Auto-LPG Conversion Thread

[Mile2]

I'm doing testing and observation right now... I've been discussing this (offline) with Ghosthunter at length, and we're theorizing it has something to do with vaporizer pressure and temperatures at idle.

When the car is idling, there will be times that the thermostat will close as the coolant temperature gets lower... this will cause a change of flow to the vaporizer, and a change of vapor pressure... or... if the car just gets cooler in general, this may cause the vapor pressure to drop... will try to do instrumented temperature testing... it might be that for people with this problem, a second vaporizer or an upsized vaporizer would help... discussed with Speedlab also the possibility of an electric heater on the vaporizer, but that's an idea for the future, for customization.

I notice the loss in performance, too... but after a few minutes of hard running, the power comes back. That's why I suspect it's a loss of vapor pressure due to cold conditions (at least on my car).

I was also having the same problem, the most Mike did was set the vaporizer at the middle setting and he instruct me to adjust the diaphragm either clockwise or counter clockwise to find the most appropriate setting. What I noticed was I can only adjust it to 7 turns from zero or else engine will die out of overwhelmed fuel injected, but from zero to 1/4 turn and up to 6 turns engine will run okay but intermittently having idling drops and sometimes will stall. GreenFuel already replace my injector rails in anticipation that this is causing the problem but I guess it is not in my observation.

I see no difference in engine performance doing 1/4 turn on the diaphragm or even up to six turns but this puzzle me. Could I have a defective vaporizer diaphragm?

What bothers me was sometimes when I'm idling at traffic sometimes the engine dies out on LPG but not on Gasoline. I would need to run hard to gain normal idling again?

Some LPG vaporizer on the net has pressure sensor and even the injector rails has pressure sensor.

Please let us know if an upsized vaporizer will solve this.

[niky]

Hmm... will have to consult with Mike on that.

RE: vacuum... ssalonga: have already been along that route, and plugged some vacuum leaks, but I want to have my fittings double-checked again to eliminate this... ignition system is fine... but its possible, since ignition coils are a known wear item on this engine.

I'm focused on the vaporizer since the problem seems to be related to the time of day and traffic conditions... cold running will not cause ignition coil issues or vacuum problems, but it will lower water temp, which may affect vaporizer function.

*Mile2: your case might be idle vacuum related... try to do some throttle-body cleaning and check your idle vacuum... or maybe add some timing advance (if your car has a distributor cap) to bump your power at idle a bit for LPG.

[XOOMaster]

What bothers me was sometimes when I'm idling at traffic sometimes the engine dies out on LPG but not on Gasoline. I would need to run hard to gain normal idling again?

Some LPG vaporizer on the net has pressure sensor and even the injector rails has pressure sensor.

Please let us know if an upsized vaporizer will solve this.

[SIZE=3][SIZE=2]Hi Mile2. Yes most SGI systems have MAP Sensor. [/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3]The presence of the pressure sensor in the injection system allows it to provide accurate carburetion for the LPG system. [/SIZE]

[samira]

[SIZE=2]Hi am a newbie here. I just want to ask for help regarding the lpg conversion of my crv. I have read this thread for some time now. Where would you guys recommend me to inquire regarding the conversion? greenfuel?[/SIZE] ekogas? autogas? preferrably qc and kc areas. what kind of kit is best for my ride? and how much more or less should i budget? Is maintenance gonna cause me sleepless nights?

[glennjv]

So my dad returned his Camry 96 2.2L yesterday (Aug 30) to have it fixed. (3rd time)
On Gas, it seems the car has lost its power.
On LPG, it completely dies out after 15 to 30min drive. Happened more than 4 times.

So my dad woke up early and went to GreenFuel before 8am. Surprisingly he was able to drive from alabang all the way to nueve pebrero. Just as about he was to turn onto the street of GreenFuel. The car CONKS out. haha How ironic its just a few meters away.

So my dad thought this is definitely a heat issue because on LPG the car dies after X minutes of use and depending on the time of the day. (if its cold or hot)

The technician first troubleshooted for the problem related to GAS losing power since it shouldn't have been affected significantly.
He rechecked the wiring of the injection system since they worked on it.
They found a loose wiring on the injection system. So problem was solved on that.

