Fuel consumption

[Tom]

Hopefully Chet I'll collect it today, I dropped it in to be converted on Monday.

The system is a sequential multipoint (IIRC) made by BRC (IIRC). It's being installed by Worsley Autogas. They also sell LPG at £0.69 a litre, considering I can reclaim the VAT that means I'll be paying about £0.58 a litre. LPG is at most 20% less efficient than petrol, my car does about 30mpg at 70mph constant, which means that on LPG I'll probably get about 25mpg.

Square the price off to match petrol, and I reckon I'll get an equivalent of about 45-50mpg from a 4 litre V8 in a 1.8 tonne car. I'm pretty happy with that, LPG also burns much more cleanly so less carbon getting in the oil, gunking up sensors, etc. The fuel's environmental credits (if you're into that) are also much much better than either petrol or diesel.

 

[Ch3tan]

I've been looking into it for my fiesta, it's a 4 cylinder engine, so the conversion is only up to £1000 at most places I've seen. Will loose boot space, savings wise I'm only looking at £400-£500 quid a year based on my current mileage ( 6500 probably this year, at 38mpg roughly on petrol), but I don't see petrol prices falling, so that will probably go up. It's either that or get a second hand hybrid, as more than half my driving is under 30mph.

Any websites that map pumps that offer autogas?

 

[MYstIC G]

http://www.lpgmap.co.uk/map.php

 

[Tom]

The injectors:

The filter (silver cylinder) and ECU:

Flashlube bottle - apparently not strictly necessary, but the installer says it does no harm to have one. The little brass knob controls the amount of oil passed through, apparently a drip every five seconds is normal:

The fuel tank - Even with the spare wheel on top I still have about half the boot space left, which is plenty for day to day driving:

Filler nozzle:

Fuel gauge, installed on the blank plastic panel just behind the indicator stalk:

Driving it home I noticed no difference. Engine sounded the same, acceleration the same, handling the same, I couldn't hear the system switching between petrol and LPG. All very impressive. I shall update accordingly with cost per miles, once I've done a few hundred.

 

[Tom]

I've been looking into it for my fiesta, it's a 4 cylinder engine, so the conversion is only up to £1000 at most places I've seen. Will loose boot space, savings wise I'm only looking at £400-£500 quid a year based on my current mileage ( 6500 probably this year, at 38mpg roughly on petrol), but I don't see petrol prices falling, so that will probably go up. It's either that or get a second hand hybrid, as more than half my driving is under 30mph.

Any websites that map pumps that offer autogas?

I looked into the relative costs of different systems, trust me, don't get a cheap one. Get something decent, Prins or similar.

 

[rynnor]

Driving it home I noticed no difference. Engine sounded the same, acceleration the same, handling the same, I couldn't hear the system switching between petrol and LPG. All very impressive. I shall update accordingly with cost per miles, once I've done a few hundred.

Did it actually switchover though? Is there any visual indicator?

 

[Tom]

Yes.

 

[Scouse]

Mobil 1. Pretty fucking expensive. Half price at Costco m8

 

[Tom]

Where do you think I get it

 

[old.user4556]

Still averaging 60 mpg in the Golf; fecking loving it so far.

 

[Bodhi]

The 328 has just gone up from averaging 27 to the heady heights of 29.7! That Tesco Momentum 99 is cracking stuff.

 

[Raven]

Do you still live with your parents?

 

[Bodhi]

Live with my mum at the moment but pay rent and board so it isnt much cheaper than living on my own. I'd just rather spend a little extra on petrol than depreciation / finance / prozac to get over the fact I'm driving a diesel snotbox. It's just a uestion of priorities. I'd rather get from A to B, possibly via C with a smile on my face. That is worth the £10 a week extra I spend on fuel.

 

[Tom]

270 miles today for £43. In a 4.0 petrol V8. Up your's, diesel!

 

[Raven]

What's the overall performance like?

 

[Tom]

Absolutely no different.