OK Whats the 'SP' on LPG

[mentaliss]

With fuel prices set to escalate next year, Im looking to be a convert to LPG, is it really that much cheaper per litre, does it harm the engine, (2.0 petrol)..Tesco dont sell it, well not yet that is! what do you do with the spare...(isnt it an offence to not have a spare tyre?)... anyone had bad experiences with this fuel, anyone wish 'I had'nt done this'...advice please?

[haydn callow]

I have a V6 with LPG
First to consider is the cost of conversion...Around £1200/£1400 for a decent system on a 4 cylinder.......if you do around 8000 miles a year you should recover the outlay within 3 years....also you will get a better price if you sell.

No problem not having a spare....the RAC for sure will sort you out FOC if you get a flat.
I filled my tyres with military spec sealant.and I will put new tyres on before they get down to the legal limit.

LPG will not harm your engine....it has hardened valve seats.

I get about 24mpg when on petrol and 22 on LPG...130p for petrol/70p for LPG ... so in money terms around 40MPG.

Remember you will use petrol every time you start up and it only switches to gas when the coolant temp reaches 40C.....this can be 2/3 miles in winter ...so you will have to get some petrol.

Gas works the ignition system very hard so that side of things has to be spot on.

Downside....expect to lose about 10% in "pulling power"....not a problem with a V6 (don't notice it....but I belive the 2 liter is not that powerful anyway so bear that in mind.

Above all ...get the LPG fitted at a GOOD fitter and buy a decent kit...There is some rubbish out there..

I can recommend a chat with Paul at LPG imports...Coventry

[rita]

Hi,this might be of some help.

http://www.ozonlpg.com/lpg_calculator.html

[nicstrike]

I have a V6 with LPG
First to consider is the cost of conversion...Around £1200/£1400 for a decent system on a 4 cylinder.......if you do around 8000 miles a year you should recover the outlay within 3 years....also you will get a better price if you sell.

No problem not having a spare....the RAC for sure will sort you out FOC if you get a flat.
I filled my tyres with military spec sealant.and I will put new tyres on before they get down to the legal limit.

LPG will not harm your engine....it has hardened valve seats.

I get about 24mpg when on petrol and 22 on LPG...130p for petrol/70p for LPG ... so in money terms around 40MPG.

Remember you will use petrol every time you start up and it only switches to gas when the coolant temp reaches 40C.....this can be 2/3 miles in winter ...so you will have to get some petrol.

Gas works the ignition system very hard so that side of things has to be spot on.

Downside....expect to lose about 10% in "pulling power"....not a problem with a V6 (don't notice it....but I belive the 2 liter is not that powerful anyway so bear that in mind.

Above all ...get the LPG fitted at a GOOD fitter and buy a decent kit...There is some rubbish out there..

I can recommend a chat with Paul at LPG imports...Coventry

phew , didn't relise the v6 was so juicy! thought the diesel was bad enough. i'm happy with 30mpg now. i know you have got to do the miles to save the overall cost , so i think on our modest annual mileage that we are about even.

[mikeWalsall]

I used to drive a 1999 Vauxhall Omega CDX with the BWW straight 6 Turbo Diesel, I have still have that car.. sat unused now for 61/2 years ...

I've had my 2.4 16v DOHC Toyota Estima six and a half years .. had her converted to LPG about four years ago .. my biggest regret .. not having her converted from the first week I bought her !! ....

The Emina being built solely for the Japanese home market it's a 'narrow body' .. there fore lighter than the Wide bodied English Toyota Previa it is based on. but mechanically they are very similar ..

I reckon around town I used to get 18 - 20 mpg ... on a run maybe 24 - 26mpg .. towing a caravan / bike trailer ... I never checked ... just fed petrol into the tank as dictated by the orange petrol low warning light ...!!!

Being on a fixed income I initially struggled to keep on 'filling her up' with petrol, particularly as my daughter lives a 400+ miles round trip away, and I was always travelling collecting quads / motor bikes with my bike trailer for my sons / grandsons..

Running on LPG reliability as never ever been a slightest issue ...although she is left in the open ... parked on the drive every night ... she as never ever coughed .. sneezed .. hiccuped once,not even through the hardest frosts of winter ... I change the spark plugs every four years .. change the oil (fully synthetic) and filter each year .. Emissions have never been a MOT problem ...

For her yearly gas / filter / laptop tune up I pay £40...

Although the Toyota is a 'lean burn' engine engine, I still had a Flash Lube 'valve saver' system fitted as part of my fitting price 'deal' ..I put about £7 of Flash Lube Upper Cylinder Lubricant (UCL) in every 3-4 months .. I put in about £10 petrol every 4 - 6 weeks. and at the moment (10/11/2011) I pay 66p a litre for LPG ..

Personally to me the greatest feeling is ... physiological ... I rarely ever think of the conversion price ... just feel more 'content' in my mind when filling her up and paying say £36.50 for 55 litres of LPG .. than for the equivalent of over £70 in petrol ..