At Last 38p A Litre

[mlp]

Hi everyone

got my lpg convertion done, its great done 100+miles today and it goes like a dream.

It seems to be more responsive than when its on petrol but things could change if I get a lead foot.

Got to tidy things up a bit but it sure cuts the fuel bills at 38p a litre, I have got to work out the mpg

from the next time i fill up. its working out 2.55 times cheaper to fill up than on petrol

but obviously I wont get 2.55 times the miles the garage believes about 22 mpg on gas as opposed to the book 28mpg on petrol, we shall see

regards

marshall

[TheNissanMan]

moved duplicate post for ya :D

[rav-U-like]

Hi there

Sounds like a promising start, would be great if you could post some pics of the conversion, tank etc, also how much did it cost?. Seen so many posts on here but I think you may be the first to detail the conversion......the RAV 4 guinea pig!!!

Best of luck....I for one be waiting to see how it goes over the next few weeks!

[Uncle Bob]

Good to hear the conversion is all sorted now, can you give an idea of cost (if you want to :) ) and what company fitted it.

[mlp]

Good to hear the conversion is all sorted now, can you give an idea of cost (if you want to :) ) and what company fitted it.

Hi all

clocked up a few more miles today,

I will try and take some pics tomorrow, however the tank

can only be seen edge on as i have built a shelf over it to

enable me to use whats left of the boot. and it works for me.

perhaps not for everyone.

The tank is a 77 ltr toriodal and will hold about 80% of that.

Will post again tomorrow all being well and I will work out the cost.

Regards

marshall

[mlp]

Hi all

Ill try explaining my LPG system and give some links

it is not in any particular order just as i think of it

Firstly the garage that did it has a web site

http://www.motorgasconversions.com cut and paste

The convertion was started at about 1-30 on monday

and finished and returned to me at about 6o/c on friday

They had installed the complete system

extras were a flash lube valve saver lubrication system and

underbody waxoilseal

The price for the gas convertions is on the website.

The flashlube is extra at £40+vat.

The installation seems to be well done and they have done all that i asked of them

there is a free follow up inspection at 1000 miles to check fine tuning and general performance etc

The installed prins system is guaranteed for 1 year as is, but if you send the registration document to

Prins in holland the 1 year becomes 2 years (parts and labour).

I have some photos:-

The front of the flashlube box

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l197/mlp...on/SSA50429.jpg

and the rear

The gas fuel gauge if its anything like the gauge on my previous lpg car its useless and disregarded

The fuel tank with built in shelf above, still quite a lot of room at sides and above

overall shot of the engine compartment

The gas injecter bank and flash lube just visiblewith the yellow top bottle

lpg computer

better shot of lpg injector bank

thats it for now

if you have any questions I will try to answer them but i have limited understanding of the system

The garage i went to have been excellent and all the impressions i have had of them have been very good to date

I cannot give indications of mpg yet as the garage loaded some lpg to commision and test the installation so i had to fill the tank but i don't know how much it takes to fill it.

Regards

marshall

[Easy]

Hi Marshall, why would you want to go to all that exspense for a 9 year old car! how long would it take before you get anything like the money you spent, back. how long do you intend to keep the car and what would be the resale price? Baz

[mlp]

Hi Baz

the following is the path i took to make my choice.

first I would never buy a new car.

however I did have some boxes I had to tick to arrive at my choice

1) not british

2) Not diesel

3)Could be converted to gas

4)Capable of pulling a largish caravan

5)Low mileage

6)FSH

7)pre 2001

8)Automatic 4speed

9) 5doors

10) Part exchange a must

11) must be red

not true just joking

The mileage and FSH much more important than the year.

I believe the pre 2001 Ravs much less prone to trouble (my rear suspension is fine!!)

I believe they have had enough time to prove themselves, you have only to look at the posts in the rav forum

and it seems the newer cars are experiencing more troubles or thats the way it looks to me.

The resale value is not part of the equation as I keep my cars for 10 years at least if possible

Petrol has and will increase on a regular basis with inflation market trends and oil company overheads whereas my LPG has increased 1p in 3 years I know it will increase soonbut it is not so prone to market forces and it is a great deal more cost effective and you have to make your choices

Add to this the cleanliness of LPG, the saving of wear and tear of the engine and exhaust system. The oil stays much much cleaner as does the oil filter, plugs, oil galleries, and pistons and everything else that comes into contact with the oil or exhaust gases

As for the cost, taken over ten years £1800 is £180 a year £3.50 a week Not even a gallon of petrol.

