LPG......should i?

[ade74uk]

Hello fellow T5ers. Ok i have a problem we are all aware of, yep its 23 mpg and a quid a litre!.

I know i should of got a polo diesel if i wanted fuel consumption but ive been considering LPG. I know this is probably the sadest post ever to appear on here but has any one converted there T5 to lpg.

My Volvo is a totally standard 2000 (new shape) T5

Should i just get a D5?..Ive been looking at a Saab 9-5 3litre V6 Diesel.

I love my car to bits but the wife is thinking im having an affair all the time i spend at the local petrol station.


Thanks for your help,

Great forum keep up the good work.


Ade74uk

[Engineer]

Hello fellow T5ers. Ok i have a problem we are all aware of, yep its 23 mpg and a quid a litre!.

I know i should of got a polo diesel if i wanted fuel consumption but ive been considering LPG. I know this is probably the sadest post ever to appear on here but has any one converted there T5 to lpg.

My Volvo is a totally standard 2000 (new shape) T5

Should i just get a D5?..Ive been looking at a Saab 9-5 3litre V6 Diesel.

I love my car to bits but the wife is thinking im having an affair all the time i spend at the local petrol station.


Thanks for your help,

Great forum keep up the good work.


Ade74uk Get a life!!!!!!!!!! and more money, failing that go for the diesel and be dammed for all eternatyy, did I spell that right? Are you really having affair? :confused:

[ade74uk]

Thank you thats all i needed........no affair one wife is enough!...but its like that....i say "im just going out".......nip to the local shell stick £20 in it and dont tell her!...

Cheers

[dicky b t5]

No Dont...! Takes up to much room in the back....Did you not see the Thread
with the Yellow T-5R estate...Looks like he had a Artic Tanker Trailer stuffed in the boot....Plus its not very Cool..!lol. :haha:

[Mrsmopp]

D5 over lpg any day of the week!

x

[TedBovis]

I'm with Mrsmopp on this one get yourself a D5 (with RICA) and enjoy the economy...

I have looked time and time again at the costs involved in a conversoion and the numbers dont add up for me! am I missing something....cost of conversion against saving per mile and I would need to keep the car for years just to break even and then I wouldnt be able to take in through the tunnel :(

[mas]

Well it might be considered sad by some of you but I think if most peeps were 'honest' they would be very happy to have a T5 that does
50 MPG ( cash equiv) . As for if you want economy get a diesel , why should anyone consider a D5 , its slower it's dearer and it's not as individual as a 150MPH car that runs on LPG :). I have driven a D5 and really was not impressed at all.

It may not be cool on here to admit fancying an economical T5 but I personally think it's pretty cool to have one.

Yes I'm sorry to say I can actually afford to put the petrol in my T5 but I really do like the idea of not being robbed quite so badly by the government, it's almost like sticking two fingers up at them and that appeals even more.

As for loss of performance , it would be very minor and minor tuning would remedy that. Plus peeps tend to forget that if you really must hack after someone you can turn on petrol at the flick of the switch anyway.

I have considered selling my T5 and getting a duel fuel Volvo for between 5 and ten thousand pounds more then I thought, no I love my car I know the history and it runs like a dream and i genuinely dont wan to get rid of it. If the conversion blows it up which I doubt very much with a well fitted sequential system I'll scrap it and treat myself to a newie.

The green machine is booked in to become an even greener machine in the next few weeks and if anyone cares to admit an interest
( only pulling your leg) I will gladly let them know how it gets on or even take them for a drive. That is if 'Green' T5's arent banned from meets :)

[Mrsmopp]

You are quite right Mas in what you are saying - I think most peoples "issues" like mine is the effects of running lpg on a T5. You hear more horror stories than success stories of T5's on lpg (probably because when something goes well then people dont need advice/help with it) so most of us would er on the side of caution because of that.

