Ste
Premium Member
Registered: 5th Mar 03
Location: Taif, Saudi Arabia
User status: Offline
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Anyone carried out a DIY LPG conversion on their car.
Looking into doing this very soon as I'm putting £300 worth of petrol in my car a month and that would drop to £150 if I ran on LPG. There are full kits on eBay for £640 LINK should be in profit after a few months.
You can get a second hand tank for about £50 then the rest of the kit is £300 so not sure where to go with it.
I would rather lose by a mile because i built my own car, than win by an inch because someone else built it for me.
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
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Would it halve your fuel cost though? Bear in mind LPG has a lower calorific value than petrol...
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Stu-G
Member
Registered: 27th Apr 04
Location: wirral Drives:Corsa16v
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and the loss of aload of boot space? never fitted or seen one fitted but there looks like a bit involved, the kit come with instructions?
if it helps in the long run and u plan on keeping the vehicle its going in, y not?
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Archie
Organiser: Scotland Premium Member
Registered: 18th Dec 07
Location: South Ayrshire
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I'm removing an LPG conversion kit from my 172 if it interests you
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BluKoo
Member
Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
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Check with your insurance company first as some won't cover the car unless the conversion has been carried out by someone with a proper qualification/certificate.
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AlunJ
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Registered: 3rd Apr 07
Location: Newport
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quote: Originally posted by Robin
Would it halve your fuel cost though? Bear in mind LPG has a lower calorific value than petrol...
you'll probably use more of it, but the price of it is half of petrol... swings and roundabouts.
http://www.drivelpg.co.uk/savings_calculator.php
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DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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The cost of LPG isn't so much lower now and you dont get as good economy. LPG only really makes sense if you drive into London and it's professionally fitted as you'll avoid the congestion charge.
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Ste
Premium Member
Registered: 5th Mar 03
Location: Taif, Saudi Arabia
User status: Offline
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I do over 30k miles a year. Given a loss in consumption of 20% i will see a saving of £1800 per year. I live near a council yard that sells LPG at 70p a litre, the esso over the road has petrol at 131p a litre. You can also buy 47kg propane bottles at 50p a litre and put that in using a hose adapter and a gravity feed.
My main concern is insurance tbh.
I would rather lose by a mile because i built my own car, than win by an inch because someone else built it for me.
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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I thought you were rocking a 1.3CDTi Corsa Ste?
Just get it checked over when you fit it
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
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I'm just going on experience of a mates car. He's saving a bit, but not a huge amount. He bought a kit online, fitted it himself and it works fine but it's not saving as much as he thought
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Bonney
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 04
Location: St Helens
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Fitting them is quite easy, Its just a case of mounting the tank in the boot, running the lines through to the front of the car, fitting the evaporator (Think thats what its called) and drilling the inlet manifold to put in the injectors.
The hardest part is then having a map put on the car so it will switch over smoothly and getting it signed off by a LPG specialist as some of them will only sign off the work they do.
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BluKoo
Member
Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline
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I'm not saving as much on fuel with my LPG as I thought i would.
It doesn't switch over to LPG until its hit a certain temperature and that can take up to 4-5 miles. It can be really bad on a cold day.
Also the system I have is designed to dual fuel when I accelerate hard.
The passat averaged 331 miles to about 70 litres of fuel. That was about 30 litres of petrol and 40 of LPG.
[Edited on 09-03-2011 by BluKoo]
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naz-gsi
Member
Registered: 5th Aug 10
Location: birstall,smithies west yorkshire
User status: Offline
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try askin rc(ronniecourt (mk3oc.com/forum)
he did it himself on his p2 vec gsi
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sri_baby
Member
Registered: 17th Feb 08
User status: Offline
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it also has to be checked by a vosa test station to make sure its safe
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stanley_legend
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 10
Location: Stanley, North East, UK
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there is a bit of work to be done if you want to do it yourself, i work for cls dual fuel in durham and thats all i do is fit lpg day in day out, any questions you have just ask, IT DOES NOT NEED CHECKING BY VOSA also its wise to inform your insurance company but if you dont have the cert they generally dont care all you need the cert for is a small percentage off your road tax (NOT WORTH IT) what car do you drive? as newer vauxhalls suffer from valve wear on lpg i have recently done 2 head off and back on job to repalce valves and seats on 1800cc insignia and 1600cc zafira, so if you want any pointers feel free to ask
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Ste
Premium Member
Registered: 5th Mar 03
Location: Taif, Saudi Arabia
User status: Offline
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It's going on a 2003 Rover 25 1.4. I got it dirt cheap £250 with 27k miles on it. Cat d because the wing and door were dinged and due to the lack of spares it was written off
It warms up really quick anyway (within 2 miles) and my commute is 47 miles each way every day.
Stan, what do you think of that kit I posted in the link in my first post? Can you source me one for similar money that I can fit myself if yours is better?
I would rather lose by a mile because i built my own car, than win by an inch because someone else built it for me.
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Anty
Premium Member
Registered: 19th Mar 08
Location: droitwich
User status: Offline
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i would love lpg .. 1.8 astra 36 miles to the gallon, normaly but looking at 25 mph
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stanley_legend
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 10
Location: Stanley, North East, UK
User status: Offline
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the only thing you may struggle with is mapping the car once you have fitted it, as you need the correct software and correct lead for the gas system or you wont be able to set the fuel trims, if you do that you only realy loose 5% consumtion on average
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