I've just had LPG installed

[jblackCLK]

As the title says, after thinking about it for a long time I've recently taken the plunge and had LPG fitted to my CLK 320.

I've had the car back a week and first impressions are very good.
The car is noticeably quieter and smoother, and still returns 32 MPG on a long run (it returns 36 on petrol).
However, the acceleration is ever so slightly slower, but its hardly noticeable.

The best thing is I put 35 odd litres in last night and it cost me around £17

The installation cost £1600 inc and was fitted by an approved LPGA fitter.

I know it'll take 18 months to recoup the cost, but the fact I can now fully enjoy driving the car without keeping one eye on the petrol guage (and the rate it drops) is worth the installation alone.

Cheers

 

[wemorgan]

Sounds interesting.
Where is the LPG tank, in the spare wheel well or boot?
Any photos would be good to see.

Thanks,
Will

 

[Howard]

Pleased for you fella , but how the hell do you get 36 on a run ?

Maybe i've just got a lead right foot .

 

[Dragon]

As the title says, after thinking about it for a long time I've recently taken the plunge and had LPG fitted to my CLK 320.

I've had the car back a week and first impressions are very good.
The car is noticeably quieter and smoother, and still returns 32 MPG on a long run (it returns 36 on petrol).
However, the acceleration is ever so slightly slower, but its hardly noticeable.

The best thing is I put 35 odd litres in last night and it cost me around £17

The installation cost £1600 inc and was fitted by an approved LPGA fitter.

I know it'll take 18 months to recoup the cost, but the fact I can now fully enjoy driving the car without keeping one eye on the petrol guage (and the rate it drops) is worth the installation alone.

Cheers

Will it make any different to your VED from next year onward?

 

[Shude]

Will it make any different to your VED from next year onward?

AFAIK it won't make any difference, it's a pre-2001 registration so the VED is based on engine capacity.

 

[wemorgan]

Will it make any different to your VED from next year onward?

I believe VED is fixed for life.

.....seems I was too slow in my response

 

[Dieselman]

If DVLA are notified of the conversion, wouldn't it fall under the banner of an alternative fuelled car, thus see a £15 reduction in levy.?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012524

 

[talltimtam]

Do you have a photo of the LPG tank ?

 

[glojo]

Well done and pictures will be nice.

Regards
John

 

[kth286]

Pleased for you fella , but how the hell do you get 36 on a run ?

Maybe i've just got a lead right foot .

It's probably got the wrong spec wheels and tyres and the gearing is therefore not standard.

That's one way to improve economy. Others would be, higher ratio diff......
etc etc

 

[A210AMG]

How much is LPG at the mo, as your 32mpg is equivalant to over 60mpg out of V6 3.2 happy days

I'm tempted if I did more mile in my bus

 

[R129mine]

15 years ago while living in holland I had a car with an LPG installation, the lpg was cheap as chips but the government taxed you extra for road tax, the break even point was if i remember correctly about 5k (rough guess) miles per year, so if you were doing less than 5k miles per year you would end up paying more than if you were driving petrol/diesel and if you did more than 5k miles per year it would be cheaper to convert your car to LPG.

 

[jblackCLK]

Hi all

thanks for the replies. I'll take some photos tomorrow when its light.

The tank is in the spare wheel well it is a 60ltr tank which effectively holds 46ltrs. Its only smallish as I didn't want the floor raised at all, I could have had a cylinder type take between the rear wheels but I didn't want to lose boot space.

I get LPG from the local shell garage about half a mile from where I live for 56p or if I take a slight detore through liverpool I can get it for 49p from morrisons.
In Leeds I get it for 52p from a jet petrol station near the city centre.

I've read a few post on the forum from people thinking about the conversion so I thought I'd post feedback on mine. I intend to update the thread in 6 months or so as a sort of long term test.

 

[Mudster]

I considered this on a Range Rover I had, at the time LPG garages were few and far between so it would have been a one hour round trip to fill up, which kind of defeated the object.

If there were more stations at the time I would have had the conversion done also. I'm interested in the long term tax breaks on LPG though, I get the feeling once enough people have had it done that govt attitudes may change.

 

[franey]

What would be really good is if you could fill up at home, not from a tank but from your house/ domestic gas supply.
I understand that the pressure has something to do with it or something?

Dieselman?

 

[Dieselman]

LPG and GNG are different beasts, but for use in cars both have to be compressed engough to be turned into liquid form. Not sure of the pressures, but it's high.
The only people I've known running CNG cars were the gas research establishment, but I think they have ceased their trials now.
They had special pumps to pressurise the mains gas into the tank.

 

[jblackCLK]

Pitures can be found here

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=58145