Convert to LPG or not?

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emalou2

New Member
Posts
41
Location
Worcestershire
Ive not long had my Freelander 1.8 petrol. The mpg are not great, i was wondering about converting to LPG?

How much does it cost and is it actually worth it?

Seen a few folks on here who dont recommend the 1.8 engine to be converted.. why is this?

Im looking to keep the car for a few years so to make it more economical would benefit me. I know most of you will say i should of got the TD4 engine but this was a good buy and for what i need fits the purpose. We have a diesel car for long runs.

Your thoughts?
 
Spend nothing on it and bin it when it goes tit's up- you ignored good advice.
 
I've had my 1.8 on LPG for three years now and (touch wood ) no problems. I think we have touched on this question before and a search may bring more information to light.
I see by your location you are in Worcestershire you could try looking up a company called Go-LPG in Bromsgrove the guy there may be able to point you in the right direction ,I have delt with him in the past and found him a top man.
I know the 1.8 is not the most frugal when it comes to MPG and a gas conversion even at todays inflated prices is still a good .
Mine returns around thirty MPG in mixed driving bit more on a run but I drive like a granny :)
But at 69 p ltr its not so bad.
Get a Countrywide farm supplies account they have filling stations/pumps
throughout the midland you get a coded key for 24 hour access and direct debit payment at the end of the month
And its cheaper than high street prices
 
edge said:
I've had my 1.8 on LPG for three years now and (touch wood ) no problems. I think we have touched on this question before and a search may bring more information to light.
I see by your location you are in Worcestershire you could try looking up a company called Go-LPG in Bromsgrove the guy there may be able to point you in the right direction ,I have delt with him in the past and found him a top man.
I know the 1.8 is not the most frugal when it comes to MPG and a gas conversion even at todays inflated prices is still a good .
Mine returns around thirty MPG in mixed driving bit more on a run but I drive like a granny :)
But at 69 p ltr its not so bad.
Get a Countrywide farm supplies account they have filling stations/pumps
throughout the midland you get a coded key for 24 hour access and direct debit payment at the end of the month.
thanks very much for the advice, how much did yours cost if you dont mind me asking? I dont really want to sell it as i only paid 2700 for it and its in vgc.56000 on the clock so was really looking to keep it ive lost lots of money on cars over the years so i really need to be sensible and keep it!
And its cheaper than high street prices
Click to expand...
thanks very much for the advice, how much did yours cost if you dont mind me asking? I dont really want to sell it as i only paid 2700 for it and its in vgc.56000 on the clock so was really looking to keep it ive lost lots of money on cars over the years so i really need to be sensible and keep it!
 
Pleeeeez
Dont LPG a petrol Freelander. They are notorious for HGF and LPG will make it run even hotter and therefore even more prone to cavitation and overheating.
Take the advice above and change it for a TD4, otherwise it is likely it will just be a moneypit. :(.
 
I just looked at an LPG conversion site and they quote around £2000 for the conversion

They have a conversion saving calculator that indicates it would take 2 years to recoup the cost of installation against the fuel price saving -
-by which time you'll have needed that £2k to fix other faults.

If you've always lost money on your cars, you've certainy picked the right vehicle to continue an unbroken trend.
 
As above, cost of conversion + sell your 1.8 = buy a diesel.

the diesel wil have the same mpg roughly as a converted lpg 1.8
the diesel will be more reliable than the 1.8 even before lpg
the diesel will be less complecated than a converted 1.8 lpg
we can help you fix your diesel easier than a converted 1.8 lpg

By the way, my v6 petrol needs the sequentual multipoint injection lpg kit which is £1800 professionally fitted, by an lpg installer, with certificate for the insurance, and a 1 year warranty. Mine wasn't done as I only do 4k miles per year, and reduced tax on lpg won't be for ever.

I know it's hard getting rid of your 1.8. They're ok to a certain extent. some have had them for many trouble free years of motoring. Sadly many haven't been so lucky. If yer wants betterer mpg, going diesel is the betterer option.
 
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Thanks Hippo, good advice. However due to the fact im getting married in March and we want a nice honeymoon my thoughts are spend as less as possible on the 1.8..... when things start to go wrong (which touching wood they have not yet) then ill F it off and buy something else. Hope and pray in the meantime it keeps going!
 
Yu paid £2700 for your motor.
A 1.8 petrol freelander with HGF is worth about £500.
You have to decide whether it is worth risking prospective HGF or try and sell it while it is still worth a reasonable sum.
It is your risk, but if I read your first post correctly, you aren't the most hands-on with motors and landies, and hippos in particular, tend to need either a competant mechanic or deep pockets.

Just a simple point. It does seem at times that a lot of us slag off Hippoos, but that is because a lot of us have had some major issues with them. Ignore those warnings at your peril. There are too many on here that have said "they can't be that bad", followed within months by " I should have listened".
 
Last edited:
After 15 years working on gas engines in forklifts (usually VW, peugeot, isuzu) a couple of pointers.

Petrol when it enters the combustion chamber acts as a cooling charge - LPG less so. If your cooling system is marginal this will not be kind.
Because the fuel costs have halved you will/may be tempted to drive the car harder, also not kind to the cooling system.
Although LPG burns very clean it does seem to be hard on plugs, leads and some types of coils, if your ignition system has been serviced regularily this will not be a problem, if not it soon will be a problem.
The cost of a professional install, on low annual mileage vehicles, economically doesn't make sense. The cost of a DIY install, can be fatal, to the car if not the occupants.

Gut feeling -
1.8 has a marginal cooling system if used hard it will fail.
I suspect you have little experience with LPG and your low mileage doesn't financially make a professional install viable.
Enjoy the car you have ;)
 
Perhaps a way forward on this would be to delay the wedding. Then you could put the money towards a diesel. Wedding the year after perhaps.
 
well that'll learn me to pay a bit more attention :doh:......how about find a random man you cant stand, get a restraining order on him then consistantly fail to get any money out the tight git :D
 
The Mad Hat Man said:
Yu paid £2700 for your motor.
A 1.8 petrol freelander with HGF is worth about £500.
You have to decide whether it is worth risking prospective HGF or try and sell it while it is still worth a reasonable sum.
It is your risk, but if I read your first post correctly, you aren't the most hands-on with motors and landies, and hippos in particular, tend to need either a competant mechanic or deep pockets.

Just a simple point. It does seem at times that a lot of us slag off Hippoos, but that is because a lot of us have had some major issues with them. Ignore those warnings at your peril. There are too many on here that have said "they can't be that bad", followed within months by " I should have listened".
Click to expand...

Thanks, the HG has been replaced with paperwork to prove so only last year. I see by going through various threads that Hippos as you call them seem to be a bit of a problem.. im not the most hands on with cars (im a woman) i only use them for carting my shi.t around and transporting dogs for walkies! forgive me for leaving the kitchen and using fiancees lap top... please dont tell him!!!!!!!!!
 
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