Now the LPG problem was a bit trickier since the car needs to be used for X amounts of minutes. So the technician and my dad drove around, nagPaJollibee pa, drive thru while keeping the car running. Then the car's RPM started to go up and down it was starting to show the problem.
So they went back to GreenFuel and the technician recommended to replace the LPG injection pump(can't remember what my dad said) and also reLocate them somewhere else.
The part where they placed the 4 injection pumps was getting too hot when the car was used for X minutes.
So they placed it somewhere else that's colder.

My dad was able to drive home with no problems. I think he was really satisfied. We'll now observe again the Camry if other problems pops out.
(hopefully not) I'll be driving it tomorrow because my car is on coding.

[straker]

[SIZE=2]Hi am a newbie here. I just want to ask for help regarding the lpg conversion of my crv. I have read this thread for some time now. Where would you guys recommend me to inquire regarding the conversion? greenfuel?[/SIZE] ekogas? autogas? preferrably qc and kc areas. what kind of kit is best for my ride? and how much more or less should i budget? Is maintenance gonna cause me sleepless nights?

Things to do...
1. read the thread, all 130 pages as of this posting. Some of the questions you asked maybe answered already.
2. Using GH's LPG installer's list, visit the shop, see their kits and see their techs in action. Helpful if you can bring along a mechanic (Maybe ask GH to join you, happy na siya sa Jollibee). Ask about cost, warranties and other after-sales issues.
3. Study and decide. Start saving up for the big plunge.
4. Also consider possible post-conversion jobs, like putting a box to conceal the tank, or spraying Rhino liners for donuts in the spare wheel well. Dropping by Speedlab could be a possibility, only as a last resort.

At present I'm at #2

[BlueVespa]

[SIZE=2]Hi am a newbie here. I just want to ask for help regarding the lpg conversion of my crv. I have read this thread for some time now. Where would you guys recommend me to inquire regarding the conversion? greenfuel?[/SIZE] ekogas? autogas? preferrably qc and kc areas. what kind of kit is best for my ride? and how much more or less should i budget? Is maintenance gonna cause me sleepless nights?

I had my 2001 CR-V (AT) converted at Greengas c/o Sharon (near Veterans) last month. I had to use a cylindrical tank since I did not want any body modifications to be done to fit a toroidal tank, so that was the only trade-off.

They installed an SGI system and I have been very happy with it. From Day 1 there have been no idling problems, no power problems, and it's running perfectly. I just find the tank too small for my needs

I've run about 1500kms in 3 weeks and am averaging 6.6 km/l city driving, although I very rarely go over 2.5K RPM / 80kph.

Hope this helps.

[marivictor]

I also had my x-trail converted at Greengas of Sharon Siy since about a month ago without any problem since day 1. Gas performance is similar to petrol, in fact, it is not noticeable whether the car is on gas or petrol. Power is strong even uphill and acceleration unaffected by the conversion whether standstill or from running start. Consumption slightly increased from 6 km per liter to about 5.5 km per liter. Sharon installed an aldessa/tomasetto kit. Thanks a lot to Greengas.

I also had a 1997 honda civic converted with denso last may. Initially, i had problems with the car's idling similar to those experienced by the other car owners who availed of denso's lpg kit, albeit to a lesser extent. The car does not stall, however, even when the idling speed momentarily drops to an rpm of about 500 before recovering. I increased the idling speed by a quarter turn on the lpg venturi mixer. Consumption increased from 7 km per liter to about 5.5 km per liter, which i feel is reasonable considering that the efficient fuel injection system of the civic was replaced with a carburetor type closed loop venturi mixer. The drop in the car's performance is noticeable specially under load and when going uphill. Overall, i am happy with the conversion and i think the installation of the oxygen sensor helps in improving gas consumption.

In both cars, i replaced the spark plugs with units that are one heat range colder and reduced the plug gaps by .2 mm to promote a stronger spark.