I have seen in various forums about Ravs doing 200K 300K and still going strong

That is the basis of my choice it may be flawed, but it is my choice

marshall

[Easy]

Hi Baz

the following is the path i took to make my choice.

first I would never buy a new car.

however I did have some boxes I had to tick to arrive at my choice

1) not british

2) Not diesel

3)Could be converted to gas

4)Capable of pulling a largish caravan

5)Low mileage

6)FSH

7)pre 2001

8)Automatic 4speed

9) 5doors

10) Part exchange a must

11) must be red

not true just joking

The mileage and FSH much more important than the year.

I believe the pre 2001 Ravs much less prone to trouble (my rear suspension is fine!!)

I believe they have had enough time to prove themselves, you have only to look at the posts in the rav forum

and it seems the newer cars are experiencing more troubles or thats the way it looks to me.

The resale value is not part of the equation as I keep my cars for 10 years at least if possible

Petrol has and will increase on a regular basis with inflation market trends and oil company overheads whereas my LPG has increased 1p in 3 years I know it will increase soonbut it is not so prone to market forces and it is a great deal more cost effective and you have to make your choices

Add to this the cleanliness of LPG, the saving of wear and tear of the engine and exhaust system. The oil stays much much cleaner as does the oil filter, plugs, oil galleries, and pistons and everything else that comes into contact with the oil or exhaust gases

As for the cost, taken over ten years £1800 is £180 a year £3.50 a week Not even a gallon of petrol.

I have seen in various forums about Ravs doing 200K 300K and still going strong

That is the basis of my choice it may be flawed, but it is my choice

marshall

:) Well done to you Marshall, i hope you have many years of trouble free motoring, keep an eye on that rear suspension though! only joking. Baz

[Zathras]

the following is the path i took to make my choice.

....

Fantastic way of looking at it, well done!

But that gauge on the button panel is ugly, are there any which look better in fitting with the interior?

[mlp]

hi zathras

I agree with you about the gauge I may well ask the garage to remove it altogether

It is of no use at all anyway

when you get used to the size of tank and miles covered a gauge is not required as long as the trip meter is zeroed every fillup, I always fill up to full and zero trip.

Have you considered a convertion? or anyone else for that matter?

marshall

[SiG]

hi zathras

I agree with you about the gauge I may well ask the garage to remove it altogether

It is of no use at all anyway

when you get used to the size of tank and miles covered a gauge is not required as long as the trip meter is zeroed every fillup, I always fill up to full and zero trip.

Have you considered a convertion? or anyone else for that matter?

marshall

Hi,I am considering an LPG conversion on my low mileage 98 Rav4.Only had it since June but i really like it and intend to keep it for some time.I am doing a bit of research on the equipment,prices and a reputable company to fit it.That is how i came accross this site.

I have had a couple of quotes all nearing the £2000 mark including the vat.There is one company that pops up on a google search called 'Britishlpg.'They are offering £500 off this month(£1250 inc vat.)I worked out at that price it would pay for itself in 18 months.

They fit an Italien conversion kit OMLV.'4th generation' etc. No need for lube for valves they said.Another company reccomends you do have it at £70+vat.and they fit a dutch product (Prins)which according to them is the bees knees and can't be compared to Italien kits.

So who can you believe ? Not knowing much about it all you can easily be duped into having inferior equipment fitted by a non reputable company.So, are there any experts in the field of LPG conversions on this site ?

Boot space problem as you have mentioned is not too much of a worry for me either.I have roof bars already so i could always get a roof box for airport runs etc.The majority of the time we drive around with an empty boot.

Great site by the way !I now know what tyres are best suited,how to reset alarm fob etc. What did we do before internet came along ?

Cheers !

[Navy Bob]

hi zathras

I agree with you about the gauge I may well ask the garage to remove it altogether

It is of no use at all anyway

when you get used to the size of tank and miles covered a gauge is not required as long as the trip meter is zeroed every fillup, I always fill up to full and zero trip.

