What's your stopping factor on a LPG/CNG conversion

prabuddhadg · 14th March 2007, 17:27

I like petrol engines. Though I can not detect from the sound if an engine is running on gas, I have often heard rumours that both these gases result in loss of power. I find the queues at all the LP gas or CNG stations a major deterrent. Also, the originality is a slight issue and the only modification i would be prepared to consider would be an upgrade, meaning better performance, without losing out on legality of emission. So, I have a stock pertrol car till now.

mail4ajo · 14th March 2007, 17:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

that run on LPG (or is it CNG - I am confused between the 2 fuels).

CNG is unavailable in Chennai. Autos run on Auto LPG.

16v100bhp · 14th March 2007, 19:53

I have a santro xing as my daily ride which is running on gas and i have had absolutely no issues for the past 30000 kms. The only issue is when you switch to petrol after running long on gas, there would be a slight amount of missing and knocking which usually gets corrected after about 2 to 5 mins of running in petrol. The power is always enough to zoom through the city.

But for "power" and you know what i mean, i would always suggest to go in for a non CNG car. I have my S10 for this and i would like to keep it tuned and fresh all the time. No side effects

mithun · 16th March 2007, 05:53

The "so called" negative effects due to the LPG conversion is a myth/urban legend. I personally know lots & lots of guys who were running on the LPG for the last 6 years OR those who've completed more than 1 lakh KMS on the LPG. And most of them were using the domestic LPG cylinders.

But there is still no problem with the engines and the maintenance is the same as when the cars ran on petrol !!!

The only care needed was the service of the LPG Kit@every 5000/7500 KMS. And this service cost is a paltry Rs.300 !!!

johy · 16th March 2007, 07:53

My running being very little and all, I don't mind the petrol bills as of now. However, that said, a major deterrent for me is the nonavailability of auto-grade LPG and CNG in this part of the country.

sanrys · 18th April 2007, 18:48

I do have a CNG converted Cielo GLE 1996 model and its perfectly running. As far as power is concern, yes it loses a bit but only when you specialy compare to petrol otherwise not.
CNG is less flamable GAS than petrol so its natural for power loss. As far as my knowledge CNG is best suited for metros where this fuel is available now in plenty and it best fuel if one can think about the ENVIRONMENT, Running Cost, Maintenance, Safty. I am living in Noida so I am getting it filled up from Delhi and its easy.

I have seen many times new Optra, Elantra and NHC at CNG station and think its going to

in next 2-3 years. Its lacking currently due to lack of knowledge about the conversion and fuel.

elf · 18th April 2007, 23:29

All those who run their cars on LPG are simply women who couldn't take their kitchen sink with them when they left the house, so decided to take the freakin' gas cylinder.

There's only one fuel. Aviation kerosene.

Oops! I meant petrol.

PS:
Does the term 'petrolhead' mean anything to you 96km/ltr hatch driving monkeys? Sheesh, guys, what went wrong? And where?

esteem_lover · 18th April 2007, 23:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by mithun

The "so called" negative effects due to the LPG conversion is a myth/urban legend. I personally know lots & lots of guys who were running on the LPG for the last 6 years OR those who've completed more than 1 lakh KMS on the LPG. And most of them were using the domestic LPG cylinders.

But there is still no problem with the engines and the maintenance is the same as when the cars ran on petrol !!!

The only care needed was the service of the LPG Kit@every 5000/7500 KMS. And this service cost is a paltry Rs.300 !!!

Yeah, you are absolutely right. There are so many stories going around simply because the guys who started these stories did not know a s*** about lpg & even if they did, did not want to be associated with a low cost fuel. People feel a low cost fuel is beneath their kind of living. I just hope this attitude will change in future because LPG is not only cost effective, it is less pollutive & quite smooth to drive even if you do lose a bit of power, which is of no use in city traffic.

manaa45 · 19th April 2007, 12:05

the stopping factor for me is that in my 1.3 accent, there would be an absolute loss of power. even with petrol there are problems with pick up in lower gears so there is no question of it getting better with LPG/CNG

with my 800 there was an option but then lack of boot space would have been a issue.

so no lpg/cng for me now.

