Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving

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Tue 7 Aug 2012 17:30
Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving - pugswhdi

Folks, it has been a while since I last posted but am glad to be back. This question is inspired following reading the thread started by the gentleman with a v6 petrol 607.

I have been driving a petrol Honda FRV for the last 2ish years. It has been very reliable and an ideal family car so I intend to keep it for the next 5 years. I have been thinking of an LPG conversion but cannot actually work out whether or not it is a good idea. I can reasonably work out payback time etc but the real issue is that we do a lot of short journeys under 5 miles. I cannot work out whether or not this is a suitable pattern for an LPG car? I have received conflicting advice from installers and almost everything I have ever found on the internet is related to high milage drivers. Can HJ forum provide anything conclusive?

Thanks for advice in advance.

Edited by pugswhdi on 07/08/2012 at 17:31

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Wed 8 Aug 2012 00:22
Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving - unthrottled

It depends on the set up. You need to ask the installer at what coolant temperature the switchover from petrol to LPG occurs. I think the more sophisticated ones will switch over at a coolant temperature of 40C, but the older ones were much higher. Obviously, if half the journey is spent on petrol, then there isn't a huge amountg of point in LPG.

It should be noted that muanufacturers have been substituting cheaper exhaust valves in recent years, because the expensive ones were felt to be overkill for engines running on petrol There are reports of excessive wear of exhaust valves/seats in a lot of modern engines, including Hondas...

www.amrautos.co.uk/index.php/lpg-systems

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Wed 8 Aug 2012 03:38
Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving - balleballe

All Jap cars and most European cars have the valve issue unfortunantly

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Wed 8 Aug 2012 10:45
Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving - RT

Is it ever worth converting small/medium engines to LPG?

It's clearly worthwhile if you've got a gas-guzzler because the fuel savings would be huge but I wouldn't have thought that it was worth doing under 3.0 litres as the savings much lower but the installation cost only marginally so.

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Wed 8 Aug 2012 18:49
Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving - gordonbennet

During the summer, by the time i have started my car, sorted me stuff for work in the boot and locked the house my car has changed over to gas, at work when i drive after only about 15 seconds running, then it will change over by the time i've turned right out of the works gate, in very warm weather then engine changes immediately.

During winter, again by the time i've cleared the windows etc and locked up then again it has changed over, at work it sometimes takes up to a mile, no more, from the works till it changes.

It's a lot cheaper converting a 4 cylinder, not sure where you'd put the LPG tank in the FRV though, not a car i've looked around much.

A good converter will fit an autolube sytem anyway, hopefully that will help defeat valve seat regression, i'm using about 5 litres of valve fluid over 2 years @ £60ish.

I have no regrets over going LPG, other than i wish i and done so years ago, i love being out in my car with all the windows and sunroof open in the summer, lovely smelling and quiet till some tractor engined hatch pulls up nearby rattling and stinking.

If you have a good indy LPG supplier in your area that will make a better case for conversion.

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Thu 9 Aug 2012 11:28
Honda FRV - LPG Conversion - city driving - pugswhdi

Thanks for all of your input folks. Unfortunatley, I am still wondering whether it would be the right thing to do. It's a car that averages around 28mpg overall so fairly thirsty, reasonable conversion costs (4 cylinder car) and there is space in the boot if I sacrifice the, still unused spare wheel (touch wood!). Fuel is available locally but without a good local LPG conversion business I'm not sure I will go ahead.

Thanks,

Ben

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