Prog 15. The "PetroL and Motoring Prog" Discussion

Dragon35

I am posting on my wifes account - can't remember my own password on my work PC!!

Not a single mention on a way to halve fuel bills - an LPG conversion, I have a large saloon with a V6 engine and auto box, great for towing our caravan.

On a run I can get 30mpg out of it at 48p a litre, my weekly fuel bills are in the region of £20, and I fitted the kit myself.

I hope LPG conversions do get mentioned in a future episode, and for Martins benefit they have even been fitted to a Smart car.

A few friends have been DIY fitting since I did mine and the kit is in the region of £600 to £700, for 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder SGI kits.

Dragon35

And one more thing I can find LPG cheaper than the cheapest price on the comparison site as it does not seem to cover LPG only places like Calor centres

outrageous_monkey

Great show:T

Sarah was abso-bloomin-lutely brilliant!! I've loved reading your diary and like Martins Dolls said, you are an inspiration to so many people. Fingers crossed you get a gold piggy!

Dragon, we've had cars on LPG in the past, yes it is cheaper to buy....can be tempremental in cold weather until the gas warms up slightly, so you might have to run on petrol for a bit longer. LPG worked for us for a long time, then we moved from a big city to a small town and found we had to travel for ages to find a garage that provided LPG, plus because there was no competative market, the price was 55p a litre......this is going back a few years now. It could be more widely available now for all I know. Can LPG conversations now be added to diesel cars?? I thought it was just petrol?? Or maybe I just dreamt that bit:rotfl:

ab48uk

Another excellent show. Having one main theme is really working out well. The overall pace and content seems just right to me now. Including some audience questions works brilliantly too.

The early finish was to some extent compensated for by the early start time. Unfortunately my Sky + was caught out again so I missed the first minute or two....

Try as I might, I really can't find any cause for complaint with this programme - except that it is too short! I think 45 minutes (less ads) would be ideal. This could include a relatively long VT, of a more investigative type of story.

MJI1962

LPG conversions only sensibly work on spark ignition engines, mind you there are thousands out there ripe for conversion.

A lot of people forget to factor in depreciation, my car cost me 4500 and is still worth about 2000 despite Browns best efforts.

Now I plan to keep it at least another 5 years.

As to cheap LPG - there are ways of getting it cheap if you llive in the country but fall foul of customs & excise. But paying under 50p (at Calor) compared to around £1.10 to £1.20 means with the lower energy density that LPG is roughly half the price. As to Diesel - that has a higher energy density than petrol which explains most of the difference in consumption between the different engine types.

My car costs a similar amount to run per mile as the most economical Diesel in the range, but is 50% more powerful, also has an autobox (Diesel not available) and is a lot cheaper to maintain due to longer service intervals and the bits which go wrong are cheaper, but then you do tend to boot it off traffic lights and junctions as it is a heavyish car. And how much is it worth NOT to have that Diesel clatter?

MJI1962

Diesels and LPG - doable but not worth it.

It can be used as a performance increaser by squirting in the gas, but to actually run on it you need to drop the compression. Fit spark plugs and an ignition system, only practical on big engines as with cars they have engines ready made with these features.

Lychee

I would like to check my tyre pressure regularly myself but haven't a clue how, and unfortunately don't know anyone well enough I can ask. How do I check my tyre pressure, which I assume can be done at fuel stations?

immoral_angeluk

Lychee wrote: »

I would like to check my tyre pressure regularly myself but haven't a clue how, and unfortunately don't know anyone well enough I can ask. How do I check my tyre pressure, which I assume can be done at fuel stations?

It's the same way you'd put air in your tyres.

Miseryschild

You can get things like this that will tell you how inflated/deflated they are:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Free_UK_Delivery/Tyre_Pressure_42621_v2.htm

HTH
~MC

Penelope_Penguin

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

Seeing as I've been on the show twice now do I get a gold piggy?

You're an inspiration - I think you deserve a pig :beer:

Just been watching the episode that I recorded earlier in the week. The words on the screen said "Debt Councillor". I think it meant to say "Debt Counsellor"

However, at CAB, we're not counsellors, we're Advisers