Lpg Conversion

[cassandjohngreensmith]

Hi, we bought our Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.3 v6 auto 2003 with a view to LPG convert it. We had this done over a week ago by a UKLPG approved installer local to us. We got it back on Monday and was initially very pleased but soon realised that it would shudder or cut out completely when it turned over from petrol to LPG. Took it back to the installer who reassured me it was working fine after connecting it to the diagnostics and that it just needed to settle down although he did change it to not only be prevented from changing over until it got to the correct temperature but also not until it hit 1500rpm so it would be going along when it changed over. However later that day it cut out when changing over to LPG as well as driving along the road and the engine management light came on so rang the installer to see if this was just part of bedding in and he asked us to bring it back so back to the installer it went who kept it in for a half day and said he took all the injectors off and started over with them. Got it back but still had the same problems and engine management light came up again. Plus we had now noticed that on acceleration from idle there was sometimes a slight shudder/hesitation and on braking we were sometimes getting a slight shudder now and then which caused the revs to surge and drop just as it went under 1000rpm and also would sometimes shudder and lose power in reverse. The installer had it back for 2 days this time and told me that he had calibrated it extensively and it was running fantastic but said that the engine management light may come on again as the LPG system runs slightly hotter and was causing the CAT to throw up the engine management light even though nothing was wrong. I felt by this point I was being fobbed off. He had changed it back from turning over at 1500rpm to just turning over when the temperature was sufficient for the system to do so, so I tried to remain hopeful however when picking our vehicle up the car was still shuddering as if going to cut out on turn over from petrol to LPG. Tthe installer said that the system just needed to settle in, I said fair enough so you are saying that it will stop doing that in the first 1,000 miles once it has bedded in and he said no he can't promise that and we are still getting all of the above problems. We have also noticed that when they removed the windscreen wipers and rear bumper in order to fit the system they failed to put them back correctly and have had to remove and fit them back correctly ourselves. The installer rang today to see how it is going and when my husband said we are still getting the problems he said he could either remove the system and refund our money or fit an entirely new system. Can anyone shed any light on this at all? Any recommendations as to what to do? When I say that it shudders it is almost cutting out.

[bignev]

I've heard of the company, when I was looking at our first one.

 

I would speak to the guys they told you about in Bristol first, as if it's not registered most insurance companies will fairly enough not cover it, I had that problem as on our first conversion putting it on the register got missed, but the guys did it while I was stood there when I popped in to have a chat about it.

 

Is yours a standard seat version, not stow n go? My 1st one is standard and has an 80 litre tank under at the back where the spare was.

The 2nd is stow n go with one underneath in place of the spare, and one in the store where the left middle seat would like to go, still totallng 80 litres. But for some reason this with 2 tanks is a rather slow filler.

 

Some guys get more, but we usually get over 200 miles to a fill.

[robbie2red]

Hey Nev,

 

I’m not sure tbh. As you know it’s the wheelchair conversion and the floor is very low all the way from the back bench seat right the way through. There’s definitely no room underneath. The spare wheel is in the boot under the flap with the jack in a separate compartment by the side.

 

Yes that’s a good point about contacting the people in Bristol, I’ll do that. Better be safe than sorry, especially seeming as there’s so many mixed opinions/reviews on the net about the company.

 

Can anybody tell me what the size of the tank in the 3.3 petrol is (the standard petrol tank)???

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

[bignev]

With the spare at the back it would be the standard seats, albeit the spare was underneath, I presume modded to possibly stand a chance of being done by someone with disability, but the stow n go has it under and between the front seats - daft.

 

The petrol tank is approx 80 litres.

Edited November 15, 2017 by bignev

[Semmysonic]

I have 2 50ltr tanks one in each of the middle seat wells (stow and go) I can just about get 300 miles out of it on a long run but short journeys will get about 250.

 

Most I've managed to get in mine is around 70ltrs of gas, all depends on the filling station and air temp etc.

[robbie2red]

Me again!

 

Right. 2 different companies as options now.

 

Profess Gas - Stag systems - £1500

Fairwater Garages - BRC Systems - £2100

 

What does everyone think? I know you rate the BRC systems highly, but I’ve heard good things about these STAG systems too!

 

Cheers

[bignev]

My LPG TECH system with 1 tank was £1200, in 2012, and in 2015 the BRC with 2 tanks was £1800.

As I said a while ago in this post the cheap one has been absolutely fine.

And the BRC didn't turn out to run any more mpg.

 

Both at Panache in Ardwick Manchester, bit far for you sadly I realise.

[robbie2red]

Well guys, I did it! She’s now LPG’d!!! :-)

 

I went and used ProfessGas near Cardiff in the end, and they use STAG systems. I did some research on other forums on the STAG systems and decided to go for it. I must say first impressions are good, but I won’t say too much yet and leave a full review after more use.

 

For your information though, I had fitted a 140 litre tank in the boot. It’s sunk down where the spare wheel was but does take boot space up. It will still have a useful boot though as I’m going to fit a parcel shelf with ply or mdf above the tank.

 

First impressions of the job done by ProfessGas are good. Neat job of installing the tank, nozzle fill point is done very discreetly, equipment in the bonnet looks neat.

 

The STAG system changes seamlessly you can hardly notice the change from petrol to gas unless you’re trying to notice it. Nice neat button to disengage the LPG and to let you know a rough gauge of gas left.

 

Happy boy!

 

Pictures to follow...

Edited December 16, 2017 by robbie2red

[bignev]

Marvellous mate!

 

What you will eventually notice is that you are correct, the gauge really is a ROUGH idea, mine can go to the last, then flashing green light after sometimes 80 miles, somewaht premature on the 200 plus empty miles!!!!

[Semmysonic]

Good news

Yes it's a pressure gauge not a fuel level gauge so it never really gives you an accurate level on how much you have left. Mine can go from full to empty in a matter of a few miles, then other times it will show as almost empty and last quite a while. You'll learn to reset the trip after every fill up, that will give you a better idea on when you'll need to fillup.