LPG Conversion

[sweetice2007]

I live in the Manchester area - does anyone have any recommendations as to who does a good job on LPG conversion on my cooper 51 plate it is. i read somewhere its definately possible just wondering whether anyone has had it done, does it make a massive difference? the fuel prices are ridiculous and ive been thinking about the LPG conversion..i am a novice to this sorta thing but a friend mentioned it and its been in my head ever since!!! anyone??
thanks

[humph]

Do a search fo LPG in forum titles and you'll find some threads. Link below.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/search.php?searchid=4735488

Being as there is no spare wheel well to house the LPG tank be prepared to lose you boot completely.

Can't recommend anyone in the Manchester area but Chester LPG on Deeside converted my last Rover. At the time they specialised in Rovers but did all sorts. Very professional.

[awj]

You dont have to lose your boot space - my tank is hung under the boot floor on the nearside. It works out much more ecomonical. For example, LPG is 52.9p per litre, so averaging 32MPG gives 7.5pence pence per mile. Assuming 40MPG on petrol at £1.129 per litre gives 12.8 pence per mile, a saving of over 5pence per mile on LPG. Based on 30k miles per year, you would pay for the conversion in less than a year - I save around £120 - £150 per month on fuel!

[MartinH32]

I have a Romano system fitted and I know Warrington Autogas fit them (they didn't do mine) but Autogas Worldwide who supply the Romano system to LPG approved installers have knowledge of the settings for the Mini which should make the conversion process simpler.
I get 45 mpg on petrol and 37-38mpg on gas.

[M.O.S]

LPG a mini - that's the worst thing you could ever do! Don't do it - it would spoil the perfection of the mini as a design.

Run it on petrol - after all, who wants an LPG powered mini. Please tell me you aren't going to gas your mini.

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by M.O.S (original)

LPG a mini - that's the worst thing you could ever do! Don't do it - it would spoil the perfection of the mini as a design.

Run it on petrol - after all, who wants an LPG powered mini. Please tell me you aren't going to gas your mini.

Why? Most cars sound or drive little different on LPG but it is far cheaper, cleaner, has less emissions and is a by product of refining petrol so has been burnt off as waste for many years. If you need to, petrol power is available as normal at the flick of a switch making your car dual fuel.

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by mab01uk (original)

Why? Most cars sound or drive little different on LPG but it is far cheaper, cleaner, has less emissions and is a by product of refining petrol so has been burnt off as waste for many years. If you need to, petrol power is available as normal at the flick of a switch making your car dual fuel.

I know that LPG is cheaper, better for the environment etc, but lets face it, they drill a whole through your body work. You wouldn't pay less tax (or if you did, it wouldn't be noticeable really)
and there is a huge cost involved in the conversion. How many miles do you do a year? Also, the switch will stand out - non OEM. Id stick to petrol - if you don't do huge mileages and don't keep your car for ages, it doesn't work out. Also they're more to insure and can't go on the Channel Tunnel etc. Plus the system needs servicing every year to ensure its safety.

[MartinH32]

Quote: Originally Posted by M.O.S (original)

I know that LPG is cheaper, better for the environment etc, but lets face it, they drill a whole through your body work. You wouldn't pay less tax (or if you did, it wouldn't be noticeable really)
and there is a huge cost involved in the conversion. How many miles do you do a year? Also, the switch will stand out - non OEM. Id stick to petrol - if you don't do huge mileages and don't keep your car for ages, it doesn't work out. Also they're more to insure and can't go on the Channel Tunnel etc. Plus the system needs servicing every year to ensure its safety.

Let put things right here! You obviously haven't done you homework on the subject!
1. The switch can be hidden where ever you like. Mine is near the steering column is around 1cm square
2. They cost NO MORE to insure. I did several quotes for my car insurance this year on petrol then told them I had LPG - no increase!
3. The system does need servicing and it cossts around £60. It's not for safety, it is to clean the injectors and replace the gas filter.
4. You did get a saving on your road tax.
5. You do pay HALF per litre over unleaded. I do 370 miles on £22 of fuel. Enough said.
6. I do 40000 miles a year, in under a year it will have paid for itself.

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by MartinH32 (original)

Let put things right here! You obviously haven't done you homework on the subject!
1. The switch can be hidden where ever you like. Mine is near the steering column is around 1cm square
2. They cost NO MORE to insure. I did several quotes for my car insurance this year on petrol then told them I had LPG - no increase!
3. The system does need servicing and it cossts around £60. It's not for safety, it is to clean the injectors and replace the gas filter.
4. You did get a saving on your road tax.
5. You do pay HALF per litre over unleaded. I do 370 miles on £22 of fuel. Enough said.
6. I do 40000 miles a year, in under a year it will have paid for itself.

I just don't like switches which shouldn't be there.

Yes but you don't save that much on your road tax.

Most insurance companies increase the cost - when we got a quote for a bi-fuel v70 (factory conversion - they did do them), it was more than for the 2.4 petrol, which was the same car without LPG, so in that case I did my homework.

