Any LPG experience

[tourer82]

I have a 190 V6 manual and as we all know the fuel consumption isn't anything to write home about. I'm interested to hear the experience of members who have this engine and use LPG as I'm thinking about getting a conversion done.

[Astraeus]

Hi

Mine runs absolutely fine on LPG. Done 50k on it since I fitted it. Get good kit and you shoukd have no problems. My V6 on LPG was definately cheaper to run than the Diesel ZT

You notice very little difference when running on LPG and it is still 52 p a litre up here. Makes a V6 an affordable every day car.

Chris

[Astraeus]

Mine is a Stag set up which came with the software to set it up and service and adjust it. For instance you can reduce the temperature that the LPG starts to run. Mine normally switches to LPG within a few minutes.

Chris

[Tracker]

I bought my ZT V6 180 auto two years ago with a BRC LPG conversion already installed. It's currently not working and I've been told it needs a new set of injectors at a cost of around £500. As I have other jobs that need doing first I've had to put this off for a while. However, the system was working well for quite a period of time and I did some careful measurement of the cost of each fuel. On petrol I get 29 mpg and on LPG about 24 mpg. My driving style makes few concessions to economy, so these figures could probably be improved. The cost per mile in terms purely of fuel is 19p on petrol and between 10 and 11p on LPG. When the system is working as it should there is no discernible difference in performance between the two fuels. It is important to find a reputable LPG expert who knows how to tune the system, as I've had one bad experience of a so-called expert who wasn't. Hope that helps.

[guru]

Having run LPG cars for many years I think it can be a good way to make an otherwise un-economical car viable however there are several points to consider:

• Will you do enough miles to make the system pay? Bear in mind LPG contains less energy then petrol so it will do slightly worse MPG no matter how good the install. if you get 28mpg on petrol you'll probably get 24mpg on gas.
• Do you have a highly rated local installer and maintainer? One of the biggest issues I faced was finding someone who was any good any good at repairing and servicing the systems. LPGA certification means absolutely nothing and certified installers can actually be the worst.
• Can you actually fuel up locally? A few years ago the LPG network was expanding however this appears to have stopped and has even been reversed now with quite a few garages dropping LPG. I used to have several options around here however all but a couple stopped doing it.
• Is the car in good condition now? LPG does require the ignition system in particular to be perfect otherwise you'll end up with misfires etc. In addition if you're investing that much in getting an LPG system installed are you sure something else on the car isn't going to let you down? Have the cambelts been done for example?

Sorry if that sounds a bit negative however I think it's important to be realistic when considering LPG. It can be a great way of saving money but equally a lot of people jump on the bandwagon when really it's not appropriate to them. Another thing to consider is buying a car that's already had it installed. LPG converted cars tend to sell for very similar money to non-converted ones so the best way to get gas is often to buy a car that's already been converted.

[TomRS]

Done about 30k on my LPG system, it was installed already when i bought the car and i think from memory the system was fitted at around 60k

The car is now on 120k

The only item that was replaced was the vaporiser in 2015 a year before i bought the car.
Its never put a foot wrong.
Its easy to use, finding LPG when your doing long road trips is a bit of a ballache mind, they are very scarse up in scotland and a few stations are now slowly getting rid of LPG pumps as its viewed as a bit of a dying fuel i think.

The only use it has is on older more uneconomical engines, which is great for the older cars... however the goverment wants older cars off the road.
Its very hard to LPG more modern cars, direct injection has made that difficult....
Personally if you do the millage then go for it! if you dont really do it then i'd not bother.
I will be upgrading/replacing some parts on the LPG system in the ZT-T over winter as a precaution as the system is a factory fit Landi Renzo unit and to be honest the software is old, a more modern control unit will allow cold start straight onto LPG as well as full use of the rev range.
The LR system switches to petrol at about 4500rpm when giving it full throttle.

[StewartIngram]

I went to lpg in 2000 with my 827 Sterling. A diy conversion which I transferred through other 827s. About 9/10 years ago I got the 75 which I retired early this year. This was quickly converted to lpg with a new kit off ebay for about £700. I do about 20k a year, same mpg (with the modern system) on petrol or gas. I pay about 50-53p/litre, which means on a run the 2.5 V6 costs between 10-10.5p per mile. Conversion is easy if done methodically, takes me about 3 days maximum "lazy" working to do it. (I guess about 1-1/2 days if all done in one go). The system has been transferred to the replacement 75.

Stewart