LPG Only Vehcile White smoke on statup.

Message

j0mpst0rt · #1 Post by **j0mpst0rt** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:51 am

Yesterday Morning I start upthe car (i have to start it with easystart at the moment due some problem getting LPG to start?. Once It's started, LPG works fine, with no cutout between Eazystart can and LPG after which I put the air box back on).

I had the house front door open, and the back of the car pointing to the front door of the house.

When I start the car, the exhaust lets off quite a lot of white smoke which goes away after 5 minutes. I was assuming it was just steam or someting because the engine was cold.

However, it set off the fire alarm in the house so I assume there's something wrong here.

Can someone give me some pointers please.

Keep in mind this is an LPG only vehicle, no Petrol pipework or tank at all.

Thanks in advance. Michael.

MarkJones · #2 Post by **MarkJones** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:40 pm

just monitor your fuel consumption ...

over 12 mpg gallon on LPG for a v8 running about
18 mpg long run
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over 20 mpg on a 2 litre engine running about

27 mpg plus on a run.

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on a small engine ...
you will get

over 25 mpg running about

and over 35 mpg on a run
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if its within these confines ......dont worry...and its not an lpg problem .

all the best.mark

Sir Henry · #3 Post by **Sir Henry** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:31 pm

For every gallon of fuel your engine burns - be it petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG, bio-fuel or especially hydrogen it will always chuck more than a gallon of pure water (among other things) out the back end of the exhaust. This will show up more in cold weather as the steam condenses into small droplets like you would find in a cloud or fog.
Most household smoke detectors will be fooled sooner by these droplets than any hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases. (Just leave a boiling kettle and 'see' what happens).
Can I assume that your car no longer has a petrol system?
If it has it would be far better to start it on petrol in cold weather and switch over to gas after a mile or so - like wot I does, innit?

MarkJones · #4 Post by **MarkJones** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:42 pm

if it has it would be far better to start it on petrol in cold weather and switch over to gas after a mile or so - like wot I does, innit?

one of the best things about LPG ...is no bore washing ...

to take advantage of this, change over as soon as possible to avoid premature wear of the cylinders.

dirtying of the oil with soot ........ causes wear also ....and engine makes most soot in the first few mins

probably the only reason I'm sticking with LPG ...when it gets to 3/4 of the price of petrol ....thats it ......

all the best.markj

brianm · #5 Post by **brianm** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:04 pm

Off topic, but cheap smoke alarms don't respond to smoke at all!
I recommend that you bin the cheap £3 B&Q rubbish, and replace them with proper photo electric smoke detectors, preferably mains/capacitor powered and linked together.
They will cost you about £20 each, but I value my life a little higher than that!