LPG Conversions - Experiences

[BorniteIdentity]

Sell it to me FOAD when you've had enough. I've got form with 190e's and this is a match made in heaven.

 

Kthanxbai

[DodgyBastard]

FOAD just use it, assuming it works, you'll never want to pay full price for fuel again......

No idea what system is fitted but a rule of thumb is NEVER EVER EVER touch the throttle if starting on gas (especially from cold) unless you know better as you'll likely promote a backfire.

 

I just got the car yesterday, I think the lpg filler is on the tow bar so will make for slightly awkward fill ups. I will definitely be using the lpg but first I need to get the car in for an mot and into a roadworthy condition.

[mat_the_cat]

I've installed a single point system on a Discovery 1 V8 - this did give a loss of power on gas even though it was set up by a UKLPG fitter when they checked it over for the insurance.

We then bought another Disco with an elderly BRC multipoint (non injection) system fitted - this performed well but parts were starting to fail and manufacture support/system knowledge was poor. I then installed an OMVL injection system in 2011 which has run faultlessly since. No detectable loss of power - even when flooring it and changing fuels you can't even tell when it has switched, there is no blip whatsoever.

 

I guess that with anything done to save money, there is a lot of cut-price competition. Certainly the quality of the professional BRC install left a lot to be desired, and that's a premium system not available to DIYers. On the other side of the coin, reading about and seeing some DIY installations makes be very worried!

 

I can see how the bulk of the install can be done in a day, but what about mapping under a variety of real-world conditions? Or making sure the changeover is seamless after a morning cold start? (LPG needs very little cold enrichment, so if it's changed over too cold, it's calculating its injector timing based on the (still extended) petrol injector times and will hence be too rich until lambda feedback sorts everything out).

 

A poorly mapped system could well be so far out that it will throw the EML on as the petrol system tries to correct the mixture. Or worse, run lean at WOT when the petrol system is ignoring the lambda sensors and going into open loop rich/safe mode. Cue the owner complaining down the pub or all over the forums that "LPG is shit".

 

Installed and maintained properly, it i well worth doing if your personal circumstances suit. Budget for slightly less mpg, extra servicing costs, and a mile or two of running on petrol from cold before changeover when doing your sums. The latter could be minimised by something like a Kenlowe Hotstart if electricity is available where you are parked.

[conkerman]

I'll have a 07 plate focus 2.0 TDCi estate coming up for sale at the end of march.

 

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[omegod]

The Omega metioned earlier was supposedly factory fitted but no VX ever where, the factory lob the kit into the car and the supplying dealer would use a local fitter. In my case it was a place in Hekmondwyke, they were surprised to see it again when I took it back on my way to a holiday in Scarborough10 yrs later when it was running crap, turns out VX used a KOLTEC system which are tricky so nobody I could find would touch it but a filter change was all that was needed.     

[DodgeRover]

Vauxhall used either Necam or Koltec, really a shame they didn't choose something more mainstream as the 'factory fit' cars got a reputation for the LPG system being troublesome when in reality a lot of it was down to lack of experience by most installers with the chosen system. My combo ran upto 180k on lpg with only servicing on the lpg system.