Have you considered a convertion? or anyone else for that matter?

marshall

Hi,I am considering an LPG conversion on my low mileage 98 Rav4.Only had it since June but i really like it and intend to keep it for some time.I am doing a bit of research on the equipment,prices and a reputable company to fit it.That is how i came accross this site.

I have had a couple of quotes all nearing the £2000 mark including the vat.There is one company that pops up on a google search called 'Britishlpg.'They are offering £500 off this month(£1250 inc vat.)I worked out at that price it would pay for itself in 18 months.

They fit an Italien conversion kit OMLV.'4th generation' etc. No need for lube for valves they said.Another company reccomends you do have it at £70+vat.and they fit a dutch product (Prins)which according to them is the bees knees and can't be compared to Italien kits.

So who can you believe ? Not knowing much about it all you can easily be duped into having inferior equipment fitted by a non reputable company.So, are there any experts in the field of LPG conversions on this site ?

Boot space problem as you have mentioned is not too much of a worry for me either.I have roof bars already so i could always get a roof box for airport runs etc.The majority of the time we drive around with an empty boot.

Great site by the way !I now know what tyres are best suited,how to reset alarm fob etc. What did we do before internet came along ?

Cheers !

Hi

I don't really know that much about lpg conversions but 'honest john' who has his own web site seems to know everything about cars, he doesn't hold back and as his title suggests he is honest - web site www.honestjohn.co.uk

All the best

Navy Bob

[mlp]

Hi Zig

I am not an expert on lpg far from it

but i have owned an LPG car before and one of the problems i came across was being able to satisfy my insurance company that the conversion was properly done.

they wanted a certificate of conformaty before they would insure it

some insurance companies don't ask for it up front but you may find they insure you then if you have a prang What do they ask for???!!! yes your right the certificate. remember you must tell your insurance as it comes under modifications

I have visited 3 different converters all LPGA, members this is the unbrella organisation for the industry

and they will issue an LPGA approved certificate that is acceptable to most insurers.

I would strongly recommend that you stick to LPGA approved converters and then look for the usual ,

How do they treat your enqiury?

Does the garage look well organised ?

Do they seem proffesional in their approach to you (no bull)?

The following web site is the garage I had my conversion done at and they met all the conditions i needed

http://www.motorgasconversions.com/

obviously they are to far away from you but you will get the gist of it

I wish you luck :D

marshall

[mlp]

Hi all

I've just finished my first tank of gas and the tank was completely empty

I refilled and it took 62.78 ltrs @38p/ltr :D and the distance covered was 303 miles

the routes were mainly around towns and the Lancs/yorkshire hill country and many single carriageways where stopping and starting to let vehicles pass is common.

so not an ideal test but i think the MPG on this example looking good for motorway driving

I believe the fuel is still cleaning the engine etc out and look forward to an improvement although still pleased with this result

marshall

[XT2]

Hi everyone

got my lpg convertion done, its great done 100+miles today and it goes like a dream.

It seems to be more responsive than when its on petrol but things could change if I get a lead foot.

Got to tidy things up a bit but it sure cuts the fuel bills at 38p a litre, I have got to work out the mpg

from the next time i fill up. its working out 2.55 times cheaper to fill up than on petrol

but obviously I wont get 2.55 times the miles the garage believes about 22 mpg on gas as opposed to the book 28mpg on petrol, we shall see

regards

marshall

Yo mate! What's BHP with yer gas compared to petrol and diesels?

[mlp]

Hi XT2

Sorry I can't help you, I don't have a clue about BHP

[XT2]

Hi XT2

Sorry I can't help you, I don't have a clue about BHP

What's pick-up, boost, response, power at all levels (1000rpm, 2000rpm, etc.) compared when you changed it over from ... erm... petrol .

Cheers

[mlp]

Hi XT2

The response at every level seems to be better on gas than petrol and the kick down also seems more responsive.

I think the cleaner burn and the accumalive effect on the engine will make further Power, response gains and also mpg

as a side note, at first I discounted the the mickey mouse gas gauge but it now seems that it is a fair indication of fuel level which is a bonus. :D

Marshall

[mlp]

Hi all

thought I would update people on my LPG convertion.

i have just returned from my first touring holiday with my rav towing a quite large 16ft caravan.

