Help Please?!

indiajazz · March 10, 2009

hi everyone,hope you dont mind me posting on this forum but ive stumbled across an rx 300 for sale which has already been converted to lpg.its a 2002 plate, looks in good nick and is on sale for £6,995.

im just after a bit of advice regarding mpg and cost e.t.c and whether you think that is a good asking price?we are a family of 4 who dont do many miles but ive always loved these cars and am in need of a change!again i hope you dont mind me intruding but its always worth getting advice and omformation from the horses mouth,so to speak!thanks in advance

k33rjd · March 19, 2009

dont buy it

lpg conversions are a right nightmare, ive never seen one installed safely yet, for example- they all have gas pipes running through parts of the body without the proper gromets etc also these cars arent designed to be ran with lpg, a common complaint of running them on lpg is a misfire, this can sometimes be sorted with a new set of plugs but on some occasions because its running hotter it can burn the valves out. please check the vehicle properly before you part your hard earned cash.

Rx300-SE · April 19, 2011

Ill disagreeee with you K33rjd

steve2006 · April 19, 2011

If the system has been professionally installed,serviced when required and has a current LPG installation certificate ( you may need this to obtain insurance) there should be no problems running an LPG vehicle.

Modern LPG systems are multipoint,ECU controlled and if serviced correctly are generally reliable. There have been reported issues with valve seat wear but given these now also have to cope with unleaded petrol it would appear to be rare, again much is down to poor servicing particularly when the LPG filter is not replaced resulting in a weak mixture.

If you have any doubt have a professional LPG installer look over the kit before purchase as well as the normal checks you would carry out on a used car like service history and an extended test drive.

tonyricha · April 21, 2011

If the system has been professionally installed,serviced when required and has a current LPG installation certificate ( you may need this to obtain insurance) there should be no problems running an LPG vehicle.

Modern LPG systems are multipoint,ECU controlled and if serviced correctly are generally reliable. There have been reported issues with valve seat wear but given these now also have to cope with unleaded petrol it would appear to be rare, again much is down to poor servicing particularly when the LPG filter is not replaced resulting in a weak mixture.

If you have any doubt have a professional LPG installer look over the kit before purchase as well as the normal checks you would carry out on a used car like service history and an extended test drive.

I agree with the advise to avoid it, my Lexus with LPG, regular servicing and Flashlube was completely un reliable and twice burned the valve seats out. If as you say you are a low mileage user you will never save more than the cost of engine repairs, this car is for sale for a reason Beware! Also you must use 1 tank of petrol for every 3 LPG fill ups so the savings are nothing like you imagine, ask any Lexus dealer they will advise against LPG, if it worked why wouldn't manufactures offer cars to run on it ? Old low tech iron engines were OK but modern VVTI engines do not like it. Save yourself a load of agg an stick to a standard engine.

Regards Tony

Mike evans · August 2, 2011

Have a good look at it. Take it to a LPG converter that has done a rx300 before for advice.

Find out who fitted the LPG kit - talk to them, do they come across as knowledgable?

Have a look at the car. Does the system look neat and tidy.

Drive it, there should be no noticeable difference between LPG and petrol.

(A very slight hesitation at initial changeover is normal).

Drive it at full power on both petrol and Lpg, pull away from standstill to about 60mph at full throttle, letting the engine rev fully as commanded.

There should be barely any difference.between LPG and petrol.

If it hesitates at all doing this, then it needs some attention.

Some LPG kits will automatically change back to petrol at full throttle. This is normal.

But if it hesitates before changeover, then It's running lean and needs looking at.

At idle, the engine will probably sound sweeter on log, but if it misfires, or sounds rougher in any way, then it needs looking at.

Any LPG installer that says that it's straightforward and there are never any problems is not telling the truth.

LPG kit isn't plug and play, it needs setting up correctly. Failure to do so can result in engine failure.

As for one tank of petrol for every three of lpg and two cylinder head failures - there was definitely something wrong with the installation.

Sounds like it was running too lean. This is common on some cheaper kits, where the kit specified has no headroom.

Possibly, the kit was detecting a lean running condition and changing back to petrol.

Would like to know more about that failure - who did the work, and what kit was fitted.

(and what remedial work was done to the LPG system to put it right).

Yes, I agree that LPG systems are not without their concerns, but if carried out properly, there are rarely any issues.

Mike.

EMDG · September 15, 2011

I have a 1997 LS400 which I have had for 9 years, 7 of which have been on LPG ( about 50,000m). The only service the car gets is an oil change every year (fully synthetic), belts changed every 60,000 and the plugs were changed at 74,000. The mileage is now 148500 and the only trouble so far has been all the injectors going within one month last year. The installation (a Sequent multipoint injection system) with an valve lubricant injected automatically, was installed by an experienced fitter in Blackpool and cost £2200. The workshop was clean as an operating room and the workmanship gave me complete confidence in the installation. I had a previous car (1976 Volvo 244) fitted with LPG during the petrol crisis of the early 80's, but that was a totally different system, with the LPG injected through a pipe fitted under the carb. That car was with me for 113,000 miles with no trouble. The moral here is, you get what you pay for. Buy the best and it will pay for itself in the long run. EMDG.