Thats not to say it wont work or it doesn't work. But if economy was THAT important to me (personally) I'd choose the D5 purely because I'd know what I was getting

x

[audimadmike]

You can't fit LPG..no way to an estate..you'll look like a prat, lol.
If you have a saloon..well at least no one will know except when you fill up.
Economy is slightly less with lpg and your insurance is likely to be higher if not done by professional.
D5 with a tuning box. I had a V70 with a Powerlink and had more oomph than my T5 in gear (just).

Mike

[mas]

I'll take your look like a pr*** comment with a pinch of salt , mainly as your view doesnt worry me and also as I think I'll look like a shrude cookie who does his own thing. I am the collie not the sheep. For every T5 forum user who thinks I'm being a pr*** I suspect 100 other non t5 forum folk will queue up to say ' mm shrude move ' :)

The insurance ' surcharge ' by the way is twelve pounds for me I can live with that. Some companies charge absolutely zilch.

I think i'll give the meet idea a wide birth and take the green machine somewhere it's appreciated.

happy gas guzzling

Mas

[BlackBeast]

Mas, out of interest where are you getting it done? It is very shrude and dont let any member on this forum put you off! As long as its done professionaly then you wont have any problems!

I know of 2 quite high powered cars that have had an lpg conversion, a nissan 200sx s13 and a fiat coupe 20vt, both running with no problems and loving the 40p a litre.

I know if i had the initial cash to get the job done properly i would definately do it! Well done mate!!!

[monsterdark]

have a look at my reply to a post bit further down
http://www.volvot5.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=4201

this guy runs his own bussiness converting to LPG he has a very fast scobby & has done a T5R & the guy was very happy

[Justin]

I'll take your look like a pr*** comment with a pinch of salt , mainly as your view doesnt worry me and also as I think I'll look like a shrude cookie who does his own thing. I am the collie not the sheep. For every T5 forum user who thinks I'm being a pr*** I suspect 100 other non t5 forum folk will queue up to say ' mm shrude move ' :)

The insurance ' surcharge ' by the way is twelve pounds for me I can live with that. Some companies charge absolutely zilch.

I think i'll give the meet idea a wide birth and take the green machine somewhere it's appreciated.

happy gas guzzling

Mas
Mas i dont think anyone is calling you any names here, but like moppy said there have been many horror stories. You should be taking things with a "pinch of salt" as thats all they are worth, however, good advice is often given on this subject.

If you fancy LPG, go for it, just cos a select minority dont think you should doesnt make it right, thats like saying that we should all join greenpeace lol.

Is your car standard or not ? Get it done, i for one would like to see what the results are like, and please keep us updated on the subject. With regard to meets, you will be more than welcome at any you attend mate :)

One word people.......INDIVIDUALITY :)

[lance]

Wise words Justin,
Ive had a bad expierience with LPG on a 170k merc 220TE 16v but it worked well for first 15k or so. If it hadnt gone wrong I might have not got into Volvos.

In truth if I was still employed and not self employed and getting paid millage allowance I would be looking very hard at LPG or Bio diesel/vegi oil.
As it is I dont mind spending on fuel ,cos I enjoy using it and its better than me saving up loads of extra money to give the Tax Man hes getting it as I spend it, :icon_soap B*stards.

I too am always interested in how people get on with these conversions, all I will say is seperate ECU, seperate injectors , and upper cylinder lubricant are probably the safest and most expensive way to go!

[TedBovis]

out of interest how much are we talking here for a good conversion?

ok answered my own question.....

A "Gastech" LPG Conversion can cost anything between: £1,500 - £2,500

OUCH!

I still think that is one heck of a lot of miles to travel using lpg to make any saving in terms of outlay even if lpg is really cheap.... good luck to you though.

[GUMBALL]

If anyones interested...

Gastech quoted £1870.00 + Vat (£2197.25 including for those without a calculator at hand!) for conversion on S60 T5.

The Greenfuel company quoted £2026.88 for the same.

I do about 3000 miles a month so payback period would be 10 months.

Personally I like the idea of having a T5 that gets the equivalent of 60mpg!