Mansi

TURBOSAM · 19th April 2007, 13:05

i beg to differ
there are many people who convert their cars to gas only because its better for the environment<do u think queen elizabeth converted her R R because she was trying to save money>

most of the cars in italy run on gas<may it be ,l.p.g./c.n.g./l.n.g/.> so italian car engine designers design engines to run on gas , fiat is an italian car!!
so if ur car is fiat . it will run really good even on open loop and really really good on closed loop syatems.
no need to change the plug gap or timing changes like korean ,american and jap cars!
if ur car is 1.6 pali/ petra siena
with higher octane rating of lpg
ull hit a gold mine-- those engines run 10.5 compressin ratio and with knock sensors and advanced 32 bit management< ignition and injection .> system ull get better power pickup torque and milage

people are gettin @ 14 -16 kmpl in petra in a/c on aut lpg
stoic ratio of petrol sold in india is 14.7-14.5
stoic. ratio of lpg is 15.5
so if ur gas management system is programmed for 15.5 then ull get still better figures!
eventhough most of the auto lpg mechanics either dont know @ it or they set the management to aut learn mode -- in which case the ratio goes to 14.5=== his convenience ur loss!
most of the ford and hyundai will benifit from replacing the lambda sensors as they are known to become sluggish or tend to read wrongly within 50 k kms even on petrol ,

most

amalji · 7th October 2009, 11:34

Dear BHPians,

I use 2 LPG fitted cars. -

a 1999 model Carb Zen ( Lovato - Italian Kit LPG ) &
a 2001 model MPFI Esteem ( BRC - Italian Kit LPG )

Regarding the performance and value for money aspect, I'm satisfied with both these kits. But, after running for around 25,000 kms on gas, I faced similar problems on both vehicles between the space of a few months.

On my Esteem, the coolant leaked through the hose connected to LPG kit( the connection between the hose and lpg kit was not proper ), the coolant drained out, and
the engine over heated. In my next service, the groove to which spark plug is attached was found to be damaged and had to be re-done on lathe. Since, I did the Somender groove ( a different thing ) along with this work, this work was not an overhead for me. But the service center people told me that over heating could have caused this.

On my Zen, the same problem occured a few days back again on the part where the hose is connected to lpg. Popular service team in Trivandrum told me that it's because of the gas kit, that the path got blocked and the high pressure led to the bursting of hose. They told me that the head gasket may need to be replaced. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I just wanted to know whether more people have such experiences after getting LPG fitted on their cars. In the short run, LPG is great in terms of value for money. But, is it going to damage the car in the long run?

Kind Regards,
Amal

amalji · 11th October 2009, 03:14

Unrelated to my previous post, but very much related to the thread..
I read in the latest edition of the business magazine - "Dhanam" that once the LNG terminal in Kochi is started, AutoLPG prices will be as low as Rs. 16 per litre and that of CNG will be Rs. 12 per litre. Is there any truth in this news?

Kind Regards,
Amal

mithun · 15th October 2009, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by amalji

Unrelated to my previous post, but very much related to the thread..
I read in the latest edition of the business magazine - "Dhanam" that once the LNG terminal in Kochi is started, AutoLPG prices will be as low as Rs. 16 per litre and that of CNG will be Rs. 12 per litre. Is there any truth in this news?

Kind Regards,
Amal

I don't think so. There won't be any differentiated pricing although the price would be lesser by Rs.1 !

fast lane · 21st October 2009, 16:19

All of us have been speaking of LPG mainly which is Rs.38 a kilo and drops your FE by 10%. Hence the cost of running on stock petrol and LPG is the same. Also LPG being heavier than air, settles on the ground (or the boot compartment) if any leak occurs and has a higher chance of fire.

