the fact that when on running on gas the engine is being run by the Prins ECU and not the Bosch ECU. The Prins ECU will never be as well developed as the Bosch one and can result in jerky town driving if you are clumsy coming off and on the throttle.
Also, there is the weight of the tank that will affect the handling but I have no noticed any ill effects. If anything, the rear feels more planted and there is less 'bouncing' at high speed.
When looking for a quality converter I came accross plenty who have converted BMW V8's but very few 6cyl and no M3's though I have heard of an old 6cly M5 being converted.
I dont think the conversion will be feasible on the M3 cab because of boot space. I also would be a bit wary as the M3 engine is in such a high state of tune and will be more sensitive to fuel changes. I am sure there there converted cars in Europe but certainly none in UK. I would want to use someone who has a proven track record if were converting an M3.
Are you actually going to do enough mileage to warrant converting the M3?
Residuals will certainly be very negatively affected too-on my car I think the LPG may be good thing as it is a 'rep-mobile' but the kind of people who buy M3 cabs are posers and performance enthusiasts who don't care for fuel consumption ands any percieved compromise in the cars performance from LPG will be off-putting.
There are not many people in the UK who are open to idea of a an lpg 'performance' car so you may end up with an unsaleble car...but if you plan to keep it forever then I suppose there is no problem there.
My only real concern for you is whether the highly tuned M3 engine as a good canidate for an lpg conversion....
An interesting Idea and one I have pondered myself before getting sensible and buying a used 330i sport saloon and converting that to lpg. I have since covered 6k miles. (I needed a saloon not a coupe or cab).
I went for a quality conversion (Prins) via a quality converter and am pleased with the results.
My consumption on petrol is 25mpg and cost me 18p a mile to run.
My consumption on on LPG is 20mpg and costs me 11p a mile to rum. I will break even with the conversion cost after 33k miles (which is juyst over a yeaqr for me).
I have a 45l tank in the spare wheel well and this is the only draw back for me as it provides limited range of of 180-200 miles between fill up (it only takes 40l of gas).
Performance is down slightly (because of the lower calorific value of lpg) and the car is not as 'smooth' on gas as it is one petrol. This is down to the fact that when on running on gas the engine is being run by the Prins ECU and not the Bosch ECU. The Prins ECU will never be as well developed as the Bosch one and can result in jerky town driving if you are clumsy coming off and on the throttle.
Also, there is the weight of the tank that will affect the handling but I have no noticed any ill effects. If anything, the rear feels more planted and there is less 'bouncing' at high speed.
When looking for a quality converter I came accross plenty who have converted BMW V8's but very few 6cyl and no M3's though I have heard of an old 6cly M5 being converted.
I dont think the conversion will be feasible on the M3 cab because of boot space. I also would be a bit wary as the M3 engine is in such a high state of tune and will be more sensitive to fuel changes. I am sure there there converted cars in Europe but certainly none in UK. I would want to use someone who has a proven track record if were converting an M3.
Are you actually going to do enough mileage to warrant converting the M3?
Residuals will certainly be very negatively affected too-on my car I think the LPG may be good thing as it is a 'rep-mobile' but the kind of people who buy M3 cabs are posers and performance enthusiasts who don't care for fuel consumption ands any percieved compromise in the cars performance from LPG will be off-putting.
There are not many people in the UK who are open to idea of a an lpg 'performance' car so you may end up with an unsaleble car...but if you plan to keep it forever then I suppose there is no problem there.
My only real concern for you is whether the highly tuned M3 engine as a good canidate for an lpg conversion....
Hi Dino,
As a replacement for the SLK i have worked out my annual mileage will be about 6000. Not enough to warrant the conversion. The only benefit would be if i used it as a daily runabout, but I prefer the Range Rover, (or Cayenne if i can get LPG on it) for that.
Decision is made though that I'll get the car, and leave as is.
(Almost looking forward to it now, never driven an SMG before).
Thanks for all the advise on here, the killer was lack of room for a tank, but at least I have an M3 on the way!
As a replacement for the SLK i have worked out my annual mileage will be about 6000. Not enough to warrant the conversion. The only benefit would be if i used it as a daily runabout, but I prefer the Range Rover, (or Cayenne if i can get LPG on it) for that.
Decision is made though that I'll get the car, and leave as is.
(Almost looking forward to it now, never driven an SMG before).
Thanks for all the advise on here, the killer was lack of room for a tank, but at least I have an M3 on the way!
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