I recently have started to do alot of commuting to work.........I now cover on average 400 miles a week.
I was initally looking to replace my car with a Diesel, but then it occured to me that I could buy a used petrol car with an LPG conversion already done.....for the same price as a diesel car of the same age.
For instance I seen a Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 advertised with an LPG conversion...I calculated that the fuel costs on a car like this would be slightly better than a really economical diesel.
But what should I look out for when buying a car with an LPG conversion?
Is there any telltale signs that the installation may be below standard?
You prably saw the death-trap demonstration - was it on top gear - for a badly-converted car ...
I think the fitting garage may have to be certified in some way, so you could trace that back.
But has the car really had a convewrsion? - some Vauxhalls are marketed as dual-fuel cars with the LPG set-up factory fitted, so you might want to follow that one up as well.
Either way I would think it worht while having the thing checked by an expert BEFORE you agree to buy.
ISTR neither Vauxhall nor Ford *nor* Volvo do a factory fit system per say - it goes off to a selected centre that works solely for them and is fitted before going to the dealer - it's certainly not put in on the production line tho.
I'm pretty sure that the Vauxhall and Volvo (and Ford?) ones are post-build converted at a special factory at Millbrook, which was set up by the manfacturers themselves, hence manufacturer warranties. An ex-colleague of mine has a 2001 Volvo S40 Bi-Fuel which has just had a MFR warranty replacement cylinder head...Any news on this one?
Irrespective of the technicalities of where/when fitted - dual-fuel cars are sold as such, and are not an after-market conversion but are effectively standard fitment on the particular version, and of course are VX approved.
You are in a similar position to myself. I do about 20k commuting and up to about 10k other miles. I've now been running LPG for 110,000 miles and wouldn't run anything else. What is more my local Morrisions has just dropped their price of LPG to 29.9 pence a litre. I nearly skipped all the way home. Knocking
7p a litre off in one go. Maybe it's a promotion but I'm hoping it isn't. :-)
Anyway. I run a 1300 proton M reg and had the car converted by an lpga gas association approved installer. If you look them up on the internet they have a list of approved installers. If you can find a car that's already converted even better. I paid about £1200 for the gas kit. But having looked at it I think if I was doing it again I would have a go myself it doesn't look that complicated I could save myself about £500-600 doing that. Some insurance companies want a certificate to prove the conversion was done ok but most don't care. With a car like my one at the prices I paid for LPG and petrol you are looking at about 70 to 80000 miles to repay back a conversion so expect to keep that car at lease 3-4 years or it's not worth it. My car does 45mpg on petrol and a bit over 35mpg on gas. Don't mess about with silly little donut shaped tanks you need a 60 litre tank (that's 50 litres of lpg it can hold) so say bye bye to the boot. I would go for an estate car next I think to help with this.
When I come to change cars in the near future I'll be taking most of the kit out of this one and into the next car (tank and vapouriser etc) so reducing the cost of the next conversion.
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