But when we consider CNG, this fuel is Rs.28 per KG and your FE increases by 10-15% as the fuel is sold in KG against a litre of Petrol or diesel. Hence effectively your cost of running is 50%. Example a sedan with 12KMPL on petrol will give about 15-16 KMPK in CNG.

The hitch is in the cost of CNG fitment and availibility. CNG kit cost upwards of Rs.35,000 with good ones from VANAZ in Pune going to Rs42,500, closed loop and all. Torroidal or Tube type tanks can hold a max of 12 KG of CNG, which translates into 180-200 KMS only in one filling. In city this means that you will have to refuel the vehicle twice a week....and CNG pumps are few in numbers. In case you go out of the city, you will rely on Petrol again.

In my opinion, these are the two major factors which keeps many of us FE minded people from converting - actual benefits are not very clear and attainable.

Welcome to comments on this and any corrections where I may have erred.

I am seriously considering a CNG fitment for my Siena. I do about 1000-1200 kms in city and about three four trips out of Pune (3000 Kms approx total). Need advice.

Soumo Chatterjee.

ranjithrnair · 21st October 2009, 23:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by fast lane

All of us have been speaking of LPG mainly which is Rs.38 a kilo and drops your FE by 10%. Hence the cost of running on stock petrol and LPG is the same. Also LPG being heavier than air, settles on the ground (or the boot compartment) if any leak occurs and has a higher chance of fire.

But when we consider CNG, this fuel is Rs.28 per KG and your FE increases by 10-15% as the fuel is sold in KG against a litre of Petrol or diesel. Hence effectively your cost of running is 50%. Example a sedan with 12KMPL on petrol will give about 15-16 KMPK in CNG.

The hitch is in the cost of CNG fitment and availibility. CNG kit cost upwards of Rs.35,000 with good ones from VANAZ in Pune going to Rs42,500, closed loop and all. Torroidal or Tube type tanks can hold a max of 12 KG of CNG, which translates into 180-200 KMS only in one filling. In city this means that you will have to refuel the vehicle twice a week....and CNG pumps are few in numbers. In case you go out of the city, you will rely on Petrol again.

In my opinion, these are the two major factors which keeps many of us FE minded people from converting - actual benefits are not very clear and attainable.

Welcome to comments on this and any corrections where I may have erred.

I am seriously considering a CNG fitment for my Siena. I do about 1000-1200 kms in city and about three four trips out of Pune (3000 Kms approx total). Need advice.

Soumo Chatterjee.

fast lane, as far as i know the LPG price per litre is below 30rs.
Talking about the leakage factor, what if the petrol tank leaks? since it is something which retains in the place, the chances of fire is more i would say. So the point of leaking is baseless.
yes the efficiency will drop by 2 km for a ltr of LPG when compared to petrol but how can you compare with the 20rs difference between LPG and petrol? So for a person who is more concerned about running cost rather than driving pleasure LPG is the better option. If the kilometers traveled is on a higher side , then the initial investment factor will reach the break even point soon.

View Poll Results: Not opted for CNG/LPG because
I wanted to retain the originality of the car	38	26.03%
Loosing boot space is a concern	60	41.10%
Loss in power delivery	61	41.78%
I dont mind paying petrol bills	24	16.44%
Fearing long term negative effects on engine	68	46.58%
Initial investment is an issue	20	13.70%
Others - please specify	21	14.38%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 146. You may not vote on this poll

14th March 2007, 17:27	#31
prabuddhadg BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 812 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	I like petrol engines. Though I can not detect from the sound if an engine is running on gas, I have often heard rumours that both these gases result in loss of power. I find the queues at all the LP gas or CNG stations a major deterrent. Also, the originality is a slight issue and the only modification i would be prepared to consider would be an upgrade, meaning better performance, without losing out on legality of emission. So, I have a stock pertrol car till now.
	() Thanks

