VS Wagon - Convert to LPG or not?

[Old Colts in Oz]

Hi guys,

I tried to search for this exact topic but could't see anything. Today I rang around for quotes on getting LPG fitted and the prices varied about $1000. The minimum was $2100 and the maximium was $3100. The goverment grant of $2k will help, so I guess I'm after some opnion on a few things :

• Should I get the LPG conversion done?
• Is it really much cheaper?
• Will the age of the car matter - it's done over 200,000 kms and I heard if compression is a bit low, fuel economy with LPG may suffer.
• Is it best to pay extra for a wheel -well tank or just get one on the side?
• Any other things I should look out for?

I saw the other active thread regarding taking LPG out so I just need a bit of help deciding which way to go. I towed my boat up the river on the weekend and she drove great, just a bit heavy on the wallet .

 

[Haydz]

hey man seriously for 100 dollars you cant go wrong if it doesnt work out to be very good even the tank is worth that hundred dollars. so you may as well do it. im thinking about it myself at the moment.
where did you get the quote for 2100
thnx

 

[feistl]

Im not an expert by any means, but i guess there is a few things to consider with LPG...

Firstly, if you go a tank (as opposed to a donut) you'll lose a lot of space. Also consider who is doing the conversion... If the tank is inside the car id want it done professionally.

If you go the donut tank you'll lose space for a spare wheel... You legally must carry one for the car to be roadworthy... (i dont, but yeah).

Power will drop a little but that shouldnt matter too much. Obviously running costs will drop. It also depends how long you plan to keep the car. If you want it 12-18 months i probably wouldnt bother, if you plan on keeping it from 18-60 months its probably not a bad idea but if you want it for 5 years plus, i would recommend against it (as the cheap LPG systems dont protect the valves properly).

What sort of driving do you do? LPG is good if you drive normally in the suburbs... If you drive hard or highway cruising ive heard LPG isnt as good.

I would also recommend getting your ECU memcal remapped... This can be done for about $120-150 by various parties (pm me for more info).

A family member of mine had their landcruiser (brand new in 2002) converted to gas, they had a few issues with leaks inside the car. If i had kids i wouldnt do it personally...

But yeah, wait and see what others say, as i said im no expert.

 

[Paiste402]

hey, i got a VB Wagon on LPG and ive had a VN sedan on LPG too an i can tell you:

at this point with fuel going up LPG can be amazing since it isnt as connected to petrol when it comes to prices and its nice filling up from empty for only $40. Being a P plater with little income i was worried about getting a large commodore but my dad got me one on LPG. I had no worries keeping fuel in the car (and i had a Pintara on petrol and i was always strapped for cash). It was mind blowing to have a powerful car that ran so cheap. I think i was 8km to the litre with LPG at .60 . Cheap huh?

only bad points are:

it isnt as powerful as petrol
and a full tank of LPG doesnt go as far as a tank of Petrol but for the price you pay you still save money even at the current prices.

Go for it!

 

[levymetal]

I'm an LPG advocate. Both my car and my dad's car run on LPG, and I really don't see why so many people hate it. I've heard people say things like "oh but your engine doesn't last as long on lpg". HAHA. Firstly, my VN has done 318,000kms on LPG and is weak but it still runs. Secondly, the money I save on petrol means I could buy another TWO engines fitted every single year (I spend $40 a week on LPG, which would be $80 on petrol. I save ~$2,080 a year by having LPG)! So really, the added costs and wear on your engine IS DEFINITELY worth it. You will pay less in the long run. And the longer you keep the car, the better!

Although, the real issue with LPG is that you will have trouble modifying your car. If you want to modify your car (especially yourself) then I don't recommend LPG.

Performance? Apparently you lose approximately 10% power. I don't worry about this. And economy is slightly worse but when you're paying 60c a litre for lpg compared to $1.50 for petrol it's technically better. Also better for the environment!

If I was you and you were keeping the car for a long time, I'd get LPG injection. Then you'll get better power and economy! And no backfires! Although, again, backfires are rare...

Anyway, my advice is to get LPG. I love the stuff. Before I got a car I didn't really think about it that much, but if I didn't get a car on LPG I probably wouldn't be sitting here typing this message because I wouldn't have enough money to afford the internet! Or food!

 

[deserthead]

LPG is better for your engine than petrol is, less wear, y do u think taxi's engines last sooooo long? ? ? As long as its serviced regularly.

Go for it, our VX is on gas the last 2 years hasn't had any problems what so ever!

We're thinking of putting our VS Senator on gas too. Lighter on the pocket.
And its only fuel so who gives a **** what people say, you'll be the one with the fuller wallet.

Definitly worth it!!!

 

[Old Colts in Oz]

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't plan on getting rid of the car any time soon and I need a daily driver for getting around but also need to tow the boat on the freeway. The space thing is a bit disappointing but so far I've found the donuts are more expensive and I still need to mount the spare wheel somehow. I'm definitely leaning towards getting it done as there is no way I'm modifying the car ( need a reliable grandpa spec car!! ) and I'm keen as to save money. The difference in cost is a bit confusing - everyone seems to use different gear and say theirs is better.......

Haydz, the Cheapest quote was from South Adelaide Auto Gas at Hackam . That price is for a second hand tested tank but he reckons everything else is new.

 

[levymetal]

As long as the tank's tested then it's fine, may look a little crappy though... Perhaps you may want to paint it black before it's in the car. Personally I'd still go for a tank, not a donut. I'm sure you'll get used to it! When I was reading about factory LPG for Mitsubishi 380 off their site, they said that LPG actually provides good torque for towing etc. No idea if it's the same for the Holden. But good luck with it anyway!

 

[cruzn]

I'm also sick of people saying that LPG is bad for your engine and will ruin it. This is not actually true when you you compare the advantages of running your engine on LPG which they are many.

The ONLY negative effect of running your non LPG compatible engine on LPG is that your valve stem seals wear out sooner. (they will only last about 200,000 on average from new.) This problem can be completely fixed by fitting a lube kit which are cheap. NOTE. This is not a problem on LPG compatible engines as they have hardened stainless steel valve stems seals thus can handle LPG without the need for a lube kit.

Now for the advantages of running your engine your LPG.

-LPG burns much, much cleaner than peterol thus leaves far fewer amounts of carbon deposit in your engine. Now about 85% of all total engine failure is due to bearing failure within the block. Thus LPG immensely PROLONGS engine life as the carbon deposits do not clog the bearings within the engine. This is why engine's running on LPG often last up to a million kms (take a look at taxi's) where as an ordinary engine is generally good 300,000- 400,000 kms.

-As a result of less carbon deposits comming into your engine you can extend your service periods from 10,000 to 15,000 intervals.

-Your car will be more reliable as fewer sensors will get blocked with carbon.

-Exhaust parts last lonnger as LPG fumes do not have the acidic properties of peterol fumes which cause the exhaust parts to rust out.

 

[SSGEN-3]

Well there you go, I've always thought that running your car on gas was bad for your engine but after reading this thread its good to hear some good points about gas. The only problems I've had with my vs on gas is the backfiring, and it doesn't usually start on gas, I have to start it on petrol and flick it over to gas.

One thing I've heard though is that you're not meant to tow on gas, so I'd ask some professionals before you go towing your boat on gas, but I could be wrong. I think I read it in the info from my mums factory dual fuel magna.