Article by James Deakin: The truth about LPG

[ghosthunter]

Stolen from:
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Mo...aid=2008030445

[SIZE="6"]The truth about LPG[/SIZE]
BACKSEAT DRIVER By James Deakin
Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Unless you happened to get your own little kickback from the ZTE deal, you, along with every hard-working stiff in this country, will have already felt the pinch of oil prices smashing through the $100-a-barrel ceiling – which have forced local gas prices to swell larger than an anti-government rally in the heart of Makati during rush hour on a Friday, payday weekend.

In the last month alone, world prices have increased by 11 percent, equaling the highest spike since the Iran/Iraq war in 1981 and will no doubt increase even further. Locally, this means that we are now paying over one US dollar for every miserable liter of fuel we use, for the first time in modern history, which has left me with just two options: invest the last bit of cash I had on a second-hand bicycle and a year’s supply of Prozac, or bite the bullet and try out an LPG system.

Now, I know what some of you may be thinking, but hear me out; LPG is not like the petroleum industry’s equivalent of cheap pirated DVDs, or those home-made alternative medicines you buy on the sidewalks of Quiapo. It is, in fact, a cleaner, cheaper, higher-octane, nontoxic, non-poisonous fuel that doesn’t contaminate aquifers or soil and leave you with a nasty rash that looks like you spent one naughty night in Bangkok.

Sure, you could go for diesel – I’m a big fan – but that would mean replacing your whole car. Or at least its engine. And, if you are buying a new car anyway and wanna go for the frugal and reliable CRDi versions, you would be paying around a 100,000 peso premium over the gas models. So, that brings us back to LPG.

Despite the recent boom over here, LPG technology is nothing new and has been used in places like Australia, Korea, the UK, Taiwan, and countless other developed countries for years. It is not just successful, it is highly encouraged. As a matter of fact, if you choose to convert your car to LPG in Perth, Western Australia, the government will actually give you $2,000 cash instantly.

Some countries go as far as giving discounts on vehicle registration. London is looking at reducing the congestion charges for vehicles fitted with LPG – and if you think that your car is just way too cool to run on cooking gas, consider the fact that the Queen of England has a 56 liter tank fitted in the trunk of her 6.75-liter, twin turbo Bentley Limo. So there.

But before you try migrating to Perth, or go hocking your car stereo to get one fitted, there are a few things you’ll need to know first. Firstly, not all LPG systems are created equal; and having a substandard kit poorly fitted to your pride and joy will end up costing you far more in the long run. It would be like getting a 70% discount on rotting meat. There’s no point. Like anything, if you wanna take the plunge, you need to go to a reputable company and make sure that the system is 100% safe, guaranteed and compatible to your car.

Don’t get swayed by price alone. I’ve lost count of the amount of cab drivers who have complained about nausea or skin rashes or of an odor (as if some cabs don’t smell bad enough as it is). Then there are those that even claim to have a dramatic rise in fuel consumption, causing them to spend more on LPG than they did on gasoline. In all cases, it turns out that the cab was converted in some shoddy repair shop by some toothless mechanic who couldn’t even spell LPG.

Modern cars run with complicated fuel management systems and injectors. If you intend on replacing the fuel source, you will need to make sure your engine management system understands this and is tuned to know the difference between the two and can provide the correct mixture of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. Some questionable LPG conversion shops cut costs by bypassing this whole procedure and simply attaching the LPG valve directly over the carburetor or, worse, EFI system, and replacing it with an on/off switch controlled by your right foot. This is like replacing your computer with a typewriter and thinking you got a good deal because your electricity bill went down.

Then there’s the power loss. Once again, this is directly related to the installation. Our local LPG is rated at 107 octane, which means a well-maintained fuel injected car using a properly fitted system shouldn’t have any power loss at all. In fact, during the testing for this article, our dyno graphs have actually shown an increase of up to two horsepower at the wheel on every single car we tested before and after.

There are exceptions, of course. On my own Mazda 323, 1.3 liter carburetor engine, I did experience a 20% loss of power after fitting an LPG system. I know that sounds like a lot but the good news was that the power loss only arrives after 3,000RPM. So, as I long as I drive under that, I don’t notice it or feel handicapped at all. I’ve had the system for one year now and I have yet to experience any problems with it. The system was fitted by Denso Philippines and cost P26,000, but has already paid itself back in full.