14th March 2007, 19:53	#33
16v100bhp BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Middletown CT USA Posts: 329 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	I have a santro xing as my daily ride which is running on gas and i have had absolutely no issues for the past 30000 kms. The only issue is when you switch to petrol after running long on gas, there would be a slight amount of missing and knocking which usually gets corrected after about 2 to 5 mins of running in petrol. The power is always enough to zoom through the city. But for "power" and you know what i mean, i would always suggest to go in for a non CNG car. I have my S10 for this and i would like to keep it tuned and fresh all the time. No side effects
	() Thanks

16th March 2007, 05:53	#34
mithun BANNED Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cochin Posts: 2,195 Thanked: 268 Times	The "so called" negative effects due to the LPG conversion is a myth/urban legend. I personally know lots & lots of guys who were running on the LPG for the last 6 years OR those who've completed more than 1 lakh KMS on the LPG. And most of them were using the domestic LPG cylinders. But there is still no problem with the engines and the maintenance is the same as when the cars ran on petrol !!! The only care needed was the service of the LPG Kit@every 5000/7500 KMS. And this service cost is a paltry Rs.300 !!!
	() Thanks

16th March 2007, 07:53	#35
johy BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Siliguri Posts: 971 Thanked: 620 Times View My Garage	My running being very little and all, I don't mind the petrol bills as of now. However, that said, a major deterrent for me is the nonavailability of auto-grade LPG and CNG in this part of the country.
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 18:48	#36
sanrys Newbie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Noida Posts: 23 Thanked: 0 Times	I do have a CNG converted Cielo GLE 1996 model and its perfectly running. As far as power is concern, yes it loses a bit but only when you specialy compare to petrol otherwise not. CNG is less flamable GAS than petrol so its natural for power loss. As far as my knowledge CNG is best suited for metros where this fuel is available now in plenty and it best fuel if one can think about the ENVIRONMENT, Running Cost, Maintenance, Safty. I am living in Noida so I am getting it filled up from Delhi and its easy. I have seen many times new Optra, Elantra and NHC at CNG station and think its going to in next 2-3 years. Its lacking currently due to lack of knowledge about the conversion and fuel.
	() Thanks

18th April 2007, 23:29	#37
elf BANNED Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	All those who run their cars on LPG are simply women who couldn't take their kitchen sink with them when they left the house, so decided to take the freakin' gas cylinder. There's only one fuel. Aviation kerosene. Oops! I meant petrol. PS: Does the term 'petrolhead' mean anything to you 96km/ltr hatch driving monkeys? Sheesh, guys, what went wrong? And where?
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 12:05	#39
manaa45 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: nerul, navi mum Posts: 357 Thanked: 49 Times	the stopping factor for me is that in my 1.3 accent, there would be an absolute loss of power. even with petrol there are problems with pick up in lower gears so there is no question of it getting better with LPG/CNG with my 800 there was an option but then lack of boot space would have been a issue. so no lpg/cng for me now. Mansi
	() Thanks

19th April 2007, 13:05	#40
TURBOSAM BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: pune Posts: 241 Thanked: 2 Times	not every one is concerned @ money only!! i beg to differ there are many people who convert their cars to gas only because its better for the environment<do u think queen elizabeth converted her R R because she was trying to save money> most of the cars in italy run on gas<may it be ,l.p.g./c.n.g./l.n.g/.> so italian car engine designers design engines to run on gas , fiat is an italian car!! so if ur car is fiat . it will run really good even on open loop and really really good on closed loop syatems. no need to change the plug gap or timing changes like korean ,american and jap cars! if ur car is 1.6 pali/ petra siena with higher octane rating of lpg ull hit a gold mine-- those engines run 10.5 compressin ratio and with knock sensors and advanced 32 bit management< ignition and injection .> system ull get better power pickup torque and milage people are gettin @ 14 -16 kmpl in petra in a/c on aut lpg stoic ratio of petrol sold in india is 14.7-14.5 stoic. ratio of lpg is 15.5 so if ur gas management system is programmed for 15.5 then ull get still better figures! eventhough most of the auto lpg mechanics either dont know @ it or they set the management to aut learn mode -- in which case the ratio goes to 14.5=== his convenience ur loss! most of the ford and hyundai will benifit from replacing the lambda sensors as they are known to become sluggish or tend to read wrongly within 50 k kms even on petrol , most
	() Thanks

