Loaded Dice
.... Lets roll.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2011
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- 693
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- Age
- 55
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- Victoria
- Members Ride
- MY12 SSV Redline
I did some research here before doing it and have since seen a few people asking about it and with the price of fuel at the moment its no wonder, so here's some fuel for the fire if you'll pardon the pun.
I recently bought a MY12 SSV Redline and had a vapour injection system fitted at the dealer, just like some of the comments I've had and looks I get on the freeway... I can year your teeth grinding from here. For me it was the sane option, I commute 200kms per day all freeway never in peak traffic, and although I love a good squirt, this car has already clocked up over 17,000kms and was purchased more for the good ride and luxury feel, as well as its towing capabilities (read justification for getting the 8 over a 6 to she who must be obeyed) I drive a truck 12 hrs a day on top of the commute so the luxury is for me, not for the shoppers.
LPG is 106 to 110 RON, depending on where you buy it, always on the higher side of the RON scale if you can buy straight propane, not propane/butane mix which is what you buy as 'auto-gas' at most servo's. Direct injection claims a loss as little as 5%, something I can not confirm until I get around to putting it on the dyno, but even then it will need to be compared against a another cars stats as it now runs colder plugs for and is primarily tuned for running on LPG. On paper, theoretically, running the higher octane direct injected should equal a power increase, not loss. On the road, the difference is noticeable, it is far more responsive and punchy off the line on LPG, it seems to change gears and reach 60 in "normal" driving conditions much quicker and smoother when on LPG, but like I said, its tuned for it.
According to the trip computer, it has exactly the same fuel consumption on LPG or petrol, 10.1 L/100km, based on a 200km return trip, which is some fairly steep up hill one way, so of course evens out for downhill the other. The AFM still works which seems to benifit most in outer urban 80 zones and kicks along at around the 6L/ 100Km mark. Giving her a bit of a squirt here and there soon chews through the gas though, as you'd expect. I am on my first ever tank of straight propane now that I have found a regular reputable supply not far out of my way, so will be interested to see what literage it yields in comparison to the blended stuff its been running till now.
Even with the price of LPG going through the roof atm (the price is coming down a bit again this week) and will probably go over the $1 mark when the second part of the excise is introduced then carbon tax on top, it running the same L / Km on either fuel still makes it the smarter option for me, and is still good fun when I want her to be. I will be interested to see dyno results when I get around to it though.
I had the conversion done at the dealer, Ballan Holden in Hoppers Crossing, when I bought the car new, it cost $4800 to have put on and I got $2000 back with the rebate. For me the system has already paid for itself well and truely, I figure the savings I make in fuel, the car will actually have paid for its self in under 5 years just in the savings I make on fuel purchases (I spent over $8k just on fuel alone just to go to work last F/Y). The current rebate is $2000 back if the system is installed on a new car before its first registration, or $1500 for cars that are already rego'd.
Come June 30 with the introduction of the carbon tax, the rebate for low emission fuel conversions (petrol produces 20.3% more CO2 than LPG) will be lowered back to $1500 for new cars and $1000 for anything already on the road, just to make it harder for people who want to do the right thing by the environment and their wallet.
I recently bought a MY12 SSV Redline and had a vapour injection system fitted at the dealer, just like some of the comments I've had and looks I get on the freeway... I can year your teeth grinding from here. For me it was the sane option, I commute 200kms per day all freeway never in peak traffic, and although I love a good squirt, this car has already clocked up over 17,000kms and was purchased more for the good ride and luxury feel, as well as its towing capabilities (read justification for getting the 8 over a 6 to she who must be obeyed) I drive a truck 12 hrs a day on top of the commute so the luxury is for me, not for the shoppers.
LPG is 106 to 110 RON, depending on where you buy it, always on the higher side of the RON scale if you can buy straight propane, not propane/butane mix which is what you buy as 'auto-gas' at most servo's. Direct injection claims a loss as little as 5%, something I can not confirm until I get around to putting it on the dyno, but even then it will need to be compared against a another cars stats as it now runs colder plugs for and is primarily tuned for running on LPG. On paper, theoretically, running the higher octane direct injected should equal a power increase, not loss. On the road, the difference is noticeable, it is far more responsive and punchy off the line on LPG, it seems to change gears and reach 60 in "normal" driving conditions much quicker and smoother when on LPG, but like I said, its tuned for it.
According to the trip computer, it has exactly the same fuel consumption on LPG or petrol, 10.1 L/100km, based on a 200km return trip, which is some fairly steep up hill one way, so of course evens out for downhill the other. The AFM still works which seems to benifit most in outer urban 80 zones and kicks along at around the 6L/ 100Km mark. Giving her a bit of a squirt here and there soon chews through the gas though, as you'd expect. I am on my first ever tank of straight propane now that I have found a regular reputable supply not far out of my way, so will be interested to see what literage it yields in comparison to the blended stuff its been running till now.
Even with the price of LPG going through the roof atm (the price is coming down a bit again this week) and will probably go over the $1 mark when the second part of the excise is introduced then carbon tax on top, it running the same L / Km on either fuel still makes it the smarter option for me, and is still good fun when I want her to be. I will be interested to see dyno results when I get around to it though.
I had the conversion done at the dealer, Ballan Holden in Hoppers Crossing, when I bought the car new, it cost $4800 to have put on and I got $2000 back with the rebate. For me the system has already paid for itself well and truely, I figure the savings I make in fuel, the car will actually have paid for its self in under 5 years just in the savings I make on fuel purchases (I spent over $8k just on fuel alone just to go to work last F/Y). The current rebate is $2000 back if the system is installed on a new car before its first registration, or $1500 for cars that are already rego'd.
Come June 30 with the introduction of the carbon tax, the rebate for low emission fuel conversions (petrol produces 20.3% more CO2 than LPG) will be lowered back to $1500 for new cars and $1000 for anything already on the road, just to make it harder for people who want to do the right thing by the environment and their wallet.
, but 12.5 as an average over 60,000kms is nothing to complain about, the cost saving is enormous - around $10 per 100km cheaper to run than petrol, at the rate I clock up Kms, thats a new car in 6 years time just in fuel savings.