For my EFI Corolla, however, I needed to go for a more sophisticated system that works with my own engine management system and computers. Being electronically managed, things got a touch more complicated and obviously more expensive. Prices for this ranged from 8,500 pesos up to over 60,000 pesos. At first I thought they thought they were bidding for a ZTE project.

I ended up going with Stargas, which is an Italian company with over 30 years experience with LPG. Their quote for a four-cylinder EFI engine was 55,000 pesos, which sounds like a lot at first but when you see the quality of the tank, the installation and the fuel management system and injectors, it all adds up correctly. The guy happens to be my neighbor and it intrigued me to see him using his F150 everyday in favor of his 4-cylinder Galant, solely because his truck was on LPG.

Even with the much larger engine of the truck, plus the extra weight, he claims he is still ahead. Personally, I’ve been using my car now for a few weeks and have already recorded 40% savings in my fuel bill. The consumption is slightly higher (around 5%) but the cost of fuel is half. I was told that my car would run no differently from gas to LPG, but the truth is it is actually running a lot better. Idling is a lot smoother, it’s quieter and my emissions have dropped dramatically. I have also not experienced any power loss at all.

The only limitations I have encountered so far is the loss of trunk space, which can be solved by choosing the doughnut shaped tank that sits in your spare tire well and carrying around a run flat kit in a can.

Honestly, if you do more than 15,000 kilometers a year and plan on keeping your car for a couple more years, it is definitely worth it. Don’t believe everything you hear on the streets. Assuming you go to a reputable supplier with more than 30 minutes experience, you shouldn’t have a problem and can begin your journey to cleaner, greener, and cheaper motoring. Leave it to our cab drivers to spread the myths, let me leave you with the facts.

• Auto LPG vehicle tanks are constructed from carbon steel and are 20 times more puncture resistant than a typical petrol/diesel tank.

• New auto LPG cylinders are manufactured with a multivalve that shuts off the filling process when the tank reaches 80 percent of its liquid capacity, allowing for temperature related changes in fuel volume without any release of gas from the tank.

• Auto LPG engine fuel systems are fitted with safety devices and shut-off valves that function automatically if the fuel line ruptures.

• Auto LPG has the lowest flammability range among any alternative fuel.

• Auto LPG leaks are easily detected because an odorant is added as a safety measure.

• Auto LPG with air won’t ignite unless the source of ignition reaches at least 940 degrees Fahrenheit. In contrast, petrol’s source of ignition must reach only 430 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit before igniting.

• If Auto LPG leaks, it doesn’t puddle; it readily dissipates into the air.

Environmental benefits compared to petrol

• 75% less carbon monoxide

• 85% less hydrocarbons

• 40% less oxides of nitrogen

• 87% less ozone

Compared to diesel

• 90% less particulates, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide

• 50% less oxides of nitrogen

[Altis6453]

I guess I'll consider LPG conversion for an older car (i.e. 90s model and up) but not for the relatively new ones which are less that 5 years old.

[hitomi]

uy san yung sinasabi niyang denso na LPG kit?

parang maganda dun kasi trusted na company na ang denso

[Horsepower]

I heard there are brand new cars that are being sold with dual fuel (LPG + Petrol) stock. What brands?

[Altis6453]

Nissan sells their X-trails with the LPG conversion. The tank is located at the space where the spare tire used to be.

[Memphis Raines]

I like the part about his neighbor making his F-150 as a daily drive than the Galant

Makes me want to revive our family's Exped to fetch the kids or get an E-150 Chatteau for those long drives to lovely vacations spots.

Me likey!

[userfriendly]

I like the part about his neighbor making his F-150 as a daily drive than the Galant

Makes me want to revive our family's Exped to fetch the kids or get an E-150 Chatteau for those long drives to lovely vacations spots.

Me likey!

ah but good sgi kits are expensive. I asked ambient how much to convert a Exped. I was quoted 80,000 pesos for a V8 and 72,000 for a V6

Anyone know a less expensive but quality SGI kit?