[samira]

[SIZE=2]Thanks so much straker and blueVespa!!!
To Straker: What i read on this thread still confuses because i have not seen the real thing yet. There are some things mentioned in this thread i just don't understand yet.
To BlueVespa: Where is Greengas located? Approximately how much did you spend for the conversion? What kind of body modifications will they do with fitting in a toroidal tank? What is the capacity of the cylindrical tank you installed on your crv? How long will the conversion be done? dami tanong hope you could answer. thanks so much in advance!!


[/SIZE]

[straker]

[SIZE=2]Thanks so much straker and blueVespa!!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]To Straker: What i read on this thread still confuses because i have not seen the real thing yet. There are some things mentioned in this thread i just don't understand yet.[/SIZE]

Actually, I'm no auto expert myself....You can check the LPG kit sites that GH mentioned in the list, but nothing beats dropping by the shop. By seeing them in action and talking to the folks will give you more info to make that important decision.

[BlueVespa]

[SIZE=2]Thanks so much straker and blueVespa!!!
To Straker: What i read on this thread still confuses because i have not seen the real thing yet. There are some things mentioned in this thread i just don't understand yet.
To BlueVespa: Where is Greengas located? Approximately how much did you spend for the conversion? What kind of body modifications will they do with fitting in a toroidal tank? What is the capacity of the cylindrical tank you installed on your crv? How long will the conversion be done? dami tanong hope you could answer. thanks so much in advance!!


[/SIZE]

My CR-V is a Gen1 so the toroidal tank couldn't fit under the picnic table without having to cut away / bend a portion of the sheet metal. I think it fits in a Gen2.

Greengas is inside the Velco LPG gas station along Mindanao Avenue across Veterans Hospital. I suggest you go there.

I paid P40k for the SGI system with a 40l tank, although I think Sharon has increased her prices. Conversion took 5 days because I initially wanted a toroidal tank and could not make up my mind about the cylindrical tank right away.

I don't know if it helped that I was there when the system was tuned, but we did an actual road test / tweaking (with my "normal" driving style) with the laptop connected to the ECU.

Hope this helps.

[filchaser]

Hello Samira,
I had mine done at Green Autogas and I am very satisfied. Just check it out as they have done different models of CRVS. Its in Mindanao Avenue near in front of Veterans Golf (opposite side), near Trinoma. There is one crazy CRV owner (model 2008) who had his CRV converted. He tells me he reaches 200km/h highway driving?? Crazy!

[ghosthunter]

Hello Samira,
There is one crazy CRV owner (model 2008) who had his CRV converted. He tells me he reaches 200km/h highway driving?? Crazy!

OT: dunno... I have seen a Nissan Patrol doing over 200kph on NLEX. As long as the road is straight and no sudden maneuvers, it should be alright.

[paolorenzo]

There is one crazy CRV owner (model 2008) who had his CRV converted. He tells me he reaches 200km/h highway driving?? Crazy!

Yup, 200km/h should be ok, specially at NLEX or SCTEX. What's crazier for me is he had his brand spanking new CRV converted to LPG already. Goodbye engine warranty.

[ghosthunter]

Yup, 200km/h should be ok, specially at NLEX or SCTEX. What's crazier for me is he had his brand spanking new CRV converted to LPG already. Goodbye engine warranty.

Depends on what is crazier.

Saving P50K to P100K annually for the life of the vehicle or saving money by keeping the new vehicle parked in the garage five days out of every week and just commute to your destination.

[abetg]

anybody here in this thread carrying a tire-fix-in-a-can instead of the usual spare tire? (spare tire is quite heavy and so is the toroidal tank.) is it effective? how long before it expires? what's the cost and where to get one? even a well maintained tire (together with good driving habits) would experience being flat at least once in their lifetime, so i suppose.

[Mile2]

*Mile2: your case might be idle vacuum related... try to do some throttle-body cleaning and check your idle vacuum... or maybe add some timing advance (if your car has a distributor cap) to bump your power at idle a bit for LPG.

I already did throttle body cleaning at SpeedyFix and has tried all sort of spark plugs from copper to iridium and from colder to hotter plugs. On Gasoline mode its idling okay.

Will try to visit again GreenFuel then if the problem still persist I'll try SpeedLab.