LPG - Anyone with regrets? Is servicing expensive?

[ukbondraider]

I am still currently on the fence with LPG but one thing I would like to know is how important is servicing the LPG kit and how expensive is it.

I am considering converting my Lexus RX300 (2004) 75K miles which I plan to keep for many years but dont do alot of miles in.

I plan to keep the RX300 until it has fully broken but only do about 7k-10K miles per year. Therefore whilst the breakeven point will likely be 3 or 4 years one other cost I need to factor in is servicing cost.

The one thing I dont do with most of my cars is service them. I will change the oil, filters and plugs myself and willl pay for a cambelt change when required but do not routinely go to a dealer for a yearly service. I therefore do not want to be paying for a conversion and then having to get it serviced yearly like most people do with their cars. However, I am guessing that it is dangerous not to get the lpg conversion checked regularly. Is an LPG service a few hundred quid each time or are we talking about 1 hours labour?

Whilst alot of things tell me that it isnt immediately worth me doing an LPG conversion, the fact that I plan to keep the car forever makes me think again. However, will gradual damage to the engine/valves and lack of LPG maintainence mean that I infact reduce the life of my car?

Anyone regret converting their car due to frequent issues.

[john_d]

petrol is only gona get more expensive, whilst the same can be said for lpg, atleast its around 50-60ppl cheaper at the mo.

[Gilbertd]

and as any duty or VAT increases are by percentage, the differential between petrol and LPG will increase. A 1% increase in the price of petrol at £1.35 a litre is greater than a 1% increase in the price of gas at 72p per litre.

A service on an LPG system consists of changing a filter or two and a check of the software. I doubt you are looking at more than 2 hours labour unless a fault is found. At 10k a year, I wouldn't expect the breakeven point to be more than 3 years at the most even if you take into account the additional cost of Flashlube (which your engine will almost certainly need).

[binder4]

Gas tune is cheap as chips, Certainly no regrets.
When I was having backfiring issues I was getting a bit despondent, (regrets!) 3 trips to the mechanic and $1000 before it was finally fixed. Different mechanic last trip to get it fixed, wish I went there first. He new what he was doing, first bloke was a member of the "lets replace parts and see how we go" brigade.
But now the old girl is running like a train again, I'm happy again!
The month or so I was running on petrol instead of gas while having the drama was certainly a rude shock to the system.

[Tubbs]

I have just finished one ! This very day. Servicing Is not very expensive I generally charge in the region of £50.00 inclusive of parts. They make a very nice conversion. I can honestly say that you will notice no difference in performance or driveability.

[woody]

What most "installers "wont tell you is the RX300 does need valve care {flash lube etc] and also Lexus cars are common for Catalyst efficiency below threshold fault codes being generated.This means your cat or cats are goosed , you have 3 on the RX.

So , you need to factor in valve care fluid every 2/3000 miles and a very expensive exhaust repair bill at some stage [it will fail on petrol]....however if you can live with the MIL light it will save loads of money for the rest of the life of the vehicle.

woody

[J66P]

only regret most have is that they doent do it sooner

[Tubbs]

Yeh I have also seen a few cat problems on them tbh. I installed a flashlube system obviously. Electronic one actually they are more like 6-8k. As far as the cat thing goes I'm sure it's only ever been the centre rear one that's goosed on any of them I've seen. Mind you I've seen quite a few with no problems at all throughout the warranty term.

[Allan1010]

I had my first converted car, a Saab 99 carburettor, in 1982 and I have 2 running on gas right now. I have had a couple of diesels in the interim but the thing I remember most when I got my first conversion done, is folks saying the price of gas "is bound to shoot up so it's not worth doing". Sound familiar?

That was 29 years ago, and nowadays I'm running VERY nice 4 litre and 3.8 litre V6s for the same cost as the naysayers of old with their Astras and Mondeos, so who's the daft one?

Do it! Get it done by somebody who knows what they're doing and pay the proper price, that's the difference netween a "great" install and one where you fart on with problem after problem, never quite "getting it right" and generally being dissatisfied. You'll not regret it if you get it done properly.

[tilly]

go for it , i own a lexus rx350 and 18 mpg aint good at least with lpg i can now drive it without the cost , just get a good job done with jml valve saver kit fitted

[Arun_Autogas]

We charge £109 including VAT and filters for a full service and can carry out petrol serivcing and MOT at the same time if required to make things easier. First service after conversion is always free. Valvesaver is included in the cost of all our conversions where needed and you only need top up about once or maybe twice a year. One litre of valvesaver fluid lasts about 1000 litres of LPG.