Yes you pay half, but you still need to use unleaded in order to preserve the engine (read anywhere - they all say that every other tank or so, use petrol to avoid damage to the engine)

Yes the conversion may pay for itself, but you will still have a hole in the side of your car which looks bad, and you usually end up with rust around them after a while.

You could just buy a one d or a dooper. I never thought I would recommend diesel, especially in a mini. That way, you would save money and have no holes combined to make for better residuals. Thats what I would do. I would avoid lpg - im not convinced and don't like the holes. Thats what I liked about the v70 - it had the refiller in with the petrol so it was hidden!

[MartinH32]

Quote: Originally Posted by M.O.S (original)

I just don't like switches which shouldn't be there.

Yes but you don't save that much on your road tax.

Most insurance companies increase the cost - when we got a quote for a bi-fuel v70 (factory conversion - they did do them), it was more than for the 2.4 petrol, which was the same car without LPG, so in that case I did my homework.

Yes you pay half, but you still need to use unleaded in order to preserve the engine (read anywhere - they all say that every other tank or so, use petrol to avoid damage to the engine)

Yes the conversion may pay for itself, but you will still have a hole in the side of your car which looks bad, and you usually end up with rust around them after a while.

You could just buy a one d or a dooper. I never thought I would recommend diesel, especially in a mini. That way, you would save money and have no holes combined to make for better residuals. Thats what I would do. I would avoid lpg - im not convinced and don't like the holes. Thats what I liked about the v70 - it had the refiller in with the petrol so it was hidden!

You only need to use unleaded in an engine to preserve the valves. However, mini's don't suffer from soft valve seats so not an issue. In addition the car always starts on unleaded and with the stop / start function again starts on unleaded before switching to gas.

I don't have a whole in the car itself, I have a hole in the bumper, so if I decide to take the conversion out, its only a replacement bumper.

I did consider the diesel, but for the same cost as a gallon of diesel I can travel over 80 miles.

[humph]

Quote: Originally Posted by MartinH32 (original)

You only need to use unleaded in an engine to preserve the valves. However, mini's don't suffer from soft valve seats so not an issue. In addition the car always starts on unleaded and with the stop / start function again starts on unleaded before switching to gas.

I don't have a whole in the car itself, I have a hole in the bumper, so if I decide to take the conversion out, its only a replacement bumper.

I did consider the diesel, but for the same cost as a gallon of diesel I can travel over 80 miles.

A couple of things to add here. As pointed out a gas converted car always starts on unleaded, so there is no need to use a tank of unleaded every other fill up. I never did in any of my LPG cars. As far as I'm aware this was true for older cars, modern cars don't need it, but I may be wrong. An interesting point raised about the stop/start function though. In town the unleaded consumption could be far higher than a normal LPG converted car, somewhat defeating the object. But this is probably minimal.

As for cutting holes in the body there is no need. The filler can be fitted into the bumper, or if you want below it so it's even less obtrusive. I even know one guy that had it fitted behind his number plate, and fitted a plate on hinges.

The switch/gas guage varies from one conversion to the next but none of mine have ever been obviously different to anything OEM. Usually quite discreet.

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by MartinH32 (original)

You only need to use unleaded in an engine to preserve the valves. However, mini's don't suffer from soft valve seats so not an issue. In addition the car always starts on unleaded and with the stop / start function again starts on unleaded before switching to gas.

I don't have a whole in the car itself, I have a hole in the bumper, so if I decide to take the conversion out, its only a replacement bumper.

I did consider the diesel, but for the same cost as a gallon of diesel I can travel over 80 miles.

Yeah, but at that difference, you must be doing extra urban, so you would have got about 70 out of a dooper, so therefore, it'll take you a long time to save when you take the cost of the conversion into account. And, of course, it'll affect your warranty and TLC.

[DanKent]

I wonder how long it'll take the Government to realise they aren't making as much in tax with more people switching to LPG, so bump the price up accordingly? Get it while it's cheap but I don't expect it to last!

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by DanKent (original)

I wonder how long it'll take the Government to realise they aren't making as much in tax with more people switching to LPG, so bump the price up accordingly? Get it while it's cheap but I don't expect it to last!

Well said - the limit to how long they will leave it tax-free is coming to an end - then LPG won't be as cheap. Still, while it lasts!!!

[MartinH32]

Quote: Originally Posted by M.O.S (original)

Yeah, but at that difference, you must be doing extra urban, so you would have got about 70 out of a dooper, so therefore, it'll take you a long time to save when you take the cost of the conversion into account. And, of course, it'll affect your warranty and TLC.

I did consider a diesel like I said, but this still over the 3 years I have the car will work out cheaper. I did my maths beforehand.
As for the TLC, I ensured when I purchased the car that this would be honoured - and I have it in writing. The warranty is effected but only the bits concerning the conversion. The conversion itself is covered for two years by the installers.

The government has stated it will increase but only at a penny over the inflationary rate for around another five years - so it will be cheaper for a time yet.

In all, I am happy with my choice - 20,000 miles after having it done!!