7th October 2009, 11:34	#41
amalji Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,640 Thanked: 3,175 Times	Long Term Side Effects of LPG fitted engines Dear BHPians, I use 2 LPG fitted cars. - a 1999 model Carb Zen ( Lovato - Italian Kit LPG ) & a 2001 model MPFI Esteem ( BRC - Italian Kit LPG ) Regarding the performance and value for money aspect, I'm satisfied with both these kits. But, after running for around 25,000 kms on gas, I faced similar problems on both vehicles between the space of a few months. On my Esteem, the coolant leaked through the hose connected to LPG kit( the connection between the hose and lpg kit was not proper ), the coolant drained out, and the engine over heated. In my next service, the groove to which spark plug is attached was found to be damaged and had to be re-done on lathe. Since, I did the Somender groove ( a different thing ) along with this work, this work was not an overhead for me. But the service center people told me that over heating could have caused this. On my Zen, the same problem occured a few days back again on the part where the hose is connected to lpg. Popular service team in Trivandrum told me that it's because of the gas kit, that the path got blocked and the high pressure led to the bursting of hose. They told me that the head gasket may need to be replaced. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I just wanted to know whether more people have such experiences after getting LPG fitted on their cars. In the short run, LPG is great in terms of value for money. But, is it going to damage the car in the long run? Kind Regards, Amal Last edited by Jaggu : 7th October 2009 at 11:56. Reason: Similar thread, please continue. Helps to capture info in one place. Use Search to find such threads. thanks
	() Thanks

11th October 2009, 03:14	#42
amalji Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,640 Thanked: 3,175 Times	Unrelated to my previous post, but very much related to the thread.. I read in the latest edition of the business magazine - "Dhanam" that once the LNG terminal in Kochi is started, AutoLPG prices will be as low as Rs. 16 per litre and that of CNG will be Rs. 12 per litre. Is there any truth in this news? Kind Regards, Amal
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 16:19	#44
fast lane BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Bombay Posts: 43 Thanked: Once	All of us have been speaking of LPG mainly which is Rs.38 a kilo and drops your FE by 10%. Hence the cost of running on stock petrol and LPG is the same. Also LPG being heavier than air, settles on the ground (or the boot compartment) if any leak occurs and has a higher chance of fire. But when we consider CNG, this fuel is Rs.28 per KG and your FE increases by 10-15% as the fuel is sold in KG against a litre of Petrol or diesel. Hence effectively your cost of running is 50%. Example a sedan with 12KMPL on petrol will give about 15-16 KMPK in CNG. The hitch is in the cost of CNG fitment and availibility. CNG kit cost upwards of Rs.35,000 with good ones from VANAZ in Pune going to Rs42,500, closed loop and all. Torroidal or Tube type tanks can hold a max of 12 KG of CNG, which translates into 180-200 KMS only in one filling. In city this means that you will have to refuel the vehicle twice a week....and CNG pumps are few in numbers. In case you go out of the city, you will rely on Petrol again. In my opinion, these are the two major factors which keeps many of us FE minded people from converting - actual benefits are not very clear and attainable. Welcome to comments on this and any corrections where I may have erred. I am seriously considering a CNG fitment for my Siena. I do about 1000-1200 kms in city and about three four trips out of Pune (3000 Kms approx total). Need advice. Soumo Chatterjee.
	() Thanks

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search