[Widget]

Nice thread. I'm in the same situation where I just need pushing over the edge to a LPG conversion. I have been teetering for a while now but I've stayed with petrol far too long now! Will have to treat myself to a conversion for xmas .

Looking forward to enjoying a LPG filled 2012!

[dannyf]

What most "installers "wont tell you is the RX300 does need valve care {flash lube etc] and also Lexus cars are common for Catalyst efficiency below threshold fault codes being generated.This means your cat or cats are goosed , you have 3 on the RX.

So , you need to factor in valve care fluid every 2/3000 miles and a very expensive exhaust repair bill at some stage [it will fail on petrol]....however if you can live with the MIL light it will save loads of money for the rest of the life of the vehicle.

woody

I would just chop the cat's out an put 2 sport's cats on the car or change the mapping on the ECU to map out the EML

[dannyf]

Nice thread. I'm in the same situation where I just need pushing over the edge to a LPG conversion. I have been teetering for a while now.

Think 2012 is going to be the year though.

I have a Zafira gsi thats 250 or 330bhp low or high boost
and a golf mk4 gti 1.9tdi 150bhp
the zafira is cheaper to Run an service on lpg
ok the golf is cheaper tax but thats about it

the zafira dose about 26mpg on gas at 50p PL or 70p PL at the pump

[j33myb]

I have no regrets, saving a fortune as I do high miles.

One thing to ask - you do low miles at 7-10k. Do these miles consist of infrequent longer journeys or frequent short ones?

Most cars will take a mile or two to switch over to gas, so if you do lots of short journeys, you could find you run on petrol as much as you do on gas. You'll still asve for every mile on gas, but would take forever.

A couple of friends have considered it, but I advised against because they only run about town 3 miles to work, 3 miles back, so the car is usually always cold/ish. They would struggle to see any benefits with gas in my opinion.

[Sir Henry]

My only regret is that a closed loop system wasn't available at the time I had The Old Girl converted. Fortunately they can now be fitted as a DIY upgrade and I shall be giving her a kit as a Crimbo prezzie.
In the meantime it's allowed me to run her far more than I otherwise could have. A 6.8 litre V8 in a car weighing 2.5 tonnes uses fuel like an alcoholic soaks up free beer!

[mrLongstaff]

Nice thread. I'm in the same situation where I just need pushing over the edge to a LPG conversion. I have been teetering for a while now.

Think 2012 is going to be the year though.

I have a Zafira gsi thats 250 or 330bhp low or high boost
and a golf mk4 gti 1.9tdi 150bhp
the zafira is cheaper to Run an service on lpg
ok the golf is cheaper tax but thats about it

the zafira dose about 26mpg on gas at 50p PL or 70p PL at the pump

Hi Danny.

Sorry to jump in here - but can I ask - With such power running on gas - did you do all the tweaks and mods to the Z before you installed the gas system? As I understand it you have to do a 'tweak for tweak' where you have to remap the engine CPU and then the LPG CPU ifd its installed before making mods..?

Steven

[pimpin gimp]

What most "installers "wont tell you is the RX300 does need valve care {flash lube etc] and also Lexus cars are common for Catalyst efficiency below threshold fault codes being generated.This means your cat or cats are goosed , you have 3 on the RX.

So , you need to factor in valve care fluid every 2/3000 miles and a very expensive exhaust repair bill at some stage [it will fail on petrol]....however if you can live with the MIL light it will save loads of money for the rest of the life of the vehicle.

woody

I would just chop the cat's out an put 2 sport's cats on the car or change the mapping on the ECU to map out the EML

I recently bought an RX that has had this done to it, and it sorts nothing as far as I know. The engine runs way too rich, the EML is on constantly as well as VSC and it's due to the two manifold cats not being present. I've taken it to someone who I deem to be very knowledgable (A&D in Somerset) and they've reccomended that in order to get it running properly, and through the next MOT it will need appriximately £1450 of work. This includes for the exhaust system to be shipped from the US, and including parts, fitting, labour & VAT it's still cheaper than the £1900 that Lexus wanted just for the parts...

I'll be paying out now to get it fixed properly, because the last owner accepted a shoddy repair that got it through the old MOT system where cats were not required.