The Rav behaved faultlessly and towed the van much much better than i had expected.

I covered 1012 miles in 12 days 369 miles of that actualy towing the van both in Wales and

the Peak district . The rest of the miles were a mixture of A &B roads and small narrow roads plenty of stopping and starting , stopping to allow oncoming cars to pass etc etc, not an ideal way to test for MPG.

However the overall trip MPG was 21 MPG, But i was only payng an average £2.07 per gall overall.

I am well pleased with this performance and i am amazed at how well the Rav pulled the van up some very long steep hills in Wales actually accelerating up some of them.

I noticed the more "work" the rav had to do the better it seemed to perform

I know petrol is coming down in price a bit but I still believe the convertion is a very cost effective modification

I did not notice any power loss or lack of acceleration, but i had a bit of a problem with the alarm which is still pending but of little concern at the moment.

I did find that I had to remove the spare from the back or I could not hitch up the van, the spare stowed lovely behind the passenger seat and was no problem at all

Any comments, questions ?

regards

Marshall

[podwin]

Interesting thread. We have a 1998 Rav4 and a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0.

The Rav hasn't been converted but the Jeep was done last year, using the exact same Prins system as in the pictures you have posted.

After a year of motoring its been great, faultless and I reckon it has paid for itself already. I was getting 17 to 18mpg on petrol, and now get 13 to 14 mpg on LPG. These maybe shocking mpg figures but I get 220 miles from a tank, and fill-up each week for £30. Making it no more expensive than my 4x4 1.8 Skoda Octavis was.

The gauge is also the same, and I find its not that inaccurate at all - its quite helpful. Also, when switching back to petrol I find the performance actually better, so I'm surprised you say its better on LPG.

I was a little shocked to see the tank installed like that though. The Jeep's tank is in the spare wheel well meaning the boot is as it was, important for my dog.

Why didn't they offer you some LPG tanks which are slung underneath the vechicle? I had the Jeep converted by a Jeep specialist. The smaller Cherokee also wears is speare wheel on the back like the Rav, hence no spare wheel well, but they fit tanks underneath the car.

Martin

[mlp]

Hi Martin

Glad to hear your convertion is a success I hope mine is the same in a years time.

I agree the MPG figures are shocking but at £2.00 odd a gal it is bearable

Although mine seems to go better on LPG it may change as my rav gets a bit more "worn" in

maybe the petrol side of mine needs a service etc and I have not checked the plugs yet!!! I'll have to get round to it.

The tank is where it is at my request having declined underslung tanks.

I only have to consider the wife as the dog is dead and the kids have left home

and the amount of space left for storage is more than enough.

i wanted at least the next size up from my previous 60lt tank so a 77tre tank was my choice

It means i can do at least 300miles without any worry about refuelling, and 300 miles is the distance to where my son lives so it makes the journey much more pleasurable not having to look for fuel also at both refuel points i get my fuel for 38p a litre which makes it even better.

marshall

[mlp]

Hi all

Thought i would post some more info about my lpg conversion.

Things are going very well, but i have recently ( 1 week) returned from a spell away and found that the Battery on the rav was flat ( I mean really flat). my first thoughts were of the problems that might arise when i reconnected a new Battery, Irang toyota and they said it should be ok but might have to "learn" the best settings for running until it got it right and could run badly untill it had completed the "learning" process.!!!

So one new batterylater and fitted it myself all seemed to go well, no alarms or dash warning lights so I took it for a spin and it seemed to go better than ever. I found I was cruising slowly at 50ish and the revs were about 600 lower. at this time I had only done 20 miles since my last fill up so thought i would wait until the next fillup before makeing any calculations.

I covered 236 miles and used 47.85 litres of gas, so thats 22.42 mpg the driving was over mixed roads a little motorway + hills and dales and small narrow country roads,

I am now paying 36p a litre for gas and petrol up here is 83.9 a litre so the equivalent mpg is 52.25mpg ( had i spent £(47.85*.839 on gas) .

The rav is going really well and since the Battery change has purred along much better, can there be another reason for this other than clearing the computer memory? bearing in mind i have 2 computers (one for the petrol side and one for the gas)

comments, theories or answers welcome

regards

marshall