GUMBALL

[monsterdark]

try these they have done a t5R, guy was very impressed am lead to believe

http://www.f1automotive.com/about.htm

[Not_Gwaredd]

Whilst I love my 530d sport, a big engine is always a big engine, diesel or not, so look out for 30-35mpg tops on a 3.0litre diesel.

If I thought about it properly, I'd have bought a 540i & LPG'd it. A nice big 4.4 V8 & 40mpg.

They can fit the tank in the spare wheel well & raise the boot floor a bit. Only downside is a can of foam instead of a spare wheel, but that's common in new cars now anyway.

Go for it. Plus, LPG is better for you engine too, & with a powerfull motor like the T5, I'd doubt you'd notice any performance drop (real world) at all.

Cheers,

Gwaredd.

[Engineer]

I'll take your look like a pr*** comment with a pinch of salt , mainly as your view doesnt worry me and also as I think I'll look like a shrude cookie who does his own thing. I am the collie not the sheep. For every T5 forum user who thinks I'm being a pr*** I suspect 100 other non t5 forum folk will queue up to say ' mm shrude move ' :)

The insurance ' surcharge ' by the way is twelve pounds for me I can live with that. Some companies charge absolutely zilch.

I think i'll give the meet idea a wide birth and take the green machine somewhere it's appreciated.

happy gas guzzling

Mas

On a lighter note (no pun intended - gas lighter than air etc.), LPG cars are not allowed through the Channel Tunnel, I guess because when they blow they take most of the surrounding countryside with them. So if you change you mind about meets and want to come to the Essex Meet on the 9th October, please park down the road a bit. :hidesbehi Link attached.

www.theashpub.co.uk/index.htm

[Tomcat]

There's nothing like making somebody feel welcome is there?, personaly if I could afford it I'd have mine converted because I'm sick of paying nearly a pound a litre.

[JUDGENINJA]

Just so we get the views form more people I'd fit LPG with out hesitation. The only thing stopping me is the cost : value of car ratio. with 178K on the clock how much longer is my car gonna last with the way i drive before I need major surgery, which is also one of the reasons I've not gone for a RICA unit......!!!!

[lil_me]

If it works out that it will save you money I'd probably go for it. We don't do enough miles in one car to justify it but if we did I would. Pete drives taxi's that run on gas conversions daily and rarely has problems with them. Can always switch over to petrol if you notice a big power difference and want to get somewhere quicker but some don't even notice a power difference.

[Engineer]

There's nothing like making somebody feel welcome is there?, personaly if I could afford it I'd have mine converted because I'm sick of paying nearly a pound a litre. Im only pulling yer legs, lighten up. LPG is ok if its a quality mod, you do the miles, and dont mind loosing boot space, carrying extra weight of canister/s. Its also claimed to burn cleaner and increase engine life.
:hbomb:

[TedBovis]

ok I see where you are coming from.....doing 3000miles per month which is 36000miles a year is LOTS it does make sense to get the conversion....although with a RICA I dont think I'll be doing the same.

Let us know your reaction once its done :)

[Vikingxl]

Sorry only just seen this thread.Im sure as you say mas most people want more mpg from their car but we also want the performance when we need it.At the end of the day its your personal choice what you do with your car and if you feel LPG is the way to go then go for it.On the surface it sounds quite good for better mpg and being able to switch to petrol for a blast now and again but having not looked into this and not being an expert on these things thats all i can say.Its not for me and maybe not for other members,but what the hell its your car and i for one would be glad to see you at future meets.

[aeroresh]

Id personally sell up and get a D5 and RICA that!

Ran a LPG converted Mondeo V6 for a few months back when I was doing 1200 miles a week. Things may have moved on in the 3 years since, but I found the whole thing a bit low tech and crude. The fuel savings were there but the car ran noticably slower....found my self flicking back to petrol for the extra oomph!

