Pros and Cons of LPG conversions?

Wig

slrk2007 wrote: »

I have a Nissan Sunny FB-15 1999 model (1300cc) and it's done only 42000 kms. I have a thought of converting it to LP Gas. Here many people say not to convert it to gas because of possible engine problems with gas. A mechanic told me that there will be big unpredictable engine problems after converting to gas. Is there any possiblity of damage to engine with gas? Here mostly I am stuck in traffic congession and The units which I have to install will need to swith gas and petrol manually.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

There shouldn't be any problems, it depends on which conversion kit the fitter uses, and his competence in fitting and understanding how to tune the engine. Don't put any extra trust in "approved" fitters of any description, treat all fitters the same, some are good some are bad, "approved" means nothing in this game.

Damage to the engine? not in my opinion, as long as it is fitted and tuned properly, it will be ok.

You forgot to mention how much you spend on fuel per week, that's the important bit, if you spend less than £30 week on petrol I don't think it's worth doing.

hartcjhart

Anyone thinking of converting their cars should look at the prices for having it done in Belgium/Germany,it is cheaper and while its done have a few days break on the savings

satan666wayne

hartcjhart wrote: »

Anyone thinking of converting their cars should look at the prices for having it done in Belgium/Germany,it is cheaper and while its done have a few days break on the savings

Have you any more info on this?
thanks

minimoneysaver

I've been watching this with interest as I have a Honda CR-V, which is a little thirsty!

hartcjhart

not to hand but will speak to my brother who knows some people that do it and get back to you

goldspanners

i fix forklift trucks,they have been running on this fuel for years and years.
as someone else said,cheap does not mean good,usually cheap means bad,very bad,it usually means not starting on cold mornings,misfiring at normal operating temperatures (even when tuned right).
if you have a good car and want it to last a while,do your research into finding a good,proven system. IMPCO and NIKKI are 2 common systems used on forklift trucks,i believe that honda are using IMPCO for thier latest engines.
systems like BEAM are very cheap and nasty,with lots of problems after a while.
if the engine is set up properly then you should expect the same life and performance as you would from a petrol engine.

remember maintain the system as you would your car,give it to someone who knows what they are doing,not just any garage.

goldspanners

the real way to make any substancial fuel savings is hybrid,diesel or petrol engine with an electric generator and drive motors.
within the next few years i imagine this to be the best way,we will have cars getting 100 mpg easily.at affordable prices.

gilbert_and_sullivan

OP you are getting quotes for a shogun, make sure its not the direct injection model (usually the 3.2 ) these cannot be converted to lpg.

An unscrupulous person may do the conversion but some thousands of miles later the petrol injectors will burn up and the expense of repairs will be horrendous.

I researched this lpg situation a lot and they can be troublesome so as some of the other posters have said, find a good quality installer who will not be cheap and why should they, this like many other things is not a case of cheapest is best.

gtd2000

Thought that it was time to dig this thread up :j

I've been considering the LPG conversion as I'm currently working in Holland and they use LPG everywhere it seems - also 1.56 Euros for a litre of Petrol is a bit on the pricey side!

I was in the Philippines in April/May and I was told it cost US$400 for a conversion fitted over there - sounds like we are getting well ripped off on this side of the planet for LPG conversions.

When I look at the components of an LPG kitI really don't see where the money is either

I'm still sitting on the fence - any opinions?

gtd2000

goldspanners wrote: »

the real way to make any substancial fuel savings is hybrid,diesel or petrol engine with an electric generator and drive motors.
within the next few years i imagine this to be the best way,we will have cars getting 100 mpg easily.at affordable prices.

Your logic is sound but missing one very important aspect - Government.

Even if we could run on fresh air the Govt. will still expect a rate of around a fiver a gallon for your personal transport.

The conspiracy theorist in me believes this is why they are moving towards "road pricing".

As it is Petrol/Diesel etc is a very cheap form of fuel - it's only the tax that makes it expensive.