Another albiet minor downside is that you find alot of service stations that sell LPG put the pumps out of the way and make them awkward to get to, usually outside of the canopies. This leaves you to get soaking wet if you have to fill up in the rain! :troutslap

[jazzyr1]

Id personally sell up and get a D5 and RICA that!

Ran a LPG converted Mondeo V6 for a few months back when I was doing 1200 miles a week. Things may have moved on in the 3 years since, but I found the whole thing a bit low tech and crude. The fuel savings were there but the car ran noticably slower....found my self flicking back to petrol for the extra oomph!

Another albiet minor downside is that you find alot of service stations that sell LPG put the pumps out of the way and make them awkward to get to, usually outside of the canopies. This leaves you to get soaking wet if you have to fill up in the rain! :troutslap

you are quite right about it being crude,even factory fit is crude,and to say it's better for your engine is not stictly true, lpg/cnc in this country is just very poor quality,i see the damage it does to retro fitted/factory fitted converted engines,(especially when people use propane or butane) and it aint pretty but it is costly to put right,fuel econ' is poor,official fig's for duel fuel 1.8 focus are 19 mpg on lpg and 32mpg on petrol and it goes better!i do a LOT of work on petrol ,diesel and lpg and the cheapest to put right when it goes wrong is still petrol engines,anyway if it was that good why dont we all use it??give me 98 ron any day!!

[pyrotechnictigger]

LPG is brilliant in theory but try these points......

1. Looked into it seriously when I was doing 700 miles a week for years. 3 different garages quoted 2K+. Serious horror stories about reliability and safety.

2. Knocks 20% performance off to start with. On a forum where we discuss the merits of 97 octance fuel over 95 surely the idea of running a much lower grade is contrary to the reason for owning a T5

3. MPG in a T5 will not greatly improve, so your halving the fuel cost. Great, but why not get a diesel and have change in the bank? More than double the range and not run the risk of there being no LPG at the next garage when you are running low.

I seriously looked into this, even had the car booked in (Citroen Xantia 1.8 16V) but canceled last minute after a late boozy night talking to a guy who did LPG conversions.

Ever heard the saying if its too good to be true it probably is..........

Ian

[hamish]

Hi,

Just thought I'd throw in my 10p .... LPG is not really suitable for High Pressure Turbo engines, hence why Volvo only sell a dual fuel LPT. Also if you take into account the increased engine wear with LPG (no upper cylinder lubricant) and the shortened service intervals that will soon cancel out any savings ! Plus when Gordon & Tony start taxing LPG properly for road use it will really take the fun out of it !
If it was my money and I was covering 40,000 a year I would be renting a D5 and tuning that!

Regards,
Hamish

[ceefaz]

Looks like my number plate T5(xx) LGP will never be worth much!! :biggrin:

[Astro]

Hi everybody,

i'm running a C70 T5 lpg for 4 months.
I did it because i wanted a T5 nothing else.
I don't know the quality of your gaz(lpg) but here in Belgium its a good one.
I know many people running a lpg car and not small one.
I can tell example of an Imprezza 280 hp( 2 years, 35.000 km) nothing to say about any LPG problem.
A Dodge Ram V8 310 HP 80.000 km running on LPG.
Of course you have to follow the installation.
My choice was simple :
- T5 only
- 1000 km a week(without travelling for personnal use)
- driving taxe 2400€ 1st time on raod
- second taxe 1X/year 450€
- Fuel price never stops growing
- on less then 6 month, i earn money.

The conversion cost 2500€ TVA incl.
The installator is my cousin.
I'll post some pics if you want.
Before it cost me 450 €/month
NOW 190€.
Of course depends on the lpg and fuel price.
I did a full tanker fuel in about 5 weeks.
Because the car needs to start at the Fuel.
To eliminate a problem i noticed in the posts :
you can add a "Graphiter". It's like using adding oil to your fuel.

Sorry if i used terms some words that you don't understand but i'm french speaker and technical words are not easy to translate.

Thanx for reading.
Somone who doesn't know i run on LPG couldn't telle the difference.